To wonder how the hell mums do it?!

[jollybobs89]

Currently have a 13 week old and a 2 year old and I just think how the chuffing hell do people manage?!

It's constant none stop bottles nappies food washing cleaning playing I barely have time to brush my hair! Let alone catch up on sleep from night feeds and I have a great partner who steps up every night he gets home from work but it's still like wahhhhhh there is not enough hours in the day!!! It's exhausting haha

There's that and worrying that DD watching too much tv making sure she gets healthy food, bottles, bath time hahaha I'm sure all mums feel like this! Does everyone try take their children out everyday? Or am i being unrealistic I try get out for the park zoos play dates but then I think am I doing too much!

Very tired mama haha

You are not alone believe me your just having your day. You are aloud to hit a wall, stay in pjs and let the house get messy eat easy food and binge watch kids films sometimes you need to recharge it doesn't make u a bad parent 😊

It gets easier in about a year, and your brain will somehow manage to forget all of it.

But yes, it's pretty much non stop, repeat, collapse in a heap at that age.
I think getting out every day is beneficial for you -but don't aim for too much; walk round park is fine!

I think knowing it will get easier gets me through 😊

It get's easier as they get older. Routine and organisation are your friends. I know have a 9 and 8 year old.

The 9 year old was in ore this morning, as the pair of socks he had on yesterday had been washed, dried and back in his draw by this morning (thank goodness for my tumble dryer)

Have a cleaning rota (if only in your head) I do a big clean once a week either on a Wed/Thur and never leave jobs to mount up - I'm also a single parent so only me and the kids to 'help' out.... if your not on your own delegation and team work is key!

planning. routines. enjoying the moment. not stressing about the small stuff. only taking on the bigger battles. I have a large family and at one point had 3 children aged under 4. My kids are older now. they dont remember if the house was a tip or if they had fish fingers 3 nights running but they do remember our day trips out, craft days, garden picnics, rainy day stuff etc.

It does get easier. Then harder, then easier again, ime. My 2 have a 19 month age gap. They are 3 and 5 now, and it's easier again.

We do go out everyday but that's because we have animals to tend to. It's not optional. I have been through many stages though of really not enjoying going out properly. Even now, we went to the beach the other day, on a whim. Got home at 6. Needed to feed, bath, bed, empty car, put a wash on, make packed lunches, bath myself, tidy the toys away, bring dry washing in etc etc...... and have us all ready to leave the house by 8am the next day.

I meant to add, at that age, I got myself washed dressed make up etc before ANY of us went downstairs. Get your DH to bring you a cuppa. If I didn't do that, I'd struggle to even get a wash all day. Get the 2 yr old to "help" with washing (pass yoi things to hang) fetch a nappy etc not for the help but mine liked doing it.

It definitely gets easier as they get older. Mine are 2 and a half and nearly 5 and, although it can still get a bit chaotic, it's MUCH easier than it was a year ago (piece of cake compared to 2 years ago ).

You don't have to get them out of the house every single day but it does tire them out which helps. Before my eldest was at school and now during the holidays we have probably 2 days where we stay in (they play in the garden if the weather is nice though). It doesn't need to be all zoo's and playdates though, a walk to the park or the shops is fine.

In my case I was also working by then too!
It does get easier though.

tinkly laugh!

DD started back at nursery today so she'll be there the odd day or two a week which means I can catch up on chores and spend some 1 on 1 time with DS.

Think I've just needed a few days to just get some energy back haha. Defo routine helps etc bed times making sure that I get a bath or something at night helps!

Hopefully all this craziness soon be over maybe we can hope haha! I feel for those mums whose kids aren't at school and they are climbing the walls must be so hard!!!

Kids that age really don't need to be going to different places all the time. Mums and toddlers are good because the toddlers run off and give you peace for a cuppa but of course they're not on at the minute. They're happy just to be in your company and puddling about with cbeebies on is fine and totally normal. Lift the pressure off yourself and adopt the motto everyone fed, nobody dead!

19 months between mine, I had a sling which i chucked my youngest in the whole time, he could breastfeed in it while I chased his brother around soft play and other toddler groups. I know you said bottles, but you can bottle feed in a sling too which would free up a hand.

Lots of toddler groups where toddler can go off and entertain themselves after lockdown, no guilt at screen time while you get used to having two children and meal organisation so you can chuck it all together one handed.

Haha love that @DressingGownofDoom everyone fed nobody dead 🤣

Does everyone try take their children out everyday?
no, but you do what works for you.

I did take my children out every day ,for my own sanity! It would drive me crazy to be locked indoors all day, they need to run around and it's easier to entertain a child outside than indoors - for me.

there is not enough hours in the day!!!
nope, there isn't. So you learn to become realistic and adapt to your own lifestyle.

There is only just over a year between my younger two and when my youngest was born my eldest who is severely autistic was 7 and really difficult. Some days I thought I was losing my mind! The baby got moved from bouncy chair to bumbo to walker All day long, only getting picked up to be fed or changed. The days were long!

Now there are two teenagers and A really difficult young adult and it’s still bloody hard 🙄

I had the same but a smaller age gap with 15 months between my 2!
It's so so hard but does get easier as they get older.

I genuinely think what 'saved' me was maternity leave ending and going back to work.

A baby and toddler is the hardest combination imo. Just get through the day....don't stress yourself out trying to drag them to the zoo. A trip to the local park is plenty right now.

Gaps. Big gaps. That's how I did it.
You're in the trenches. But you won't always be. I think it all gets so much more enjoyable with kids when the youngest is like 4-5. Not that it isn't enjoyable now, but you know what I mean.
But even with my age gaps, I had many, many an 'oh my god. They're asleep. We all lived! We all survived the day!' moments. You live to fight another day.
What you're hit with as they get older are their personality traits. So my middle DC is amazing, wonderful, I adore her, cherish her, love her BUT! She could (and does) start a fight in an empty room. She's 10, so this isn't going away. In fact, as she goes into her tweens, I'm bracing myself.
Swings and roundabouts, raising children. The love gets you through. That moment when you get your sleep back though is bliss. So that's your next hurdle!
Congratulations.

1 yo, 3yo, 6yo and 7yo here
Different ages have different challenges. the older two are much easier. The younger two a lot more work but the 3 yo will come out of it in the next year or so then just need the 1yo to catch up!

I’ll be honest I let the cleaning take a back seat! I do a mass clean up on a Saturday when my husbands home and then just do minor cleans during the week.
Oh and I don’t wear make up or have my hair nice anymore.

Everybody needs clean clothes and food, kids need time and attention so it was a simple choice really.

I've got 4 kids and expecting my 5th child. I just get on with it. I am tired and wish I had time for myself but it all part of the job. right now they're choosing a film on Netflix and it gives me an hour or so to myself. I find giving them movies or arts and crafts or play doh to keep busy for a.bit let's me have my time for myself.

I sacked off playdates and prioritised a walk instead. I focused on getting up and dressed - the kids don't need to be watched every second, and once I'd clocked that things got easier.

I've got 10 1/2 months between my two - it gets easier and when it does it gets easier pretty quickly to be honest. I found early weaning time the worst when it feels like you're just constantly putting food or milk into one or the other... potty training was a bit lousy but then I consoled myself that when others with wider gaps were having second kids and in that point where they felt like they'd been hit by a truck with the newborn phase again - we were well out of the other side of that.

Mine are 7 and 8 now - very very close and will bicker but help each other out no end.