To wonder how people find time to post on here if they have young DC

[Kat7611]

Im current pregnant with my first, 16 weeks and have been looking for posts for advice etc etc. I guess many on here have young children, how do you get enough time whilst looking after young DC to post on here.

My eldest two are at school and nursery and youngest is playing. What do you think children do?

Its the posters who complain about having too much to do that i find odd

You managed to find the time to post this thread soooo....

The same way you have time to look after 3 kids when you have a 4th baby.

Most parents are a bit overwhelmed with number 1, and rightly so especially in this country where there's no support whatsoever , but you don't have the luxury on focusing exclusively on the new baby when you have other kids who need food, clean clothes, attention, school run and so on.

You have more time than you think... and you have free hands when the baby is asleep on you, that's where they sleep best anyway.

To be honest there’s loads I could be doing while the baby is napping if I was so inclined. The kitchen floor could do with a mop, the inside of the windows need cleaning and with three DC there’s always more washing to do.
But I’m choosing to sit down with a coffee and MN instead. Luckily DH isn’t the type to complain.
Some people find it all more difficult though. A high needs toddler and a baby who won’t be put down? Probably not much time to MN (and probably those posting about their DH’s complaining they’re not doing enough). Biddable toddler who is happy to amuse themselves for a while plus content baby? More time.

@Camomila that made me laugh out loud. Waking Baby D. Thanks!

Two words: Bathroom break

Seriously though I just pop on as and when I know my toddlers are happy enough playing and not demanding my constant attention! Or when they’re napping - mostly my MN time is when they’re asleep at night and I can’t do housework due to the lateness and it helps me keep some sanity when I’m up in the wee hours because of insomnia.

The au pair's looking after mine.

2 older kids at school, baby is asleep/feeding.

What a weird question. Do you honestly think that the second your first child is born, you have to dedicate your every waking second to it? Are you expecting to never do anything but childcare ever again until your child is of voting age?

HowdidIdo I'm hoping not to have jinxed it now, but I got about 3 or 4 months of tv watching time with DS1 so I'll see if I get it again!

They go to school/nursery and sleep.

And right now, mine is watching Thomas and Friends. I’ve made beds, done breakfast, cleaned kitchen, vacuumed, done bins, filled out some forms, cleaned the bathroom... And now I am having a sit down.

Right now DD 6.5 months is breastfeeding, and DS2 is watching Yakka Dee on Cbeebies. I'm drinking a cuppa, eating too many biscuits & taking 10 minutes to scroll through AIBU because it fulfills my inner 'nosy, judgemental fucker' self

I find it quite easy to use social media and forums etc, whilst parenting my 3 kids, what I struggle with is the time/money/energy to ever meet people IRL. My kids don't give two hoots if I spend a couple of minutes looking at my phone fairly regularly throughout the day, but the moment I try to actual talk to somebody on the phone they want my attention. Even worse in person. I mean sometimes I just plonk them in front of the TV and hide until they cry for me or come find me, there's not much else to do when you're up at some UnGodly hour with a baby who won't sleep. I don't get time to get a hair cut and the logistics of trying to go to routine health appointments can be boggling, but what I do get is 5 minute bits of time throughout the day where they are playing, etc. I used to come on here when my kids were asleep in the evening but I do the housework then instead now because with three of them it's never ending! I don't watch TV very often (and when I do it's on my phone and in 5 minute snippets). I've managed to do a lot of learning, reading, studying and working over those years with any combination of newborn, crawling, toddler pre school and school age. I tend to use my phone whilst waiting for things like their bath to run or the kettle to boil or in little breaks between household tasks. Nobody plays with their kids 100% of the time and there are nursery, school, other child free times.

My insomnia is helpful too. Most of my life's essay writing has been down between midnight and 2am, some of it with nursing infant and/or breast pump attached! That's the only time I get a chance to have some 1 to 1 time with Netflix too

I don't find the time, though, I make the time. I hurry through the gritty shitty bits of life (literally sometimes) as quickly as possible and then spend as much time as possible spread evenly between enjoying time with my kids and doing what I need to do to keep myself sane

You know they sleep, right? Usually on top of you, and if like mine, only in a dark room from 4 months onwards. I know I should have been using my time to more noble causes like writing a book, learning Portuguese and networking on LinkedIn but I can't be arsed so I'll stick with social media thanks.

We all neglect our kids in favour of MNing.

DD is currently locked in a dogs cage with an iPad. I chuck her a chocolate button every 15 minutes or so, and fill her water bowl with fruit shoot every hour, on the hour.

Quality parenting if I do say so myself.

@PickleMyPepper

Thank goodness I thought I was the only one

To be fair to the OP, it is a bit weird that so many people claim they can't possibly have a shower or a hot drink because of their DC, but post on here for hours a day

Eh? Having a shower would mean leaving my child unsupervised. Posting on MN sitting on the sofa after running around like a maniac means he is with me. Currently he’s pointing out the colours on my socks whilst pouring milk from one cup to another. It’s taken me 5 mins to write this due to distraction but it’s not the same at all!

Similarly a hot drink is a time bomb - becomes cold. A MN post can be written over hours 😂

1. Telly. The 3yr old won't nap but gets tired after lunch, so watches a bit then. I can mnet

2.when they are asleep

1. When older one is at preschool
2. During night feeds

1. Babies don't do much.
2. Typing an MN post doesn't take very long.

I don’t think posters need to be so shitty. I read this as “oh my god, I’m a bit overwhelmed at soon being responsible for a tiny human, how the hell do people manage it because I’m terrified that if I take my eye off them for a second they’ll get hurt”

Not “Shouldn’t all you bad mothers be interacting with your children?”

I just shove mine out the front door at 9am with a bag of Crisps, they know they're not allowed back in till it gets dark. I take MNing very seriously.