Anyone else’s life like this?

[Playingvideogames]

I’m bloody exhausted. My life just seems to be an existence of constantly managing problems. It’s draining me.

Since having the kids there always seems to be something up. Only rarely do we seem to have a bog standard 24 hours of everyone sleeping, getting up, going to school/work/nursery, coming home then going to bed.

For example, this week has brought DD waking up each night with a mystery toothache. Had to make an emergency dentist appointment today, shuffle work around it, only for them to say her mouth appears fine (albeit teeth are coming in left right and centre).

DS’s nursery then phoned to say he had bitten his key worker which has NEVER happened before. His behaviour seems to be on a huge downward slide at the moment, every day he’s done something. He was an absolute delight until 2 months ago, I just don’t understand it.

Before this week, we all alternated colds and there was always one or the other child waking with a cough. We had a succession of appliances breaking down, a leak, and the back door lock breaking. The kids have taken it in turns to have night terrors or to randomly wake for no reason. The dog had a gastro bug and was sick all over the place for a few weeks and needed a couple of vet checks.

I’m so bloody sick of problems just appearing and the fact I can’t go a single sodding week without having to problem solve in some way. I want a week where we simply sleep, work, go to school and nursery without disruption.

I feel like my nerve ends constantly thrum waiting for the next phone call, or for one of the kids to start crying or yelling in the night, or unveiling yet another problem which can only be solved by yet more time off work and £400.

Is it just me? I don’t even know what I’m asking here I just feel fed up.

Bless you. I remember this feeling so well. You’re still in the young children phase where it feels like constant crisis management and it IS blood exhausting. It does get easier as they get older and routines are less interrupted, but I know that’s no consolation now and I empathise. 💐 It’s so hard!

Yes this is my life! Even my boss says that if someone said to her this random thing has happened to someone she knew then she would guess that it would be me. Honestly I feel like we have the worst luck ever, its so frustrating, we work hard, are nice to people and even take in DCs friends who need places to live/stay. It is exhausting and we often joke that if something could go wrong then it is bound to happen to us.

Its not even always serious stuff, but often costly eg 3 years in a row either the washing machine or tumble dryer has packed up within 2 days of Christmas, then we always seem to be ill just after that, every year without fail.

Oh and my kids are late teens now, I think it has got worse for us since 2020 as we have dogs in the mix plus DH lost his job in lockdown and has had a very volatile job ever since!

Thank you for the responses and I’m sorry you are also in contact stress @SexyFrenchDepression

I’m just desperate for a few months where nothing ‘happens’. Where we just sleep at night and work etc

There’s always something and I’m turning into a very stressed out person and a shit employee who is constantly negotiating afternoons off and longer lunch breaks for never ending appointments, visits from tradespeople and so on.

My youngest is going through a particularly bad terrible 2s and the noise backdrop here is very often screaming, crying and the sound of toys being thrown on a hard wood floor.

It just feels like I’m never going to be able to relax.

I remember feeling exactly like you when the kids were little (is your DH rearranging work around appointments/sick days? Mine wasn't and it took a rather unpleasant argument and me epically loosing my shit to get him on board!)
Mine are mid/late teens now! Youngest is smothered in a cold but thankfully doesn't wake in the night needing me anymore 🤣 The dogs are still twats though, they've just had a huge fight that I had to break up 😔
Realistically, I don't think things get miraculously easier, you just get more uninterrupted sleep so it is more likely you can cope better!

@Playingvideogames Thanks. I do think there is a period of time where things improve though, its that middle bit when all kids are junior school age or young teens. Either side is stressful IMO. But yeah I get what you mean re the appointments etc, I have an extremely flexible job and basically just have to get the work done. Work is probably the most steady thing in my life, been there years, know the job well and can deal with that stress ok.

Its always that thing where life is going well or you book a holiday, then the car or boiler break down. If I ever go away for a few days something always happens and I am being hassled from home. So hard to switch off!

I hope things calm down for you soon! My hope is that my husband's leaves his job for a new one in next couple of weeks so that will be one major stress over (however my eldest son works for him so it puts him out of work so just creating a different stress).

Yes, my life feels like this most of the time. I can never relax at work without worrying that someone is going to vomit and need at least 48 hours off school.

This is us. It never seems to just rain here. It always pours. Everything always seems to go wrong. Since youngest DD was born in September we've had;

2 weeks before DD born, went to get pram out of loft, mice had made a nest in basinet and chewed the whole thing.

2 week old DD in hospital as an outpatient for eye infection - 2 Weeks backwards and forwards. Basic conjunctivitis but because DD was a newborn GP made us go to hospital.

5 week old DD, washer packed up.

7 week old DD, tumble dryer packed up.

A leak in the bathroom that dripped through the light fitting in October.

Late October, DHs car started to limp when going uphill.

November back to back sickness and illnesses started. Also shower pump packed up.

December 23rd, no water due to a problem with the valve between our water meter and our house. So we've had the water company out multiple times between Christmas and last week as they wanted to replace the valve, then replace the meter.

Oh God what a list! And with a newborn too. It’s relentless. 💐

As someone who has just been spending this evening cleaning shit out of my primary school child’s expensive leather shoes please let me assure you I get it. These things seem to come in waves and so far our January hasn’t been much fun either.

Sounds like you have it a lot tougher than me, I hope your next week goes better, or at least you can claw out a little more sleep to feel saner dealing with whatever’s next. And bugger whatever evil luck causes runs of this sort of thing!

Completely with you. I have an 18 month old and feel like I’m being called out of work to collect her because she’s unwell, and I’m catching everything she gets. She’s not settling well in the evenings and I’m constantly in and out. I feel exhausted all the and need to get everything ready for work and nursery the next day and absolute no down time to chill out in the evenings.