How do you feel at the end of a long day parenting little kids?

[PinkFlamingos18]

I have a 2yr old and a baby and I'm on my own with them for most of the week, husband works long hours. I'm starting to feel teary, anxious, and detached by the end of the day. Even off my food with how stressed I am by teatime. 2yr old is extremely hard work at the moment, they both seem permanently ill, someone always seems to be crying. Baby is sleeping better recently but still wakes up a few times and we're all up for the day at 5.30. The cleaning and tidying and cooking seems endless. I get help from family when I can and husband is good on his days off. 2yr old will be going to nursery for a couple of mornings next year and I'll be back to work part time but I'm wondering if this is more than just the regular stresses of parenting.

I do have a history of anxiety and depression so maybe I need to make a doctors appointment to review things or maybe it's normal to feel like this with two small children?

My 2.5 year old can click himself out of his highchair straps. Absolutely no way he would stay there and play if he wasn't in the mood.

At the end of a day of solo parenting I am basically mush in human form. It doesn't come easily to me and I honestly don't know how people do it every day - work is a relaxing break in comparison. You are not alone. I also have a history of anxiety and we're stopping at one because I can't cope with a newborn again. It is getting better now he's older, I can see the light but he's still very hard work.

Exhausted, irritable, usually have a headache.

I love my children immeasurably but goodness it is hard work parenting then!

I’m always exhausted. Just one 18 month old, but I’m trying to run our business at same time (b and b). No childcare. Dh helps when he’s not working, but by 6pm I’m just not feeling it and it stops me eating also.

No way can I put mine now in high chair or cot as a locked in place. He just climbs out cot or stair gate if he was trapped and unclips highchair. So the whole ‘getting’ things done takes forever. He doesn’t nap well either.

I think the solution is help in forms of childcare from nursery or family ( but we don’t have either).
Could you ask nursery if he can start in November instead of January? If your parent will have both one day a week next year, would they be happy to start having just 2 year old at least half a day now?

@Handsoffstrikesagain

How do you get anything done then gaggle?

Slowly. I take him with me and show him what I'm doing like loading the washing machine and he 'helps'. When he naps I do a fair bit, and after he goes to bed. I'm grateful he's a good sleeper.

OP this is definitely how I felt during the first lockdown with two of the same ages as you have now. I had survived (just) until then by having the oldest stay in part-time childcare and by going out every day. We spent lots of time at playgroups and soft play before everything closed. Could you try and get out a bit more? I found having other people around a lifesaver eg asking another mum to watch a sleeping baby while I took toddler to the loo, or vice versa. I always found if I spent as much time outside of the house as possible at that age I was less stressed when we got back as it wasn't completely destroyed.
Mine are nearly 2 and nearly 4 now and it is starting to get a bit easier. I think what you're feeling is normal but hang in there.

@Handsoffstrikesagain - yeah, mine won’t watch TV either 🤷‍♀️. Just runs around climbing things from 6am-8/9pm on full turbo power.