to find it mildly upsetting that now that I am a mum I can not sleep and lounge around in the holidays?!

[pamelat]

I say this part flippantly before I get told how lucky I am.

DD 11.5 months.

DH brilliant with her and does most of the early morning stuff. She tends to wake about 6am and unfortunately has woken in the night for the last 2 weeks (she has had a cold, teething etc etc).

I realise I am lucky because in the holidays I rarely got out of bed before 8am (except on 2 days when he had a lie in). Week days I get up about 7am but he does that first hour so he can see her before work.

However, a tiny part of me is still shocked by how full on parenthood is and a tiny bit of me longs for holidays spent lounging in bed until 10am and having relaxing days in front of the TV (which DD would never allow!).

Part of me was quite glad when everyone went back to work today because everyone has to get up early! Most of our friends do not have children, yet.

We obviously love her to bits and she is more than worth it but AIBU to find it all a bit of a shock!

I would love a weeks holiday in the sun reading my book all day but its a shock to realise that might not happen for 15 years?!

When I opened this thread, I expected a whole load of people saying things like, - don't become a parent if you want a lie in..... or - your lucky you have a dh who does mornings.....

But I'm pleased to see that so many people, like myself agree with op that I do miss lie in's and being the master of my own time.

On my 30th birthday my mum took my dd all night and the next day till 5pm. It was amazing to have the free time but by 5pm I was desperate to get her back.

I did expect to get a hard time sushipaws! And to be fair, she is more than worth it.

But I think that nothing can prepare you for the change to your life with going from none to 1 child. Am hoping that 1 to 2 is easier, or 2 to 3 etc?!

I am quite lucky with support not only from DH but from both sets of grandparents, its still a huge shock though to realise just how much my life has changed!

I wonder whether I would have found it "easier" if I had had children when I was very young (I'm 31, about 'average' age I guess nowadays) My mum was 18 when she had me and "claims" to have had no resentment or not missed anything, she is either lying or was clearly full of energy and not yet set in her ways.

YANBU some mornings I just don't even want to get out of bed, I lie there thinking oh here we go again

DP is up and gone at 6am, DD3 up at 7am for a feed, other two up at 7.30am so not mega early. But then we have the sheer horror that is getting 4 of us up, washed, dressed and fed and out the door for nursery for 9am. It's tears and tantrums every bloody morning and that's just me.

It can often get to 4pm and I realise that my bum has not made contact with a seat (apart from brief feeding sit downs) all day, it's like a chess game I am always 4 moves ahead, get off mumsnet, take washing out of machine, hang it up, take out TD, feed DD3, do some ironing. But on the upside I am now a size 8.

Weeks holiday no days holiday reading a book in the sun sounds like heaven right now.

pamelat - it won't be as long as 15 years!

I never used to understand why people would use childcare on holiday but I think I am getting it ..... . I would just like someone to come and do the 6am bit and I could collect her midday. I am normally ok by lunch.

not a morning person at all, at least at work you can be quiet and drink your tea.

Liffey, god no, I BF baby, DH does middle child, eldest is old enough to read himself to sleep!

Hotels with childcare are brilliant if expensive. Even if you only do it for a coupla mornings a week, you just feel so much more human. God, if I could afford it I'd go to one of those villas where you can hire a nanny.

Don't get me wrong, I want to spend time with my kids. But I want them to get me when I'm not completely knackered all the time: I'm a better parent for it. I am also in agreement with pushchair: sometimes staying at home is just easier.

gets much better when they turn 3 and you can let them potter around while you have a bit of a lie-in. Fairly rubbish until then, though.