I have three dcs 3, 6 and 9. I also have a wfh job that is part-time so I work v early mornings and evenings ( not every evening). My dc are all in preschool and school but the times they finish are all different and v early. My dc3 is finished at 11.30am!! I work 4 hours in the morning then the first pick up ( there’s no possibility to pay for extra hours , the preschool closes then and there’s a big shortage of childminders here too) back home to clean house , make beds , laundry etc ( my dh does the drop offs , mornings etc but works ft) then pick up older dcs and then it’s HW (they get loads) , playing , cooking , baths etc then I work for a couple of hours.
I used to be really creative and loved painting and making things. I see all these mums with more than one kid having small creative businesses on Instagram and I just don’t get how the Fck they manage it.
I can’t do any art etc when kids are up (I do loads of projects with them of course) as they would want to join in etc which sounds lovely but means I can’t get anything done myself.
Also I’m exhausted in the evenings , even on the evenings I don’t work , I have no energy and of course there’s the sorting everything for the next day etc. I thought it would get easier as they got older but it isn’t.
There’s always one that needs something which I think is pretty normal for three kids.
I’m also catching up on 6 years of severe sleep deprivation as two of my kids slept v v badly for years so the novelty of going to bed and being able to sleep has not worn off yet and anyway I’m up v v early everyday.
I just feel disappointed in myself, I went to art college and had a friend ask recently “do you do any painting these days “ and i honesty haven’t really in years. I find I’m always buzzing with ideas but finding the time or energy is so difficult. I don’t know what I want from this really, maybe how others manage or a sympathetic ear...