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OP, it sounds like you are just really burned out. I'm wondering if you just need some validation to help you get through the next several months, because it sounds like you are juggling a ton of different responsibilities none of which can easily be given up right now.
If this is the case, something that may help is trying to think of how everything you do in a given day brings you one step closer to your bigger goals (kind of bolstering your mood by cheerleading yourself) - I know it's easy to get bogged down in the daily to-do's especially when we don't get any down time.
And not that you have time for reading something "extra-curricular" right now, but there is a great book called "Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting" by the Kabat-Zinns, that details how to focus on just one thing in each moment (e.g., when with the kids, being fully with the kids; when doing homework, fully doing homework - even if it's just in 2 minute bursts) that can help decrease feelings of being overwhelmed and frustrated by constant interruptions.
Good luck to you - you are doing a ton right now!! Let us know how it's going.
We are all about outside time, and I do get in a few runs or gym times each week- this time of the year is harder though with weather getting crappier and husband hunting in the evenings after work.
I'm sorry to ask but... does he have to go every day?
Can't you ask him to help you a little more since you're so tired and overwhelmed? Even though he has to have his "me time" too and do what he likes when he can do it... I get that... but family should come first, and believe me, hubbies can really help us keep our sanity! [FYII'm a SAHM too]
midwest, you're not a sahm if you're working those many hours outside the house. You're an overextended, exhausted working mom, especially with school added to the mix. There is no way on god's green earth that I could manage a 4-8am shift and then deal with whining toddlers until bedtime. Most working moms have babysitting and daycare help, if not a cleaning lady on top of that.
I understand you need the job for the benefits but if you are so depressed, is it really worth it? Is there absolutely no other option? My sister tried part time work (it was actually less than you are doing) and was so depressed and exhausted she ended up quitting after a year. She said even the part time hours were sucking all the life out of her and she had nothing left to give her kids.
Some women just aren't cut out to work and be a fully functioning mom. At the very least you need some more help, which if you can't afford, might make your job not worth it. Best of luck, I hope things improve for you!
You need to find a way to get through the day, I think a lot of SAHM have been there, me for sure. My youngest is in Kindergarton, finally, I thought that would never get here. I work mornings too, and go to school, I have school on the days she has school, so the only ME day, is every other friday. I try to stay busy as much as possible, I took the kids to the zoo so much, that I almost dislike animals. It is struggle, staying busy I think is the key, and getting out as much as possible, even if its walking around the mall, anything, your sanity is worth it.
In addition to the guilt you're feeling, .....for well... FEELING, you also sound absolutely exhausted! (((hugs))). I haven't gone through and read the entire thread, but is there any way that you can have them watched by someone else, for just a few hours per day? It can be so hard to study with little ones in the house....I KNOW. I've been there and done that and you find yourself so exhausted, reading the same paragraph over and over again. When you're in the house, the kids want mommy and they can not understand why mommy is just sitting there doing "nothing", but won't pay attention to them.
Again, perhaps you can find someone to take them, if even for just a few hours per day....or a few hours per day a few days per week. You need a break mom....you really do, before YOU break. Another poster mentioned a superwoman cape....yeah, well...after a while, that damn cape can get pretty damn tattered, unsuitable for flying and you're going to crash. You need to SCHEDULE a few landings, when it's YOUR choice to do so, to avoid the big crash.
More ((hugs)) to you, OP! Little children are precious but taking care of them can be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting.
Be sure that you are getting enough sleep - much easier said than done, I know, but don't underestimate the importance of sleep. Just having a few hours to yourself on the weekends can make a huge difference in the way you feel both physically and mentally.
Your kids are very little now, but it does get easier. Hang in there!
OP, is there any place on your property where you can escape to when hubby does get home? I know he's hunting, but perhaps he could have a more "scheduled" time to do so, so that he can help more with the kids. I was so thankful for our camp trailer when 4 kids (one 2 y/o) and was doing college and working part time. Fortunately for me though, I had a couple of kids who could sit and watch tv with the younger ones, even if hubby wasn't home, while I escaped to the solitude of the camper for a couple of hours, with my books. Sometimes, just being "out of the house", even if it's 20 feet away, can make all the difference in the world. As another poster said, too....MAKE THEM TAKE NAPS! You need some quiet time! It's so good that you came on here too. Sometimes you desperately need another grownup to just talk to, share experiences with and vent.
As another poster said, too....MAKE THEM TAKE NAPS! You need some quiet time!
Absolutely. I've been kind of shocked, since coming on this board, to find parents who don't "do" naps or don't believe in naps or whatever.
I'll admit to putting my kids in their rooms, closing the door, laying down on the couch and saying, "Thank God for this break!" I knew full well they didn't always sleep. (They've recently admitted they jumped up and down on their beds a lot.) But it gave me a break from them AND it gave them a break from me. I considered it a win-win.
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