Coping with chaos

[Ohwhocares22]

Am currently on mat leave with 8 month old DD and 4 year old DS at home all the time. I have a demanding job and used to be a positive can do kinda girl. Increasingly, I'm finding I struggle. Earlier the baby was grizzling, the 4 year old was whining and dh asked if he should put the baby to bed. I just wanted to scream. Nothing about my life is abnormally difficult, just the obvious but I'm really finding the noise, chaos and mess difficult to deal with. Any tips for tuning out?

Leave the house as often as possible, and at least once a day. Just to give you time to reset mentally. Keep your days busy with things that are outside of the house.

I don't think there's a huge amount you can do about the mess to be honest when they are so young. Grin and bear it.

Decluttering can help, as there's less to keep clean and keep tidy.

Acceptance is a huge part of it, it will get easier when they get older.

Can you keep one room clear so you can go revitalise in there for half an hour when things get too manic?

Never stop tidying is another, but it's unachievable for the most part and endless.

Can you send the four year old to nursery and use the 15 or 30 free hours you get? Will he be starting school soon?

I have a four year old and 7 month old so very similar ages :) The days my four year old goes to nursery are infinitely easier. And I’m counting down the days till he starts school! The days I have both kids I try to get out to the park to tire the oldest out and give us all new things to look at. I will also put the baby in a sling and then spend some time throwing or kicking a ball around with my eldest.

The 4yo was at nursery 2 days until lockdown and never returned. He is due to start school in September so it didnt seem worth it. I was clinging to school but now I'm reading that school opening is under threat. Really not sure I can cope with that

@Ohwhocares22 it’s such a shame their nursery got disrupted isn’t it. I’ll cry if school opening gets delayed! This is a very weird and challenging time to be a parent x