I really can not motivate myself anymore, am being bad mum

[niceglasses]

Sorry for moaning, I know this has been done to death, but am struggling just now.

3 kids, 1 at f/t schl, 1 waiting to go next week. 1 mostly at home.

I just can't seem to motivate myself anymore with them. I really feel drained and struggle to just read a story or do some art. Most of the time they watch TV, or in a fit of purity I turn it off and demand they 'play'. Very useful. I feel very crap. I'm bored tbh which is awful, but I've done this for a long time.

I applied for a p/t job at a bookshop and the hours were great - they haven't got back to me in over 2 weeks. I've just had to go up there for a book and its made me really weepy!!! Pathetic.

I can't see anything to look forward to just now. Sorry. Just some suggestions for getting my mojo back with the kids would be good.

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niceglasses, i reached thi stage with ds2 after 5 years at home. I'm so sorry you haven't heard anymore about the bookshop job, that sounds perfect. Is the child at home ready for preschool or too young?

I found a volunteering role where I could take the youngest child and joined the preschool committee too, and helped out there ocasionally. It gave me some self worth and a little bit more enthusiasm for the times when I was at home.
(may I offer you a small hug?)

I couldhave written your post niceglasses, I feel like that on and off. Give yourself a few days where you accept that you are not going to entertain the kids, once you take the pressure off yourself you can start enjoyingime with them rather than looking at it as a chore.

I know how you feel it's probably the slump of the holidays they knackered me out too

I stopped doing art and baking with the kids yonks ago cos all they ever did was argue if they want to paint they can go in the garden or kitchen and do it but I'm not sitting their forcing them to all draw with mummy anymore .
I do read to them but then again they are watching a lot of Tv at the moment too

Ring the shop and see why they havent got back to you it once took 6 weeks fotr a shop to get back in touch with me and i got the job

Dont feel bad I think we all have these days /weeks

i think we all have times when we feel like this, i certainly do, thinks always improve once the kids are back at school i find.

Thank you, really, that means a lot. I feel guilty I find it boring....its a cycle isn't it?

But it is boring! It's nice for a while but when it's all day every day of course it starts to lose its appeal thats why you need to break it up a bit,maybe have set days as "activity days" and lets the kids choose between cooking art etc.

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Hi niceglasses, I found volunteering in my Oxfam shop 2 hours a week (after 8 years sahm) made a huge difference to my life. It was great to be known as myself not x's mum.

You meet people who aren't mums and kids. People will say please and thank you and colleagues will make you a cup of tea and no one will throw a tantrum or dribble on you.

I agree with others you should chase the bookshop, but if it's not offered then really think about volunteering if you can for what you see as a worthwhile cause. I assume if you could do a part time job then you have some childcare which makes a couple of hours voluntary work viable.

The other possibility would be to find a swimming pool/gym with a creche so you get a bit of me time. I relied on it when mine were little and it set me up for the long hours with them. Good luck.

I do help out at my ds2 nursery on a Friday morning but its a bit of a bus mans holiday! The noise is gigantic!

I think I am being over ambitious in trying to pull myself together. Every day I wake up and internally say:

Right, start diet today
Limit TV for kids
Get a job
Sort out the house
Sell loads on ebay.

Its just too much then I feel flat when I do 3% of it. Small steps I think.

NG, that's my list too!

oh and

no wine today

[failed that one already then, glug]

Actually 3% is good. Really! A maximum of 3% of anything can be achieved at any time says John Bird from the Big Issue in his 'How to Change your Life in Seven days'. One of our problems is we're always throwing ourselves at '100% or nothing' targets and failing.

Maybe just concentrate on food tomorrow and promise yourself you'll eat well and enjoy it.