How often do your family call you (parents/siblings)? As a single parent and full time employee my days are hectic. My family know my day is never ending and know my routine, such as my wake up time, kids bed time. My siblings live abroad so our time zones are very different. I used to speak to one sibling once a week on the weekend when I had the time.
My challenging situation is one sibling is a SAHM and almost 5/6 days per week calls me in the morning before my alarm goes off and then again after the babies are in bed. I explained to them that I wake up early to get house chores done before waking kids up and to be honest its often a one hour call of complaining. I find this very negative to starting my day. As soon my children are asleep and I sit down to relax after doing chores, the phone rings again and its another hour. I find it tough as I also need to wind down. I explained this, yet the calls still come in and when i mention it again they get upset at me. It got to the point where I dont even reply to family messages anymore or post on my social media - as soon as i do, the phone buzzes.
I want to speak to my siblings and be there for them, but I also need the chance to breathe. I feel once/twice a week is reasonable for a call. I feel terrible for even writing this but its mentally affecting me. The more I ask to please stop the angrier they get and I dont have the headspace to deal with conflict and receiving paragraphs of upset messages. Am I being unreasonable?