Old and tired!

[penny2]

I'm 44, the mother of one unexhaustable 3 year old, and I'm permanently shattered! I'm really feeling my age! Not sure if it's just me being elderly and unfit, or whether this is just life with a small boy.....Are there any other 'older' mums out there with any coping tips I could use before I keel over completely (or turn to drink....)?!!

I was 31 when ds was 3 and I was knackered too It is just small boys I think

I'm 29 with a ds who is 3.5 nad I'm always knackered too. It's not us it;s them - constantly on the go and demanding attention.

Very tiring whatever age the Mum is

As an older dad (hot on your heels) chasing a accelerating 18month old I'll join you in that long involuntary yawn.
My plan, however misguided, is to make sure I get enough sleep (easier when you're genetically hard of hearing I'll grant you)
Eat as well as I can
Ensure a tiny bit of me time (pass the baton)
Continue to excercise gently (bit sweaty for 20mins once or twice a week, could be chasing DD I dont know)

well that's the plan anyway. not much help probably but I feel your lethargy

Oh I do know how you feel! I was thinking just this today (well most days actually). I am 40 with a 7 yr old and 4 yr old twins. I'm afraid I took the short cut and turned to drink

I'm 44 and I have a 5yr old and a 4yr old, both dds. I turned to drink, too.

43 with a 5 yr old and 6 mth old (both boys).

Drink is the pain relief of choice here too!!!!! Just the odd glass though you understand

Cheers!

feel one coming on quite soon actually!!!!! Is 5.15pm too early?!!!!!!

They require so much energy, all mothers need to be fit to cope.

Since i fell pregnant 10 weeks ago I have become so unfit due to tiredness and sickness. it has really effected my fitness big time, i have no energy and feel about 90, looking after dd is soooooo hard, at times i cant cope with her.

i cant wait to get my energy back, as soon as this baby is born i am getting on the case to get as fit as possible to help me keep up with two.

your only 44 and not old, people get fit in their 80's. i know gyms are expensive so maybe start jogging and start off with power walking around your area (on your own )

if you really try you can fit 30 mins of exercise in 3-4 times a week.

you will feel so much better for it, energy wise, mentally, sexually and you will look great!

x

I'm right with you Merlin!

My tips are:

Red wine

Radio 4 (sounds like a sensible interesting grown up in the background over the din)

A book on the go but they take me so long to read these days it's a triumph when I finish.(I was a prolific reader pre-Tinygang)

See your friends when you can. Mine are very long-suffering because getting me out is a terrible job. Either a child related disaster scuppers the evening or I'm just too knackered, but I always feel much better after seeing my pals.

Hi, am 44, part-time SAHM, part-time freelance journalist, mum of lively 4 year old DS, he has childcare 3 mornings a week, rest of time it's me. I think my exhaustion is more psychological than anything. When I feel I haven't any time for myself, I get bored with the drudgery of being a parent. It's amazing how I perk up once he's asleep in bed or I've got a rare night out (DS is an NQT and never gets home before 8pm!) What keeps me going is exercise--I know it may not be what you want to hear but honestly, going for a run really makes me feel good. I am overweight at the moment and being slimmer also gives me more energy. Sorry to ramble.

Well I have to say it's a relief to know there are so many other knackered, middle-aged dipsos out there! Seriously though, thanks for the advice. I don't exercise - know I should - am overweight, therefore unfit, therefore get tired more quickly, so Lovecloud & Arabica, I really WILL try and make the effort to go out walking, I really will. Honest. After this glass of wine.......

As for finding 'Me' time - does any of you suffer from terminal guilt if they do leisure stuff instead of chores? I do. Any free hour I get (a whole hour - Omigod!) I feel I ought to be cleaning the oven or painting the spare room or something. If I settle to some drawing or a facial I feel as if I've let the side down or something. I'm depressing myself now - where's that bottle?

Hi Arabica - and I utterly agree (as a spritely -yeah right - 42 year old). For me, swimming makes a huge difference. Partly the exercise, partly the fact it's just me, trolling up and down and up and dooooooooown....

Red wine always good idea too, though.

Add me to the list. I'm a positively ancient 47 (can that be right??), and mum to an almost 5 year old. I've felt especially tired since she started reception. My conclusion is that I should go to bed earlier to counteract the fact that I must now get up so much earlier....so why am I sat here posting?

The thing that makes me feel most tired is that I think I look so much older than the other mums...can more sleep remedy that? Or do I need a pot of £100 eye cream?

I can't cope with wine any more. It makes me feel good for about 15 minutes, then I get stomach ache and even more knackered than I was before. Champagne's OK though! Actually the best pick me up is a lovely fresh-ground cup of (fairly traded, organic) arabica-grade coffee. Preferably drunk without being able to hear DS begging for a home-made Noddy story for the 45th time this week.

tired out with 4 kids. this night my 2yr old woke up at 2.30 followed by 8yr to throw up & then after this 2week old who fell asleep only at 12.30 woke up & is still awake. shattered doesn't describe it. wish there was some drug that would help me stay awake & not be tired. feel old & worn out - in fact am old & worn out.

Earlybird, I know just how you feel. Nothing worse than milling around the school gates with a crowd of fresh faced make-up-less 20 somethings to make you feel bloody ancient. As for eye cream - I swear the only thing that helps me look vaguely decent is Olay regenerist eye lift stuff - it's brilliant. Sleep also good. I look forward to DS being 14 and refusing to get out of bed before mid-afternoon. Oh the lie ins I shall have .....!

Yes, it recently occurred to me that it's almost 5 years since I've slept later than 7AM! Maybe if I could sleep later, I'd look more rested/younger.

On a serious note, I am making a concerted effort to drink more water. I think perhaps the cups of coffee, tea, cola consumed each day aren't doing my skin tone/complexion any favours. Maybe that will help - delusional or correct?

You need DD1's school. Gratifyingly her two new best mates were BOTH born when their mothers were 42, making them even more ancient than me. Sadly, though, they are not afflicted with toddlers as well, which makes them also rather more spritely.

Yes...bloody Noddy puts years on anyone...grrrr...

I'm 46 with a 3 year old who has not yet slept through the night. She started nursery 3 weeks ago and I hoped this would be the time she was tired out (like me!) but she is still full of energy and very cheerful at 2 a.m.! I have a theory that children leach the energy out of you - that's where they get theirs! So, I too am a member of the knackered, middle-aged dipsos club. No coping tips either, although my teenage children are pretty helpful at times - but a difficult resource to organise retrospectively!

I'm 41 year old with a just 4 year old and a just 2 year old

penny2, "stuck a watch this thread" last week, and have just managed to have "time" to add my twopenothworth (SP). I'm 40 next year am 41 weeks pregnant and have a ds2 20month and a ds 20 year.

I am completely and utterly shattered as well, I do believe it gets harder as you get older but I enjoy it more than when I was 19. I have more patience, more money and a much more relaxed attitude to parenting. Except at the moment BYW as am overdue

The only thing that freaks me out, it the fact that by the time the last kid leaves home, I will have had a kid at home for 40 years A long time to wait for my wee red sports car!!

Redtartanlass - I'm sure you're right about getting more out of it as an older mum. I'm a much nicer person than I was 20 years ago - much happier in my own skin, more patient, more confident, more relaxed about life in general. Still broke, but less bothered about it!

Good luck with the delivery - I'll be thinking of you.