Tired. So so tired.

[ScheherazadeNights]

I've recently returned to working full-time, and am a newly lone-parent with a two year old son.

I'm so exhausted. My son has been constantly ill since starting full-time nursery last month, and consequently is waking a lot at night. My day starts at around 5:30 am, getting into work for around 7:40 and depending on cover patterns finishing between 4 - 6 pm (incident management). After I've fed, bathed and put my son to bed each evening, I manage to do about an hours worth of housework (washing, ironing, general admin etc) before ending up in bed exhausted by 8:30 pm and normally asleep by 9 pm.

How long does it take to get back into the swing of working full-time? Will I be permanently be exhausted?

Yes, permantly exhausted sounds about right, but not to the levels your currently experiencing. Another few weeks and the rate of illness will drop off, making the nights easier. Do you need to iron? Only school shirts get ironed in this house.
New jobs are exhausting on their own. Take it easy for another few weeks, and see how you feel then.

I've been back a year now (returned when DS was 10 months) and my son is 22 months now so just a bit younger than yours.

I still remember the first month or two being torture!!! Like your son, my DS seemed to get ill every 5 minutes which caused disturbed sleep/needing to sort emergency childcare if he was too ill for nursery etc. Plus getting back into a demanding and tiring job (I'm a teacher). I am lucky to have a DH so hats off to you doing it on your own!

I will say though, it does get easier! They get resilient to illness which makes things easier and you get into the routine eventually.

With housework, I try to do some each day like you as I find it easier to keep on top of it that way.

I iron what needs to be ironed but anything that can survive without being ironed gets folded neatly after drying and put away.

I use 'click and collect' to do my shopping as I can order during my lunch break and collect on my way home from work to save taking DS around the supermarket at weekend. It's free so no extra cost.

It's hard being full time (we are both full time) but you do eventually find ways of making things easier for yourself and you do get used to it.