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AIBU?

To feel completely exhausted after a day with my dd?

46 replies

Daydreaming · 09/07/2011 21:59

I always wonder if I am doing something wrong and if other parents feel wonderfully relaxed on Saturday evening?

I am a lone parent. It's easier now that dd is 5, but I still find being a parent completely exhausting. I love spending time with dd but sometimes going back to work on Monday morning feels like a relief...

So this morning we got up, I made breakfast and we got showered and dressed. I then did a little bit of tidying up while dd watched tv. We then went out and walked to a local shop to buy some fruit and veg. Came home and put food away. Made lunch for us. We then went out again to the park and some craft activities. Came home late afternoon and I rushed around to make dinner for us. Trying to convince dd to play by herself while I made dinner. We had dinner finally. Read to dd while she had her fruit and yoghurt. Bath time. Put dd to bed and read story. Dd asleep just after 8. I then baked some muffins and cleaned up kitchen. 9.20 pm. Feel completely shattered!!!

Am I doing something wrong???

OP posts:

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worraliberty · 09/07/2011 22:02

Not doing anything wrong but at the same time, that sounds like a fairly normal and not too busyish day....probably just looks more when you type it out?

Why did you bake muffins if you were shattered? Surely that's not essential?

MissVerinder · 09/07/2011 22:06

I usually find 4 litres of diet coke and 4 cans of sugar free red bull does the trick...

ThatllDoPig · 09/07/2011 22:06

I think it sounds like you are doing loads and obviously very focussed on dd and your life together. Kids are exhausting, but worth it! All sounds normal and lovely to me! Hope you get some time to yourself now and a decent nights sleep before it all starts again! Enjoy.

itsastrawpoll · 09/07/2011 22:09

I like to have mine in bed closer to 6 than 7 but they are only 3 and 1 so I doubt they'll tolerate it at five.

Can you do some batch cooking with DD so it's an activity together that also saves you time later?

I wouoldn't have baked muffins either

Sidge · 09/07/2011 22:12

Better not have more children then - having just one is easy

Joking aside I think parenting is exhausting. I have 3 girls 12, 7 and 4.5. DH is away and today I literally spent about 4 hours yo-yoing between DDs 2 and 3 helping them do stuff or meeting their needs whilst trying to put washing on, hang the finished load out, sort out DD1s school stuff, prepare dinner, etc.

I breathe a sigh of relief when the 2 younger ones are in bed as DD1 is easy!

Daydreaming · 09/07/2011 22:17

Yes, I agree I should not have baked the muffins or should have done them earlier with dd....

OP posts:

ThatllDoPig · 09/07/2011 22:19

Agree that having one dc is easier. BUT not for long! Eventually they play together and you get a chance to get stuff done sometimes, without being the constant entertainer and playmate of your child. Sometimes one can be harder in that way, especially as a single parent. The relationship is very intense. I was on my own with dd for 4 years, then met dh, then had other children when dd1 was ten, so experienced both.

HelloKlitty · 09/07/2011 22:21

Don't you usually get to spend the weekends with her?

petisa · 09/07/2011 22:25

YANBU I have two, dp in a different country working atm and I am like the walking dead.

troisgarcons · 09/07/2011 22:26

Oh ffs

ThatllDoPig · 09/07/2011 22:28

Whats wrong trois ?

Ripeberry · 09/07/2011 22:28

Your job must be pretty easy then. Just enjoy your time with her, forget about baking cakes.I gave that up straight away as my DDs don't like them .

At least your DD goes to bed nice and early. Ours only went to bed from 9pm onwards after getting up at 7am!

petisa · 09/07/2011 22:32

Should qualify my statement by saying that mine are 3 and 10 months and the baby is teething and waking up loads at night and they have sucked me dry of all energy oh god I could lie down and lie

Sorry OP, I'm competitive tireding. Was just attracted to a thread that's a chance to moan about being knackered. As you were people.

petisa · 09/07/2011 22:32

ahem lie down and die that is.

troisgarcons · 09/07/2011 22:34

speachless

petisa · 09/07/2011 22:35

Why troisgarcons?

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 09/07/2011 22:35

I think that one can be harder work than more, as a lot of the time they like to play with other people, not just by themselves.

OP, it sounds like a lovely day, perhaps made a bit too long for you by baking after your dd was in bed.

Troi - have you had a bad day? A lot of your posts seem unfairly harsh tonight.

BornInAfrica · 09/07/2011 22:39

Having children IS tiring. Best get used to it because it really doesn't get any easier - only different.

I would probably advise to cut back on the super duper Domestic Goddess shit until you have a little time to yourself to think straight. If I was back to the days of having a 5 year old I'd sooner plunge my head into a vat of boiling goat's piss than bugger about making muffins at the end of the day. Maybe that's just me?

petisa · 09/07/2011 22:39

For me it's the constant talking and listening that's soooooo tiring. Yes dear that's lovely, oh really you're a butterfly with stripy wings? Oh yes look at you flying up high in the sky! And on and on and on... v cute but exhausting.

winnybella · 09/07/2011 22:41

Did you get enough sleep last night? Are you coming down with something? Bit depressed?

Because to me it sounds like a lovely, relaxing day tbh. If you were outside for a while, fresh air will make you more tired, but you shouldn't be shattered.

troisgarcons · 09/07/2011 22:42

vat? goats piss? oh yes ... better than this bollox of pseudo parenting.

Bloody norah, do a bit of HW, pop to the shops, make some cakes' and it's a frigging trauma causing massive exhaustion.

D0G · 09/07/2011 22:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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BelleDameSansMerci · 09/07/2011 22:42

I was thinking something similar to this earlier today... It's not so much that I'm exhausted at the end of it but more that I find it quite hard work. I'm lone parent with 3.10 year old DD. I work full time. I do find weekends quite hard work if we don't have parties, etc, planned. I couldn't be a SAHM - too much like bloody hard work, frankly.

MissBetsyTrotwood · 09/07/2011 22:46

We call those days Alfie days, like the books. An Alfie day is a shopping, house park sort of day which doesn't involve school or having a big outing. What you gain in energy through not having shlepped around loads is lost in the evening as the house is invariably messy. I definitely find them more tiring but as they are pretty normal days not outstandingly so.

I agree with winnybella - are you OK in yourself? All that activity sounds fairly normal to me...

HelloKlitty · 09/07/2011 22:47

I do think that one child and one parent is quite tough....there's no respite really.

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