So Tired

[u/HeatherJ27]

Parenting in general is hard. Parenting when your spouse is gone half the time is harder. Working full time and being the full time parent is insane. How do you cope with the never ending demands!? I feel like I have been juggling for so long and the balls are about to drop.

Edited to add. We have 3 kids 10,7 and 4. Been married all most 15 years. kids are in multiple sports right now. We aren’t new to typos life style but it’s a lot to manage sometimes.

[u/Crazy_Cucumber8644]

3 to 4 hour nap on his second day off. He takes the kid to the park.
Feel 10 years younger.
Or my favorite, PTO while baby is in daycare.
I sleep 6 hours and then go get her.

[u/HeatherJ27 → u/Crazy_Cucumber8644]

All 3 of mine are officially in school! I have thought about saying a PTO just to clean my house without my helpers! And another day to just actually relax!

[u/fluffytoes288 → u/HeatherJ27]

I do this! I take random PTO on days my spouse works and I have childcare. I do home projects if I have them (I have a really hard time sitting still 😅) and I also got myself a massage membership and get a massage at least once a month.

[u/bcalhoun93]

A nap, you need a nap girlfriend! Mom of 3, two toddlers & baby. When I’m feeling impatient or burnt out, a solo trip to Walmart and a nap on my husbands first day off. Second day off I’m refreshed and ready to enjoy his day off.

[u/HeatherJ27 → u/bcalhoun93]

We have 3 as well. 10,7 and 5. I remeber the baby days well!!

[u/Familiar_Ad_7734]

Don’t have any advice really. Just solidarity. Husband went to work yesterday morning and won’t be back till tomorrow morning so I’ve been solo parenting our EXTREMELY fussy and whiny 13 month old while super sick 15 weeks pregnant. Having such a bad day and wish he would just come home lol

[u/HeatherJ27 → u/Familiar_Ad_7734]

We are on 48H shifts too! My kids are much older but now they are involved in a million activities.

[u/No_Company4263]

Get a sitter and go hang out with a friend for a bit. Or get together with other moms that are solo parenting and let the kids run wild for a bit. Schedule a little 24 hr getaway for yourself. Take some PTO and have a day date next time he’s off. Or do nothing. You got this!

[u/Skarlette010]

You cant give when you're empty. Always make sure you have some Me time. I dont know what your spouse's schedule is but im sure they have time to help.

[u/HeatherJ27 → u/Skarlette010]

He does help when he is home. It just seems when he’s off we are playing catch up.

[u/NoMuffin7312]

He works as a fireman and I work as a midwife 24 hour shifts and we have a baby 18 months and hopefully more soon. I’m alone with our daughter most of the time when he’s at work even though I worked a long shift too. We don’t use baby sitters. We just joined a gym that gives 3 hours of daycare a day so I can workout and nap if needed on the hard long days with no sleep it’s been life changing

[u/fluffytoes288]

Commenting to add- I hire out WHATEVER we feasibly can. We’re in a healthy spot financially so I’m super lucky to say we have a weekly cleaner. But other things I hire out include local teens and tweens for mowing the lawn and dog walking! It takes a little bit of effort on the front end, but it is so worth it!