I have three ds and I work part-time. Due to covid and a lack of childcare in my area I start work from home at 6.30 so up earlier and finish at 11am , my 3 year old finished preschool at 11.30 (there is no possibility to add on hours and I can’t get a childminder in my area, huge shortage) then go home and clean after the morning ( dh works full time and does breakfast and gets all three ready every morning) then play etc with 3 year old and pick up older kids at 2pm then it’s home , homework , dinner , usual chores and get everything ready for next day, then I sometimes work an hour in the evenings. My dcs are absolute lovely but are pretty full on (3,6 and 9), they are all boys and have bags of energy. Weekends are also exhausting as we need to take them out a lot to wear them out otherwise they are bouncing off the walls at home. We have tried to have chillled, at home days but it never , ever works. They are really good dcs and really kind etc, they are very into playing and I’m a big believer in kids entertaining themselves but honestly they are at us non stop all day to help, to play, or they they are fighting or to find a toy or to help with a construction of something. I often sit with them and do a focused activity etc as I think it’s good to give them undivided attention at times but regardless of this either one of them will want it need something. When we go out they are extremely fast on bikes and running etc so we have to be in high alert all the time.
I’ve just noticed recently that I have such low energy and I’m so unmotivated. I’m just tired of it all.. The first lockdown was on top of years of being on my own a lot with my dcs so sortof compounded it. My dh is v v hands-on, in the summer he takes them hiking, camping etc , we do swap over and give each other time and we must do it again soon. I do suffer from low iron and have been taking iron and it seems to be normal again at the last bloods I had done but think I need to do it again. Also me and my dh have lots of family but absolutely no practical support , our eldest is almost 10 and we’ve never , ever had a day/night away or even am hour or two together. We actually managed a couple of hours with a babysitter just before covid so will have to organize that again once we’re allowed.
Do other parents feel this exhausted, I likely fall into bed every night round 9 as I crave just silence . I’m also quite introverted and quiet and my dcs are not. I thought it would get easier as they got older but it hasn’t really. We also had around 6 years of severe sleep deprivation but now everyone sleeps since last spring , is it possible that I’m still tired from this?