To want to know, what you find the hardest thing about being a parent ?

[Cokeacola]

I think for me it’s always trying to make sure everyone’s ok
and that can feel like spinning plates

Not getting time to recover when you are sick and they are small and your husband or partner has to work.

Cooking.

For me it's how constant it is. There's no sitting down to relax, someone always needs something, or I have to be preparing packed lunches or school uniforms, etc.

I work in a primary school and I envy my colleagues without children who go home and put their feet up, whereas I go home for more of the same.

Doing it alone (lone parent) with no break. Ever.

The anxiety of anything happening to them.

The food think. Don't want to be too controlling with what she eats like my mum was and l have had weight issues all my life. But if l let her eat what she wants, she doesn't always make good decisions and l have to step in. Find it so hard to get the right balance.

As a single working parent i miss having free time for myself, miss lie ins at the weekend and miss having a more disposable income... but not enough to regret having my babies.

Always being ‘on’

I am either working or on mum duty and I am drained

The constant feeling of responsibility for another human being. I find it hard and overwhelming.

Coping with dc illness. So worrying but also makes it impossible to work or have any sort life.

The feeling that, after my work, I have to go home and do another shift (dinner, etc etc).

Yup. Parenthood would be way more bearable if we didn't have to feed the buggers!

Partner not contributing fair share

When your child experiences a serious / life-changing trauma and you can't protect them from it.

The mental health issues of my teen I thought the toddler stage was hard but even being able to sit and finish a whole meal. I hadn't seen anything then. So naive.

The worry now they're older.

I worry that they're not happy, I worry about them when they're out until the early hours etc etc

I can't say I think all day every day about being a parent as when I watch or read a book I can concentrate on that or with work but generally I don't mentally switch off over all

The colic times and subsequent mh issues were worst for me.
Overall I think the worst thing is fully getting the idea that although you love them more than anything else in the world, your job is to make them independent of you and to do that you have to let them make mistakes.

The monotony. Wake up, get breakfast, check school bags, make sure they’ve put uniforms on correctly (not inside out, back-to-front etc). Take to school, go to work, pick up from school/afterschool club. Snack, tea, wash up, homework, bedtime. Catch up on my work into the night. Rinse and repeat day after day.
Weekends: art club, football club, swimming lessons, parties, more trying to decide what beige food I’m giving them.

There are lots of highlights to being a parent, but

…sent too soon…
but some the drudgery can feel relentless.

Not being able to fix things for my adult children, it makes all the rest feel like a walk in the park.

Not being able to solve everything with a cuddle and a snack anymore!

Guilt. Constant guilt.

I didn't make the right choice for them, I should have, why didn't I, why can't I afford, why didn't I spend more time etc etc

When they are ill. I have severe anxiety around this, even when they’re not ill I’m already worrying about the next time they’re going to be ill. So for me just constant anxiety that comes with it 😅

The relentlessness and the worry and guilt.