to BLOODY HATE the 4 hours between school pick up and bedtime

[superv1xen]

i am knackered from a day of cleaning. which no one will even notice apart from me

DD (18 months) is whinging, DS (4) is chasing her round teasing her which makes her squeal earsplittingly. he will not shut up chattering and asking me endless pointless questions and demanding stuff like, whats for dinner, can i have a drink, what are you doing? and wanting to have the telly on (er no DS i am trying to cut it down as its all you sodding do!and when it is on you don't sit still and watch it so whats that bloody point)

soon i will have to do them dinner which DD will probably throw half of all over my mopped shiny kitchen floor and DS will say he wanted something different (TOUGH!)

i have also got to think about what to do for mine and dp's dinner and also go out to sainsbury's when dp gets here to get cakes to give to DS's school tomoro for them to sell for children in need. and i have got to think of something for him to wear tomorrow as they have got to wear "something spotty" again for children in need. which i will have to also buy from sainsburys as he has nothing spotty.

aaargh

Not my favourite time of day either, especially as DS1 is severely disabled and takes up a lot of time and energy in the evening. You have also reminded me that I now need to find something spotty for DS2 to wear for Children in Sodding Need

Four hours!

You were looky!

I don't get rid of my buggers till 8.30.

Count yer blessings.

Put the TV on

I feel the same way some days too. Get DS on the way home from work and get home 4/5 pm depending on the day of the week. Do his dinner, reading, tidy up a bit, out him to bed, prepare for the next day and then study as doing an OU course. Sometimes I just want to hide away (and/or scream!) but usually by the next day I just get up fine and start it all over again. He has a school disco tonight which means going out twice again, and he swims Mon and Fri at 6.30pm so that cuts into the evening too.

Does sound like you do a lot of cleaning tho. Is there no way you can cut back on it?

Mine are driving me bloody mad too

They are 4 and 2 and have been constatly hassling me for food since we got in. Now I have served up a home cooked and nuitritious supper for them both and will they touch it? Hell no!!

The two year old has been emptying the kitchen cupboards and eating cake decorations, the four year old has been sobbing on the sofa 'cos Octonaughts aren't on.

I'm supposed to be taking the older one to see a panto in the village hall tonight but I'm not sure I can face it - arhhh!

I feel your pain ladies my two, 4 and 7 and constant fighting , running up and down the stairs i swear the neibours hate listening to me shouting " be careful" " stop running on the stairs"

to top it off im 28 weeks preg and actually feel as though my fango is gonna just break or something so can hardly walk ahhhhhhhh

older one at this mo is having a stress attack cause the younger one wont leave him alone .. good god!!"

Thank God mine are teenagers! I used to hate it. I was/am a WOHM and I looked forward to coming home and seeing the DC, but then used to feel very guilty about getting irritated with them - they were hyped up and tired and so was I after a day at work.

DH was brilliant at sharing the load, though, and I used to escape into the kitchen to cook the dinner

But it sounds like you're being too hard on yourself, re the cleaning. Why not cook dinner during the day instead, when everyone is out of the house, so that you're more available to the DC during these hours? (Assuming that you want to be, of couse!)

becauseI'mworthits right re the dinner. I have a slow cooker and electric steamer which are godsends. In goes meat, stock, veg in the morning, sometimes spuds too, then when I get home do spuds if none in it and more veg in the steamer so I can MN play with ds and/or do other chores whilst its cooking.

Such a relief to hear that I am not the only one who struggles with school demands for things that I don't have. Will be sending my DC to school in non school uniform tomorrow and if they want spots will draw them on their faces/hands with my kohl pencil!

Mine were home for 10 seconds before a fight broke out between DS1 and DS3. Things have calmed down and they are now speaking to each other quite happily, but this time of day is a constant round of cooking, clearing up, baths, homework and dealing with squabbles.

Don't know why, but weekends and school holidays are so much more peaceful, even though we have just as much to do.

Last year I made DS a tshirt with a old plain white one and pen . He and the other kids liked it as it was different.

I've found a load of round stickers so that's tomorrows spotty clothes sorted. And he had pudsey socks and loads of 10p as they are doing something with them apparently...

Am not coping with school homework very well. DS is so tired when he's home (and a pita) when am I supposed to do reading, writing, phonics etc etc etc

It is tough, isn't it. It's known as Tantrum Time at our house. I get done with work at noon and pick DS up around 12:30, by which time I am STARVING and try to throw something in my gaping maw while he whines at me to play. Then I try to read with him, do art,get some outside time, etc. He's generally pretty good until around 3, and then it's tantrum after tantrum until DH arrives home at 6:30 and I basically throw DS at him. Somewhere in there I have to make supper, tidy up a bit and try to keep the house from being swallowed by dirty dished and unfolded laundry. DS goes to bed fairly early and then I pass out in front of a DVD of House MD do many exciting and lovely things with my time. :o

I've honestly started trying to get up at 5 am just to have two whole hours to myself.

I know that I should really cherish this time with him, and I do try to. I also know I'm really, really lucky to have a part time job I enjoy. But sometimes it is bloody hard, so YANBU in my book.

dirty dishes, excuse me.

Little kids are hard work. But you shouldn't be hating four hours of every day. You need to make a change and improve things.

Can you do something after school a couple of afternoons a week? Swimming or go to the park (I know it is cold but it tires them out and if you bundle up warm it is not so bad).

My two are ok after school now - they are 6 and nearly 4 - but then I let them do their own thing really. DD tends to go and play in her room, DS like to play on the PC which I don't mind (although he has become a bit addicted ).

It is still my least favourite time of the day though.