this is a rant and a moan, I'd advise you to look away now.................
my 2 boys are 5 and 8 years and the summer holidays are driving me mental already. Ds1 plays out till gone 9 at night and ds2 wakes up between 6.30 and 7am. I go to bed at 10ish. I just don't get a minute to myself, except when dh takes the boys to something. We live in a busy neighbourhood with loads of kids that are allowed out till 10pm and come to our door at 9 in the morning with bags of sweets, obviously breakfast. I try and try to make sure ds1 doesn't eat too many sweets as he could happily eat them day and night, so the boys round here his age know to come to our door laden with sweets and he'll usually go out to play. It's driving me demented, I know a lot of the parents round here never say no to their kids as it makes for an easy life for them, but christ it makes it doubly hard for the rest of us.
Also my house is tiny and I mean tiny, we are all squashed on top of each other, there's no breathing space or place to go and sit and read a book. my living room has the tv/kitchen table/computer and toy box altogether oh and the washing hanging up too. It drives me mental too.
Also we have absolutely no help at all with the kids, elderly parents and siblings 300 miles away. We have never had a night away from the boys in 8 years, we've no one to take them. We have nights out separately once in a blue moon. Also I had to give up work as I was earning £5.40 and hour and paying £6 an hour to have them looked after. So we are living on one wage of less than £200 a week, which of course doesn't go far at all.
Before the kids I travelled a lot, enjoyed work and socialising. Thats all gone now. Please don't get me wrong I really adore my kids and wouldn't give them up for all the money in the world, it's just the continuous monotony of it all that gets to me. I see pother mums with family nearby who have someone to look after their kids the odd time or even just to continue their job and I'm really jealous. My mums naerly 79 and the roles are reversed, I look after her now, my siblings think mums about 60 and can take care of herself, so they visit once a year.
Sorry it's all just getting me down, need a braek and can't get one or afford one.
sorry for spelling too.