To think sometimes parenting is a joke?

[Keeva2017]

Just having myself a little pity party but then started to think, no, this shit is ridiculous sometimes.

After a 4.30am wake up call from my Baby who was a good sleeper, but has now sacked it off completely, Iv now been awake 22 hours.

My poor 3 year old is also victim to her sisters knobbish behaviour this morning and has therefore been a ratty little thing herself all day. Got a toy dyson in the face from that one albeit accidentally but tell that to my shiner. Also led to me having to abandon plans to get out and about and come home because she was playing up and some people’s eyes were rolling so hard I thought they would fall out.

Tried to do the Aldi big shop the other day but some fucker had put normal trolleys in front of the baby ones and after trying to get help/sort it out I had to abandon it and head to Lidl. Where I had to queue with baby outside followed by a rain shower that was not fucking forecast, which I know because I checked and put my washing out before I left.

My baby is still kicking off despite all my usual moves so no doubt the neighbours will be less than cheery with me.

Getting lectures from the HV about my 3 year old being a fussy eater and needing a more varied diet.... no shit, why haven’t I been googling every trick in the book just to get one fucking pea down her neck. Oh wait, I have.

I know people have it worse. I know there is a global pandemic and I should be happy to be alive. I am. But Christ almighty these examples are just this week. Is this just me? Aibu to think most parents have to put up with this shit? Or am I just an incompetent tosser whose kids are going to need a lot of therapeutic intervention to recover from my shit parenting?

It's a cruel paradox but you have to have had children to realise you could have had a good and happy life without them.
Doesn't mean you don't love them or wouldn't die for them.

100% this. I often think wistfully about my childfree life, then remember a lot of my childfree life was spent longing for a child.

Mine is 1. He’s so gorgeous and I love him so much but he’s ill and won’t eat or breastfeed and we were woken up at 3am and nothing will stop him from crying and we’ve somehow got to do a full day of work while looking after a miserable unhappy baby because obviously he can’t go to nursery.

Parenting is so hard! I love my DS with every fibre of my being but at midnight I could have cheerily thrown him out of the window. We're about to start TTC for number 2 and right now I'm not sure why 😂 I'm dreading the teenage years

@Frazzled13

I’m exactly the same with a DS almost exactly the same age as your daughter. I always wanted more than one child but now I just think ‘but... HOW? How will that work?’

I am genuinely tearful reading all the posts. It may partially be sleep deprivation but after months of seeing “making lockdown memories heart heart” all over social media I needed some damn realism .

Frankly to those who think we are unreasonable? Kiss my tired, overweight from stress eating biscuits, arse.

(Has to wake baby up this morning so we can take 3 year old to nursery. She gave me such a “fuck you” look and quite frankly I took pleasure in gently waking the little t**t up!)

And may I add fuck you smug bitches to all those parents who have sleeping through from week one babies and look at you as if you have shit on your face when you describe your own living hell run by a tit sucking tyrant.

Twin A woke up half an hour after tucking him in then stayed up til 9 pm, woke up twin B several times. Then twin B woke up 9.30 pm. Went back to sleep and woke up again at 11 pm and again at 3.30 pm wanting milk. Ready to give them up

I need threads like this. I’m child free by choice and am 34. Every now and again, my ovaries twitch and I wonder if I’ve made the right decision (doesn’t help when there’s so much pressure all the time, and older women saying ‘you’ll change your mind’).

Whilst I know I could love a child and make the most of it, I don’t really want to give up my freedom.

Quarantining with covid. Looked out the window yesterday and the kids were all still in pjs at 1. 1 had no socks on. Shouted out the window and was told there were only baby socks left. At that exact moment two of the kids randomly tripped over nothing and hit into each other. They weren't hurt but instead tried to recreate the moment. My dh looks like they've broken him in 2 days and now I have to self isolate for 2 weeks. Last night he did a wash to fix the socks pyjamas thing and he sounded so proud. I'm hoping the older 2 cop on and start to help him today. Yes parenting is interesting, love it though

And hope your day gets better

Yes most days is about survival and not calling them a little shit to their face.

I think I’ve accidentally turned my 4 year old into a spoilt brat during lockdown to compensate for lack of school etc... not sure how to reverse the bad effects!!!

Further to my previous post my two are currently having an argument over sitting on my left side on the sofa as I drink my tea. There is room in my lap and on my right side but instead they are literally pushing and kicking each other. I've come to sit alone at the dining table instead!

Yes. My three year old is currently crying at me because I peeled his apple the wrong direction, my oldest son is moaning because his football summer club is cancelled and the baby has whinged for about 4 hours!

@Wtfdidwedo

I hope they don’t follow you there!!

We’ve just got to the park where my 4 year old announced he needs a poo- we left the house 8min a go where I asked him 6 times if he needs one! So all heading home for a poo and maybe a shot of vodka for me

Yesterday my just turned 3 yr old did a poop in his nappy while I was in the shower instead of waiting he took it off and kindly put it on the window sill for me. He also tried to clean him self up with wipes..... A shower was required.

My 10month old doesn't sleep either and its like breastfeeding a flailing fish out of water

Thanks so much for sharing this. Sometimes it feels like the rest of the world are having long lovely family days out whereas we’re just surviving. 1 year old as 3 year old here and neither sleep well OR travel well so we’re just stuck locally in a sleep deprived haze. I need a full weeks holiday without the children to try and slow down the effects of premature ageing they’re causing to my face and body.

My 3 year old is in an anger phase, literally explodes at the tiniest thing, calls me stupid mummy and whose only thing he wants to play is either sacking things or singing/shouting at full volumes. 8 yr old is ok. 14 yr old is stuck to pc, groans and moans at me rather than talks. It’s fun in this house too 😭

• whacking, not sacking

Mine is 6 and still sleeps in my bed, is currently over my side whilst I hang off. She's demanding, cheeky and does not stop talking. But man, I love her so much it hurts.

To all of you struggling, there was a great thread in aibu the other day called something like 'to think when your child gets to a different age and stage in life you get a second wind' It's really light at the end of the tunnel stuff; have a read it'll cheer you right up.

It's bloody hard work and yes, sometimes a total fucking joke. Mine are 2 and 4.5 now and it is getting easier. Without wanting to wish the years away, I can't wait for them to be 4 and 6, or 5 and 7 etc. I'm excited for the days when I don't need to worry about naps, the buggy, toilet training, taking mountains of spare clothes out, etc. I consider the baby and toddler years the trade off for having children. I love having children. Babies, not so much!!

Once they start to sleep through reliably it does get easier.

And if anyone tells your you're making a rod for your own back tell them to fuck off. Just survive the baby years and come out of them sane. Do it however you can

vikingwife your post is so true.
If it's any help, i really struggled when dc1 was born, not pnd but just appalled at the total lack of freedom, time and the sleeplessness. It really does a number on you and i felt like i was just existing/ surviving each day.

I now have 2 dc and once the second one turned 1 and started to sleep through life became actually enjoyable again! I'd recommend some gentle sleep training if they've gone past 1 and still can't get to sleep on their own. But also I'm lucky to have a very sunny dc2, opposite of my serious dc1, who is now a bookworm so disappears off with a book for ages!

@sosososotired thought you mustbhvae been letting him watch re runs of the apprentice for a second.... "YOU'RE FIRED!"

I have a ds who will wake at 6am latest every single day. He's 2.5 and if there is something dangerous in the room he will find it. He currently enjoys throwing things and screeching in a very high pitched way when he doesn't get his way, which is often considering he sees chocolate ice cream as a suitable breakfast food. I also have 9 month old dd, who has recently learned how to crawl and so now can crawl over to her brother and nab the toy hes playing with, causing a full on toddler strop. On top of that they tag team their naps, they simply won't sleep at the same time, so I never get a minute to myself. They are utterly gorgeous though and I love them both to bits.

My OH is self employed and is working 6 days a week at the moment. Lockdown started off ok then as time went on my sanity slowly started to erode away.

I’ve 3 teenagers who I spent an absolute age cajoling into doing some school work every day, a 3 year old who wants me to play ponies with her every second of the day and up until 7 weeks ago, I was pregnant and having the absolute worst time with that too. I was sick all day every day, from day 1 til day 167835 when he was finally born. OH had 5 days off work then had to go back and I think I’ve spent about 50% of each day since In tears or eating my feelings.

Every time I try to do something that isn’t cleaning or tiny baby related there are so many obstacles, I feel like I’m trudging through waist high treacle trying to accomplish any bloody thing.

This week we had a new pool delivered. I thought I can spend some time in the garden with the toddler and the baby, maybe dip my feet in the pool while I feed the smallest one, then DD is at least away from the tv where she’s been parked for far too long most days the last two months.

OH didn’t think to order a pump to blow it up so I spent most of the day trying to inflate it manually, with DS strapped to me in a sling which might be quite nice in winter. In 30 degree heat though, not so much. Eventually got it more or less inflated, and filled it with water which took another absolute age.

Eventually got to a point where it was useable, DD stripped off, got in and I settled on a chair with the baby with my feet in the pool. Less than five minutes later DD had done a massive shit in the fucking pool and I actually cried, full on sobbed like a bloody child.

It was the last straw after about 3 hours of broken sleep every night for months, everything going wrong, not being able to put down DS without him screaming blue murder.

I’m constantly hungry thanks to BF, and yesterday was the first bath I’ve managed since about Tuesday.

OH walked in from work and started banging on about what a wonderful day he’s had, how lovely his customers are and how he’s got a great day lined up tomorrow. I tried to give him the baby so I could get out for a walk and a breather and he panicked that he can’t be left with the two of them, the baby will cry because I’m not holding him and he won’t be able to manage the baby and toddler by himself.... I’ve never wanted to slap someone so hard in all my life 😳 And yes I went for my walk, alone for a full 4 1/2 mins before my teenage DS started messaging and phoning me about where his trousers are, he put them by the wash two days ago and he hasn’t had them back yet!

I could do on and on for days tbh but I don’t want to depress myself anymore.

I have had a magical weekend full of sprinkles of fairy dust. My son has not eun out of the park in a temper and across the busy car park, my dog did not get into a scrap with another dog and we are not on a second lockdown. Life in Greater Manchester is just peachy...oh and the cat I'm looking after while my mate is on holiday didn't shit all over the living room carpet. No not in this perfect world.

Ahhh those were the days..not 😂😂 I take my hat off to those with very young kids at the moment, it’s hard enough in normal times.