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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think this is the worst thing about parenting small children?

529 replies

Iheartherain · 05/05/2023 05:28

5 bloody am.

I thought the clocks going forward had reverted us to a more civilised wake-up time of around 6, but no.

Please don’t give advice as a year or more of trying to fix this hasn’t worked 😅 but honestly it is pretty miserable. I can’t have hobbies in an evening or watch ‘adult’ TV or nights out or date nights if we got a babysitter.

I am sick of being tired and yawning, fat because I seek sugar to boost my energy and always have a headache. It’s shit.

OP posts:
TheOrigRights · 09/05/2023 18:40

Fluffmum · 09/05/2023 18:30

Wait til they are teenagers. They are up all night.

OP is talking about being a parent of a small child.

Beelezebub · 09/05/2023 18:56

Fluffmum · 09/05/2023 18:30

Wait til they are teenagers. They are up all night.

Ffs

Cazareeto1 · 09/05/2023 19:02

Iheartherain · 07/05/2023 08:51

@Doggate1 yes and no.

I did actually expect I’d be up early, but naively thought ‘early’ would be around 6.

I also (if I am being frank here) massively underestimated how much work little children are. One of the things I’ve come to realise is how unreliable my own recollections of childhood are. In my memory, I entertained myself for long periods of time with little or no input from my parents, but of course I don’t remember being the age my DS is now!

I thought I’d be good at doing the sort of Pinterest toddler activities and it turns out I am RUBBISH. I have no interest in them and neither does ds. I thought we’d do baking (nope, holds his attention for about sixty seconds before he wanders off leaving me in a kitchen filled with carnage) crafts (hahahahahahahahahaha) and I’d share my love of the countryside (kind of … but it’s probably a few years off really appreciating different names of flowers and birds and so on. Although he does know pigeons and seagulls which is a start, I suppose!)

None of that means I hate parenting or anything, hence I’m having another, but the reality and ‘what I thought would happen’ definitely don’t match!

On the plus side, we don’t have much screen time - that’s at least partly down to DS, he just isn’t massively into TV and that’s good in a way as it forces me to do things with him that don’t rely on screens. We do lots together, swimming, parks, farms, activity centres, toddler groups, we read lots and are starting to read books with a vague sort of plot which is great.

All in all I probably am better with slightly older kids, which isn’t that I don’t absolutely dote on DS, just it’s a challenging age and throwing pregnancy into the mix makes it more so!

Anyway, we had a 630 wake up today so maybe the 5ams were a one off … we can hope, right!?

You are doing fantastic, craft with young toddlers is a nightmare and really bloody messy, it’s ok. The joy of the country side your kid is the perfect age, maybe in a year be a little more interested to listen to name if different things, but talking and you think they are not listening they always listen. Some are better at ignoring than others each kid different.

this is a good one to do with age group in country side, picking sticks and rocks and random stuff, getting a shoe box when home putting pvc glue in it and throw the stuff in, you’d be surprised how much they love that. Easy messy if too much glue kid happy they picked the stuff. stick some leafs in as well and you can say the names of them may take a while till interested and attention is there.

kids are hard work, Iv got 3 kids, DD 11, DS1 9 and DS2 5 (he is non verbal autistic) trust me any parent who pretends it’s all roses is talking 💩, your not alone, it’s ok to vent, and get that out it’s actually better for you and eases frustration.
it pains me to say boys are easier in the sense that girls strops, attitude and independent can be frustrating. Boys will trash your home, run crash 💥 but emotionally are easier… PAINS ME TO SAY THAT.

you got this always remember that. And it’s sad to say you do end up missing that stage where things are easier in some ways, and very difficult at times. When they get older it’s a different kind of difficult, more emotions, school issues, the worry that they are ok if out playing. It’s crazy it’s like a life time of different stresses (im not helping much here 🤦‍♀️)

sleeping issues( or complete lack of it) amplify everything, which is 💩 because it’s the time you need to see slicer lining. The bit you miss is the ease of getting them up (that does get harder especially for school and having stuff to do when you have to drag them out of bed) and by the time you used to getting up so early they sleep in…. It will get better and will make everything else fall into place. X

Iheartherain · 09/05/2023 19:46

Ah that’s a sweet reply, although I know a few girl house-trashers! 😂

I think some of the parents of teens are just taking the piss - surely!?

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