Useless at looking after my children on my own

Take-away and go to bed earlier.

Kids in bed too late

This used to be my life but I didn’t have a dog. Do you leave the kids alone when you walk them first thing?? Just get a dog walker or something.

honestly I always actually found that the first few days were the hardest and then once we were in the swing of things it was fine

I agree with everyone else, your drive is very long, 2 1/2 hours a day in awful traffic with two little kids would stress anyone, plus working full time, plus doing the whole household stuff, and all the emotional labour. That looks pretty full on to me. I'd be having a very very low key weekend.

Why are you driving your kids so far to school? Are you very rural?

I get that it’s really hard to get back up and do stuff after you’ve laid down with the kids, but they can’t sustain going to bed that late, no wonder it’s all feeling stressful. My older kids could not cope with that long of a day every day of the week.

You need to get them on hot school dinners, get some meal prep, very quick dinner ideas for them, and get them down way earlier. Once they’re asleep, do whatever last bits are outstanding while watching a series on a tablet or listen to an audiobook or something so that even if you’re folding laundry or washing up, you have some semblance of an evening and downtime.

Look through some of the quick meal threads on here, also I’d be tempted to some evenings give them their main meal on that long journey home - could that work? Listen, none of it is going to be ideal fake insta-mum worthy, but long days and doing it all alone, sometimes you have to do what keeps you sane. The school dinners where I am are lovely, and I can access the menu, so if I know they’ve had something like vegetable curry and taken apples and cut up carrots into school for snacks, then I don’t feel terrible giving them a cheese and salad sandwich for ‘dinner’ in the car on the way home when it’s getting late.

Oh, and when u say "make" breakfast, a bowl of cereal is acceptable on a morning

It’s tough being a single parent

Buy ready meals - including pre-made sandwiches or salads for packed lunch, get in a cleaning service

It’s only 3 weeks

Also don’t make it into a drama - of course you aren’t failing your kids because you’re a bit fraught for 2 weeks.

Don’t let the kids turn it into a drama either - they can FaceTime him. You don’t need to be making them soup because they miss him. It’s a very short period of time.

I still don't understand your commute though? Why is your kids school so far away? Even breakfast club doesn't start until 7:45 at the earliest, so why are you taking an hour to get there? As for dinner, put them on school dinners so they have a hot meal in school, then a cold dinner of a sandwich, fruit etc is perfectly fine of an evening for ease. If you're home for 5:45 there is no reason why your kids shouldn't be in bed for 7:30pm

Pack your school and work bags and shower the night before and leave next days clothes out.
Make your evening meal as simple as possible and make enough for 2 or 3 meals, that means you just cook 2 or 3 times a week.
Why are your cats locked away, can you get a catflap for them?

The kids must be knackered. Mine are asleep by 7:30 and I wake them at 6:40 for school.

No wonder you're knackered, that's a heck of a school trek! Why is it so long?! Plus, up that early to take dogs for a walk aswell, it sounds grim!

From reading that, it's the really early start and the school run that's your issue here.

You don't sound like you have time to have dogs. Do you take them for a long walk at the weekends? If they're any bigger than a toy poodle it's rather unfair to keep them in the house 95% of the time.

Wow I could have written this post. It gets to Thursday evening and I get burn out with everything left a state. It then takes me all Friday and weekend to get everything back in order.

Sorry I cannot offer any help, just understanding.

Seems normal. You are getting a nights sleep. Are you getting the washing machine done and cleaning at the weekend?

Does your 4 year old really go to bed at 9pm and wake up at 6? If so that’s nowhere near enough sleep. Bring bedtime right forwards and you’ve got yourself some evening back. 7 year old can read in bed if they’re not tired yet.

Why are your children attending a school an hour and 15 minutes away from where you live?

What are you making for breakfast... A pre wrapped brioche and a banana is fine and zero effort

You’re spending 2.5 hours a day commuting with children-no wonder you’re knackered before you do anything else!

it’s just playing with time but I think if you brought the evening meal forward to when you come in you’ll feel a big difference in the evening time available to you.

I Don’t think you’ve said much about what and how you eat in the evening, but I’d seriously consider lowering your standards for the time your dh is away…a couple of weeks of microwave/Chuck in the oven food won’t harm anyone

You need to change that day for the children. That is far too little sleep for them. They need to be in bed much earlier. It doesn't matter how motivated you are after putting them to bed, it isnt fair for them to be up that late and then that early.

also your list of jobs is an absolute drama. Put the dog in the garden while you make breakfast. It isnt like youre actually walking them at all. Making and eating breakfast doesn't deserve two spots on your list either!

honestly, i think youre making it harder than it needs to be. And youre making it sound like more than it is. Feed the cats? Isnt that opening a packet? 30 seconds of a job?

Stop the packed lunches, get a dog walker, kids go to bed earlier, batch cook, simple meals during the week, kids unpack bags

And in terms of dinner in the evening...make it as easy as possible for yourself. Ready made pizza and bagged salad. Buy some pre cooked chicken and serve with microwave rice.