I’m not entirely sure what this post is for, I guess I’m just looking for some advice, maybe a little understanding?
The last few weeks I’ve been feeling incredibly overwhelmed, overworked and generally just burnt out.
For context I work a 50 hour week in a warehouse; it’s a pretty crap job that physically really takes it out of me. My weekends? Well my partner then goes to work for 2 days; which means I’m solo-parenting the five and two year old.
The eldest is full of sass, and the youngest is still yet to sleep through the night and appears to be dropping his one and only nap; meaning he’s super grumpy all the time.
Parenting is hard work at the best of time, but right now all I seem to do is work and then solo-parent. And it’s the solo part that I’m struggling with. There’s no time to share the load with Mum (and she’d say the same thing) , there’s no time to focus on housework whilst the other parent handles the kids, there’s not even any time to sit down as a family and enjoy an evening dinner.
Work. Parent. Work. Parent. It’s absolutely exhausting and there doesn’t appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel.
Update
Just wanted to say thank you for the kind messages. I vowed to have a good day yesterday and as much as the kids tried to stop that, I did end up having a pretty good time.
Parenting is hard, so I really value having a place to come talk about those issues in a safe space. Once again, thank you.
Hang in there bro.
It sucks. It all sucks. There’s no happy balance - everything’s a constant demand on your time and effort and sometimes even closing the door behind you to take a shit is a welcome relief for five minutes of peace
Nothing lasts forever though - I work shifts too rotating through the week, and the second the kids start childcare or nursery or school or whatever your location offers, the tide starts to change. At first, whenever my kid (and subsequently second) went for a morning or afternoon in nursery, I just set an alarm and slept. It was fuckin’ awesome - if a little weird having a house so quiet.
Next, came the ability to drop the kids off at school or nursery, and run the long way home. After that, the ability to head off and get a coffee in a local cafe with a book or a bit of self study.
It sure does suck right now my dude, but you’re doing your bit to provide for them, your partner, and yourself. It will get easier though, and bit by bit, the window will start opening back to your “normal” life - for better or for worse.
Hang in there though, it gets better.
The childcare thing is a big one. Once my partner can start working at the same time I do, it’ll mean we get our weekends together as a family. Suddenly we get to share the load, we can give each other a bit of free time if we need it, or run errands whilst the other parent holds down the fort.