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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

104 replies

Kat7611 · 07/02/2020 07:36

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.

OP posts:

PapayaCoconut · 07/02/2020 20:50

I mostly read and post at night when I'm awake breastfeeding my baby.

MrsTerryPratchett · 07/02/2020 20:53

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...

You can MN one handed while they sleep on you.

OP you're right we all ignore our children like bastards. You'll be a MUCH better parent than us. For suresies.

SleightOfMind · 07/02/2020 21:21

Mine were well wrapped up and placed in the freezer for a lovely fresh nap until it was time for a feed.

Gave me ample time to peruse the daily parenting trends

NemophilistRebel · 07/02/2020 21:25

There’s always a free moment on the loo

squeekums · 08/02/2020 03:52

Just put a lil Bailey's in the bottle and they sleep right through giving you plenty of MN time

sunshinepoppy · 08/02/2020 06:25

I am currently breastfeeding my baby while typing this.

Toffeecakes · 08/02/2020 06:45

This sounds a bit judgemental actually.

Also, you do know you’re still expected do normal life when you have a child don’t you? Like just being a normal, functioning human who makes the choice to do or not do things? You sound a bit like one of those people who expects to be excused from everything because you have a child.

I’ll spend as much time as I like posting on here, I don’t care if I’m being judged for doing that when I have children.

HomerSimpsonSmilingPolitely · 08/02/2020 07:33

people usually have their phone with them at all times. It takes seconds to post on a forum

Onescaredmuma · 08/02/2020 07:44

With a young baby loads of time or I'd have slowly gone insane breastfeeding and watching Dora the explorer (dds allowed TV in breastfeeding time to stop them prodding the baby) now he's 2 I take time whenever he isn't following me. I'm hiding in the bath in a hotel room while DH watches all three my house at the moment only has a shower so I'm not getting out any time soon 😀

CeibaTree · 08/02/2020 08:03

OP think back to your own childhood. Did your parents manage to run a household/continue to be fully functioning humans while raising you? Or were they following you around 24/7 while the household crumbled around them?

Shinyletsbebadguys · 08/02/2020 08:13

Haha Haha oh I remember this stage ....the pregnant with my first and the " I shall never take my eyes off if my precious charge , I shall dedicate my every waking moment to them". The wonders of naivety and hormones.

Now they are 7 and 4 and I'm currently hoping they dont realise I'm awake yet while they play quietly in their bedroom next door (DP got up with them initially) , not to mention I've realised that time for myself has become a level of true self preservation because this is a marathon not a race

Dammit they figured it out and the 4 year old is now being a robot in the doorway whilst explaining it wasnt his fault he broke the stair gate (which he didn't it's not broken) and the 7 year old is convincing me how good hes been (after a week of being like the tasmanian devils unbalanced unspoken of brother who is so much worse) and can he have a computer back.

And yes I am MN ing for 5 minutes instead of getting up yet.

getyourarseoffthequattro · 08/02/2020 08:18

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

Thats often not true. Ds had severe reflux so wasnt an easy baby and i still managed to look after myself. I guess its harder when you have several.

Firstawake · 08/02/2020 08:21

Please let you littleone learn how to amuse themselves ( OK not all the time)
Your child will need space from you just as you will need it from them.
There are times you leave them be because you need the loo, need to wash up, go on MN.

rumandbiscuits · 08/02/2020 08:26

I have a LG who is almost 2 and shock I've just clicked onto Mumsnet for a scroll! She's currently downstairs with her Dad whilst I'm upstairs lying in bed having a coffee. Just because you're having a child it doesn't mean you will never have time to do anything other than look after that child. Seems a bit of an odd question. Are you digging at people who have time to come on here when they 'should' be looking after their children or are you genuinely concerned you won't have the time to come on here when you have your LO?

HomerSimpsonSmilingPolitely · 08/02/2020 10:40

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

Tbf I think it depends what sort of baby you have. My dd wouldn't let me put her down until she was 4 months old. I still did put her down when I had to, like going for a wee or grabbing a glass of water, but the thought of jumping in the shower whilst she was screaming like someone was murdering her the whole time made me feel like a heartless bitch. I left showering/bathing for when my DH was around and could distract her for 5 mins.

honeylulu · 08/02/2020 10:50

When mine were little they would breastfeed and sleep on me for significant chunks of the day. I watched loads of box sets, spent lots of time on social media/mumsnet and read lots of thrillers on my tablet. With some careful balancing i also used to do my nails. Housework wasn't so easy - what a shame!

Meruem · 08/02/2020 11:16

This is only my personal experience but I had DC years ago and back then you’d usually do a feed/change nappy, then pop them in a bouncy chair and get on with what you needed to do. Yes there was also “play time”, we did “tummy time” back then too but it didn’t have a name! But we weren’t held hostage to the babies demands.

I had a friend who had a baby a couple of years ago and she felt she needed to be holding the baby and doing something with him every moment he was awake. It looked very exhausting!

mamabear2409 · 08/02/2020 11:22

I've got 2 under 2 and still get time to look at mumsnet a few times a day. Currently my 16 month old is watching a bit of babytv before lunch and my 4 month old is having a (broken) nap. Both of them tend to go down for a long nap in the afternoon for 1-3 hours ish so between things I need to get done and having a cuppa, I get time then too. Oh and when they're both asleep at night, I'll bang on Netflix and just scroll mumsnet with the Netflix in the background 🙈

beela · 08/02/2020 11:27

OP you're right we all ignore our children like bastards. You'll be a MUCH better parent than us. For suresies.

This ^. I just stare at my phone all day and ignore my children. Simple. Hth.

WorraLiberty · 08/02/2020 11:28

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”

Blimey, that's some imagination you've got there!

riotlady · 08/02/2020 11:57

When I was on mat leave I was on mumsnet constantly because DD would only nap on me so I was trapped for hours at a time!

Now she’s early 2 and will often read my book or look at mumsnet while she has a nap or a little play on her own

ShinyGiratina · 08/02/2020 12:39

I spent a total of about 3 years with an infant snuggled up to me feeding every few hours. One arm holding infant, the other free to browse on a phone which had the advantage of being backlit (for those long, long night feeds) and bite size chunks of text that were easy and fairly inconsequential for a sleep deprived, alert for interruptions brain to deal with. Books aren't so great to read in the dark and a pain to pick up an re-read the same paragraph for the 7th time. Chores are pretty awkward to do. MN fills my head with an adult conversation against what was toddler babbling and now Minecraft monologuing.

I probably should MN less and clean the house more, but the kids have great immune systems

Dyrne · 08/02/2020 12:44

WorraLiberty I would argue that it takes just as much imagination to get “you’re all a bunch of shitty mothers” out of the wording of the OP.

PickleMyPepper · 08/02/2020 14:05

See OP hasn't come back, do you reckon she's being staring at her bump since?
You know, never take your eyes off your child and all that?

Or has she taken our advice and starting building the cage now?

I wonder...

SleightOfMind · 08/02/2020 17:51

Worra is right.
I posted jokily last night without reading the thread. I may have had wine
Most individual posts are fine but cumulatively, along with the nastier ones, it’s turned into a wholly unnecessary pile on.

Come back OP. We didn’t mean to gang up on you!

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