Just to be clear, I'm not saying it's plain sailing! I'm also very aware of the privilege of having a good job, someone to co parent with, secure housing and family around. This is not a universal experience.
I've been a single mum for exactly a year today. Co parenting with ex. He has kids one day of the weekend and one day after school.
If I compare my weekends now to this time last year, I'm just so much happier. Having a lovely day with my family one day and then a day to remember who I am, do housework, study, see friends, read, lie in bed, see family.
My ex wasn't really a bad man. He was just lazy. So previously I would have been trying to cram all of what I said above into one day, and never achieve any of it. He would never take the children out on his own so usually I would take them out and come back to him lazing around, then I would have to do everything else.
I remember feeling resentful 99% of the time. Resentful that we both worked full time but all the life admin/ sorting, decluttering, DIY etc would be my responsibility.
It also made me less social. He never enjoyed going out in the evenings so I wouldn't either. Or I would go on my own but feel guilty so I would come back early.
Now I go out, because it's his job to parent that day, and guess what, he can do it. He can parent his own kids on his own.
If I had stayed with him, I think I would have had a breakdown. Yes it's stressful doing every drop off, every pick up but one, but now time to do everything else where I'm not expected to parent at the same time, I can handle everything else.
None of my coupled up friends have this amount of time. Maybe they don't want it, maybe family days out are more important to them. Who knows. But if you're someone stuck with a partner not pulling their weight, just think that it might not be as hard as you think to leave. And you might find you're ultimately much happier.
Kids are happier too.