I feel so grim at the thought of another week.

[Rainallnight]

I’m an accidental SAHM. Work not possible around the two DC at the moment. I adore my DC, but fuck me, it’s hard at the moment. DS has hit the terrible twos with a wallop. DD is 4 and has developed some emotional and behavioural difficulties in lockdown.

Today at lunchtime, they both wouldn’t eat what DP had made for them, and then DD ran at her and hit her. DP really lost the rag and was in a bad mood for an hour and it hit me that I deal with that sort of things day in, day out, all day. There’s no respite and nowhere to go and nothing to do (apart from fucking walks).

I feel so bleak this Sunday evening.

I’m sorry for being a Debbie downer, I just needed to get this off my chest.

Thank you for reading.

Can you get them both into nursery if they don't go already? They can have 15 hours for free each, and you'd get a bit of a break.

DD’s school is closed (she’s in Reception) and we are not keen on nursery due to very high Covid rates around here.

Same here. It's been bad enough with homeschool and work until now but now I've for Covid so I feel crap, we're all isolating, youngest can't go to nursery obviously, not sure I'll survive the week

Can your DP not change their working schedule to support you?

I feel your pain OP, I’m struggling too. In fact, everyone I know is struggling much more with this lockdown than the last two. You’re not alone

Can you change up the walks? We went to a national trust (booking only so low numbers) was nice for a change and they are pretty safe for a 2 year old to roam free.

I feel your pain. I’m an accidental sahm to a 20 month and 5 year old dd in reception who is having emotional and behavioural issues too. She’s been hitting and biting me and her sister and had several fits of rage.

I feel trapped in the house some days as it’s so hard to get them out. And then when we get out I’m so bored of all the local places and not seeing anyone.

So I know how you feel and there must be thousands of people feeling the same way who aren’t having a perfect lockdown as shown on Facebook.

Things that have helped a bit are:
Having a rough timetable
Getting outside each day and wearing them out.
Having theme days to break up the monotony of it.
I’ve started running so I get done proper exercise rather than walking at toddler pace. And I get done time alone.

I hope your week goes better than you expect.

I feel your pain too. I'm not looking forward to another week. My 6 year olds behaviour is quite volatile at the moment too and it's already claustrophobic being together all day when day since mid December. We have snow today which breaks it up a bit and I'm looking forward to spring.

If you have them all week at home alone then your partner needs to have them for at least a few hours at the weekend so you can get out. I know there’s nothing to do but you can meet a friend for a walk without the incessant MUMMMEEE.

Big sympathy OP. I am in a similar situation and nearly lost my sh*t a few weeks ago. Here's what worked for us.

• reminder to DP (ok a massive row) that this is a temporary and unintended situation. If I hadn't been laid off, we would be doing much more co-parenting and co-houseworking etc. Things had really slipped so it was like I was 1950s housewife and he was suddenly Mr Working Man.
• having had this row, we share housework again. I know he's working hard but he can also put on a dark wash between calls.
• every day, even when snowing and freezing, I have an hour to myself. Fuck his fucking zooms. This goes in the diary at 2pm every day. So I make lunch, we all eat lunch and then I go out.Today I went to the Big supermarket in the car and I swear I was so happy just be buying loo roll but 5 miles and a drive away. Sometimes I just go to our room and everyone knows not to disturb me. If there is no way of doing it at 2pm (but honestly, his boss knows he has young kids and has to juggle it) then it happens at 6pm and he makes dinner too. I am also aiming for once a week having a whole night off. Kids have got used to Mummy's special hour, so they can get used to Mummy's special night.
• Meeting up with local friends for a walk / accidently bumping into them in the park. I appreciate this might be pushing the absolute boundaries of what it acceptable. Frankly, I would rather look back on this time and think 'Oh I went for a cheeky walk with Anita, naughty me' instead of 'I had the shittiest and most lonely, law-abiding months ever that year and everyone was so miserable'

- actually getting a bit stricter with the kids? I was full of sympathy and empathy and tolerance and interesting ways to pass the day. Now I am a bit more detatched as it was just dragging me down to be so much in the swamp of their emotions and demands. It's like I'm the Nanny between 9 and 6 and Mummy again after that. Might that help with your DD?

• DH is taking some unpaid holiday to go to 4 days a week from next months. Was going to be holiday but as we're not spending as much, it is going to be leave. Going to mix it up with a few holidays as well.