Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Lone parents

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

Such a struggle

1 reply

Thetallestsunflower · 03/02/2014 18:10

My kids are currently not seeing their father-to cut a long story short he was sectioned 4 weeks ago and is still in a psychiatric unit.
Prior to this he used to see the kids (age 5 and 7) two evenings a week-bringing them back to me for bed time, one over night stay and one weekend full day.
My parents do help out now but this is generally when I am at work or if they have them over night I literally drop them off at bedtime and pick them up first thing.
I just feel like unless I am working I am getting no kind of break at all. I don't want it to sound like I don't kike spending time with my kids but it is hard going at times.
There is only 18 months between them and they are a handful-plus doing reading and homework every night with them is such a task too. I used to enjoy my two evenings and weekend day to myself-I would go to the gym or meet friends for tea or just have the luxury or being able to do a food shop alone or tidy the house without the kids following me round making a mess as soon as its tidy.
If it were summer it would at least be a bit easier as we could go to the park or for walks.
Sorry if I sound selfish here but I hope someone will understand. I am really struggling to get through the evenings sometimes.
I have no money so its not like I can even take them to play centres-plus they have that much homework that needs fitting in.

OP posts:
FamilyFirstAlways · 03/02/2014 18:35

I feel your pain, I go to work and enjoy having a cup of tea/ wee in relative peace....
My ex has never been bothered with the twins - since they were born actually - so I have never been used to having time to myself. My parents live 200 miles away so it's me, myself and I. Friends are great but it's them I want to go out with! Do you have any kind aunts or friends of the family who would babysit for a box of chocs? That's how I get by...

Try to enjoy every moment you have with them. Plan stuff to do, meet with friends, tire them out.
Your mum sounds fab- at least you can have some respite. It's just less than before so the busy-ness seems a bit more full on.
What hours do you work?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page