Two young kids, preschooler and toddler. I love them to pieces but I am exhausted by them.
We had our first January 21, so lockdown . It didn’t feel like it at the time but it was comparatively so easy only having the one. He turned 2, got pregnant with the second relatively easily and so have two with a gap of just over two and a half years.
The thing is they are good children. My toddler isn’t sleeping well but that’s more to do with illness and teeth. They are mostly cheery and happy. But they are full on. I feel sometimes like I’m walking on eggshells, where everyone’s quiet and happy but then something will happen or even nothing will happen and toddler will burst into tears / have a tantrum and it takes ages to calm her down. Then the cycle starts again.
I do try really hard with my parenting. We get out lots, as I find them generally less stressful and groups and so on are good as they are contained and you get to chat to different people. But that’s an hour in the morning. And then the rest of the day is both impossible to fill but also hard to do anything constructive. Eg I want to start going to the gym, crèche is open 9-2. So either we forgo the morning activity or we don’t go as toddler sleeps around 12-2. I know this is temporary, she’ll drop her nap soon enough. But I’m finding the immediate sort of situation so so hard.
DH and I are struggling with no time to ourselves or one another. With just one I didn’t think so then but I comparatively had a lot of freedom. Not a lot but some flexibility. Now it’s just so hard for us both. I need more down time than I’m getting as I just have none but don’t know how to get it!
I am hoping it will be better when both are at school but that’s not for a while. And right now I can’t wait for them to be teenagers as all I can imagine is long lie ins, entertaining themselves on electronics, being able to sit in a restaurant again, maybe even going on holiday abroad … I know that will bring it’s own problems too!