To wonder if life is this tiring for everyone with a full time job and/or DCs

[Tiredzzzzzzz]

I'm a high school teacher and have 2 DCs (under 4). I am exhausted pretty much all of the time. I have no energy to do anything but sort the DCs out when I get home and then fall asleep myself shortly after them. DH does do a fair bit for the DCs and is by no means hands off but he doesn’t seem to be as tired as me (in full time work too).

I’ve had my bloods done and been to the Dr about this but all tests came back fine.

Is this relatively normal for this stage of life? I just feel like this cannot be sustainable. My job is particularly exhausting and I have tried to minimise taking work home but the workload is immense at times. I have no energy to do hobbies or anything outside of work and childcare. I feel constant guilt as I’m too tired to do fun stuff with the DCs as I’m always so tired. I dread waking up in mornings.

I think it’s pretty normal OP. Not sure if that’s what you want to hear or not!

I’m knackered most of the time and my job is not as full-on as I imagine a teacher’s is. I think it may get a bit easier when the youngest is at school… that’s what I’m telling myself anyway

It gets easier! The best time was aged 5 (in school for a full day, generally continent) to 10 (more independent) or before puberty kicks in.

It's not just you. FT is hard with kids. It gets easier when they're older but then that comes with other stuff too (hassling laid back teen to do some goddamn revision, teenage dramas, the fact that I'm ready for bed long before them...etc). 2 under 4 is tough, though.

Didn't even read your op

The answer is yes.

I work in a SEMH high school, doing my Masters and just one kid but absolutely mentally and physically knackered too.
No energy for exercise or healthy eating which I'm sure has a massive impact - I'll have to force myself soon

How old are you? 25 then no probably not normal. 35 then yes thats pretty much how I felt. Especially if anyone doesn't sleep through.

I was like a zombie when my DD was 2 and I was working full time. Unbelievably hard. Now she's 7 and it's so much easier I can't even tell you. Hang in there.

I think it’s absolutely normal whether you were 25, 35 or 45 OP. Two under 4 = so hard. Teaching = you need a medal. Combine the two and no wonder you’re feeling burned out. I feel for you. Could you drop a day or two at work? It will get easier I promise.

Definitely normal, I could have written your post a few years ago. My DC are now 6 and 9 and it is so much easier but at that age I was really struggling at some points. Even on weekends I counted the hours to bedtime as I was just so exhausted and burnt out. I promise it does get easier as they get older.

My two are (young) primary and I only work four days a week (and two of those are from home!) and I am still knackered so YADNBU. I don't think I could actually do five days out of the home work now 🫣

Iron tablets!!! The majority of women who menstruate are deficient in iron and when you're anaemic it makes you knackered

Yes!
I work 50 hours a week, DS is 5.
We get home i sort him out food bath story bed, have my dinner, do some tidying and then go to bed.
I am constantly exhausted 😩

I'm sorry you're feeling like this. I think it is fairly normal, but that doesn't mean it's ok or impossible for it to change. One comment: you said your bloods came back normal, but medicine operates on averages. So, take ferritin, which is a way of assessing how much iron you have in your blood. For a doctor to say your ferritin levels are fine (therefore your iron levels aren't the reason you're tired) they simply need to be between 13 - 150 µg/l. That's a massive range. So what if your ferritin is, say, 25, but actually for your body, you'd be feeling better getting it up to, say, 75. that's still way below the top end of 'healthy' levels. I hope you see my point. I would strong suggest getting some really good vit D, B and iron supplement and letting them work for a few weeks then checking in with yourself.

I also just want to add I'm not suggesting the structural conditions of your life aren't exhausting - a f/t teaching job plus kids is a LOT for anyone. This is just as a supportive option to try.

Yep normal but starts getting better when both in school

Have DC 11. Feel the same as you OP. Tired to the bone. Can barely function. Work is hard, parenting has just got harder & harder from day 1 (everyone says it gets easier, but that is not my experience - and I have teen years ahead 😫)

Not sure if it’s normal but I feel the same! Also a full time teacher although my dc are almost 3 and 6. Youngest still bf and co-sleeps and wakes up at least once but usually twice a night. Also not helping is the fact we were all ill just after Christmas but dh still isn’t better so is spending most of the time in bed, leaving me to run round and do everything for both dc. I’m hoping he and it will get better soon!

Yes it’s normal. Much easier now my kids are older. Hang in there

Yes, normal- but doing nothing but work and childcare probably doesn't help. (I feel much the same - I do one or the other!)

This article might prove interesting: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3q4NVcHrW2m5dB81Tc3xPzj/don-t-feel-guilty-about-resting-why-rest-is-so-important-and-how-you-can-do-it-better

Rest isn't doing nothing, it's doing things that restore you. I work really hard to slot some in - a walk for a coffee during my lunch break at work, listening to relaxing music during the work/nursery commute, reading a book for 15mins in the evening, getting out in the garden for 30mins at the weekend, fortunately I also find cooking quite restful too! Not sure it's entirely working, as I still feel ill and exhausted a lot, but I also feel ... Still sane? Things could definitely be worse...

I think it’s normal OP. I’m shattered by the time I’ve got them to bed and always look around the house thinking I should really tidy but by the time me and DH have done dinner we don’t have the energy to do anything other than sit on the sofa like zoombies watching crap tv. I won’t even watch anything that I need to concentrate on, I just don’t have the energy. But I will say I do have energy at the weekend and our weekends are usually pretty packed. Could it be worth taking a supplement and seeing if that helps at all? I’ve considered the same tbh

I’m a teacher and don’t even have kids and this is how I feel all the time. I don’t know how people who work full time with kids do it.

Yes It is. Full time here with 2 DCs and only 28 days annual leave! I want to work part time after June because there has to be more to life than working so much and being so tired with no time to do anything. When I get home I shower and pass out.

I gather it’s pretty normal but get your hearing checked if you haven’t for a while. I was exhausted with young kids in my 30s (going to sleep with them at 7:30pm etc) and assumed it was just parenting. Turned out I needed hearing aids and my energy levels improved immeasurably after getting them. It’s surprisingly exhausting straining to hear and people’s brains can be working so hard to compensate they don’t notice.

I’ve only got one 2 yr old and I’m knackered every single day.

Teaching is a shitshow of a job nowadays. I’d get out of it if I were you and find something less stressful and Tiring.

I'm currently enjoying a dinner of pork scratchings and a G&T. I've done homework ,cooked a healthy dinner for the boys,slightly healthy for Dh. We take too much on sometimes. Working FT and also being housewife /sahm is bloody hard. Take care and Big Up Yourself 💪