or does every mother feel like this?

[JustHavinABreak]

First let me say how much I adore my kids. That's why I ask this, in case I am not doing right by them. But does anyone else have days where they feel completely overwhelmed by motherhood, like they are completely crap at it??

Too bloody right - they're complex little beasts and just when I'm starting to feel like I have the faintest hint of a clue of what I am doing - they go and move the sodding goal posts by changing. It's exhausting.

Jeffrey my dd considers Ikea a sensory wonderland.

Ikea is a sensory wonderland with added cafe component. My DDs adore it!

Yep.

The GUILT. I'm a single parent and work full time.

I feel guilty for working and not seeing her enough (an hour in the morning max, and an hour in the evening during the week).
I feel guilty that when I am at home, I'm so exhausted that I can't wait for bedtime.
I feel so guilty that I try to make up for my weekday absence by treating her on weekends. I feel like the trips/treats are too often and not special enough anymore. I worry she might become entitled and spoilt.
To try and avoid the spoilt thing, we might not do much one weekend. I then feel guilty for not making the most of my time with her.
I feel guilty that my Mum (my childcare) is probably bringing her up more than I am, as she sees her more.
I feel even more guilty when I look forward to my weekends off when she goes to see her Dad, as I'm so tired ALL THE TIME it means I get a lie in.
I feel guilty as I'm a massive introvert and too much noise and interaction makes me anxious. I think this makes me a bad mother as I crave alone time away from everyone. Even though I'm always out of the house at work anyway.

I know rationally that I need to work. She wouldn't have a roof over her head or food in her belly if I didn't, I don't get a penny from ex. It's not even a super duper job, the money is fairly good but I don't enjoy it. I'm working so we can live and doing my best but I constantly feel I'm not being enough of a mother.

But then I see a DD who is happy, confident, bright and bloody lovely and I think I can't being doing too bad. I adore her and she knows that. I hope that she realises that I work for her and us, and maybe (wishful thinking) I can be a role model as a strong, independent woman. Doesn't stop me feeling overwhelmed and so guilty every single day though.

Cheesy sounds like you're doing amazingly under tough conditions. Your DD will remember you cared when she's older, and appreciate it.

Yes, I'm having ones of those days today tbh!

I feel I've done something very wrong as my 27 year old still lives at home and has the habits of a 14 year old, the other 3 have turned out okay though, but i just look at him sometimes and feel a complete failure.

I crave time away by myself too. My birthday is coming up and I was wondering how hurt DH would be if I told him I wanted to go out for dinner alone ie without him (but with the last Terry Pratchett)...

Blimey. I certainly feel like this. Daily.

Also, it drives me nuts when people make generalisations about having kids. They're all different, parents are all different, everyone has different experiences. Things are probably as under control here as they've ever felt with DS1 now 5 and DS2 nearly 2. Certainly lots easier than when I only had one child.

Hazel, I look at my eldest and wonder we did that was different from the others... She might turn out capable in the end but she isn't yet, whereas the others have their shit together.

I truly think that as a parent you can only do so much: beyond that, you are dealing with hard wiring laid down in the womb.

When I think of how much my parents had to give up for us, their children, it beggars belief. I wonder why people have kids as I can't see the positives