Does anyone still feel a bit meh about parenting?

[FlowersAndFairiesAndPie]

I'll probably get slammed for this but in all honesty I don't think I've ever enjoyed parenting. Child is now 6 and most of the time I just find it hard work. I'm not a naturally playful person and really have to work at parenting. I take him out and he had a great life but honestly I cannot wait for him to go to bed so I can have time to myself.

Anyone?

Do you do any fun things with them? Fun for you and them?

Yes to both!

Sometimes I feel meh. Like when we get up in the morning and I'm like "oh, it's yourself again. Brilliant."

But for the most part it's good fun. I have a career that I love and time to enjoy doing things on my own that are nothing to do with my child. I also have made sure to have a shared hobby with my child so that we can bond over that and it's fun for both of us.

Yes I can relate to this. Little one is 3. Love spending time with him but also love when 7pm comes around! And if I ever have time off work I will always put him into nursery regardless.

Definitely! From the outside I appear to be the playful fun mum but it sometimes feels like I’m acting. I sometimes wonder when it will feel real. Maybe it’s because my kids are still young so my pre-kid existence still feels like my real reality. I love nap times and bedtime!!

Yeah have a 4 yo, 1 yo and a 12 DSS. It is exhausting but as they are getting older I am starting to enjoy them more. We are done so I figure it will only get easier

Again I know I sound awful but it's just a slog some.days.

I've no idea how people have more than 1.

I think that’s totally normal. It can be Groundhog Day when they are small . And then they grow up and don’t want much to do with you 🥲 it’s certainly an interesting rollercoaster

My thing about parenting is that I don't enjoy any of the needful stuff - vaccinations, school run, sorting homework, nursing through sickness, bedtime routine.

But I love the rest of it - playing, swimming, watching tv, crafting, drawing, reading etc. Only have 1 tho.

I also stuck with one child because the baby stage was a ridiculous slog, it’s a good job he was cute! But I find as he gets older it gets better. DS is 6 now and we can have a fun day out without him having a meltdown and ruining the day. (Although that still happens occasionally). Young kids are hard work!

Everyone is different though OP, so it not awful, it's just honest and despite how you feel, you still go out and do loads of fun things with your child.

I love it, he is 6 now, nearly 7 and it is relentless with making sure he is still using his manners, doing as he's asked first time and keeping those boundaries in place, but he is a great kid and we do have a lot of fun amongst our busy little lives.

Doing homework every weeknight is the bane of my existence though 😵‍💫

I’m not naturally maternal at all. Love my DD to death but it’s bloody hard work and in all honestly I don’t enjoy it and never have. She’s 7 now. We have fun, days out, activities, holidays etc but I can’t wait for my life to be mine again and to be able to do what I want anytime I want (still a long way to go I know). I hug her, kiss her, tuck her up at night, play games, read stories, make sure she eats well, get her to extra curricular, all the normal stuff. Outwardly no one would know how hard I find it. I can’t imagine life without her but parenting is all consuming. I’m a single parent so everything falls to me. Very busy, stressful job too.

I don’t know, I have found parenting the most heartbreaking experience of my life, every time my child is unwell or struggling it hurts like nothing else.

But he gives so much meaning to my life, in a way my career, friends or family never did, so for that I am very grateful.

Do I find him difficult, argumentative, hard work or boring? Sure I do sometimes but he also feels the same about me so we are even. 😁

I find having both DC together easier (currently 5 & 7) as they occupy each other & I can read/have time to myself at home & out, they chat as we go about things but when the other one isn't around, they want constant entertaining which can be exhausting. Do you do many play dates? That might break it up a little.

You don't sound awful at all. Some people don't enjoy parenting. It's totally fair enough and doesn't make you a bad person. I mean who would be a 24 hour babysitter, cleaner, personal assistant, laundrette and chef to housemates who make a ton of mess, never showed gratitude, often got you up at night, and tested your patience to the limit, for zero pay?! No one would do it! Doing all that doesn't somehow become fun just because they're our children. We just hopefully get enough of the fun beautiful stuff to make all the unfun stuff worth it. But parenting is a LOT of unfun, there's no denying it.

I agree that having more than 1 makes things much easier. When I was busy trying to meet a deadline, trying to do something quickly at home or just enjoy a relaxing moment during a holiday “borrowing” another child always gave me more space.

I was thinking that just now!!!!! Glad am not alone. Was just asking myself why the yell did I have children again. Toddler won't go to bed and pre teen has attitude. I can't leave the house to buy some wine either. Am tired. Life sucks .

For this reason mainly! After the first crazy couple of years, you leave them to play together. Less demand on my time, more time for me to do my own thing.
I took them out a lot as I'm crap at playing.

Hell not yell lol

It's definitely a slog at times. I don't think you have to love it - you can view it as a necessary, important and skilled job. (that you can't resign from)

I wish it was valued more and criticised less by society, maybe perhaps even supported, because it's really really important to society that parents do an okay job.

I struggled a lot @FlowersAndFairiesAndPie
And fir me, there has been much more slog than good times :(

They are adukts now and I really enjoy their company, spending time with them etc…
It became easier and easier as they grew up and the teenage years were easy for us.

No he's really easy going. I'm lucky!