Work piling up + homework battles = one exhausted mum

[CareerJuggler]

Lately I just feel completely drained. My boss keeps piling on extra tasks, and I’m barely keeping my head above water with work as it is. Then once I finally shut the laptop, I’m straight into “mum mode” with school runs, homework, dinner, laundry, and the whole lot.
The homework part is really getting to me at the moment—it feels endless, and the kids aren’t exactly thrilled about doing it, which turns it into a battle every evening. By the time they’re finally settled, I’m too wiped to even think straight, let alone have any time for myself.
I know plenty of people juggle all this, but right now it feels like I’m constantly failing somewhere—either I’m behind on work or I’m snappy with the kids. Just wondering how everyone else manages when both work and home life are so demanding? Do you find any little tricks that help take the pressure off, or is it just a case of riding it out?

How old are your DC?

That sounds so exhausting. Homework battles are the worst on top of a full workday. What helps me is keeping dinners really simple and not stressing if a chore slips now and then—it takes the edge off. You’re definitely not failing, just stretched too thin like so many of us.

I really feel for you—that constant switch between work mode and mom mode is exhausting, and it’s no wonder you’re feeling drained. You’re definitely not failing; it just sounds like you’re being stretched in every direction at once.
Something that’s helped me a bit is lowering the bar where I can—for example, keeping dinners really simple on the busiest days and not feeling guilty about it. With homework, I’ve found breaking it into small chunks (even 10–15 minutes at a time) makes it less of a battle, and sometimes doing it alongside them, like “quiet work time,” takes the edge off.

Pick your battles with homework. My secondary school one, yes, must do everything. But primary school aged one, we don’t do it all. I pick something he needs the most practice at (reading) and focus on that. And he loves maths, so I let him tinker with the maths on his own before the end of each half term and he does as much as he can. Spelling I don’t bother with. SATS practice sheets when we had them, I don’t bother with (because who cares about SATS? Not me, only the school, and that’s not enough reason to stress about it all).

Oh, I hear you; it really does feel never-ending sometimes. Homework battles are the worst after a long day. What helps me a bit is lowering the bar—if dinner is just something quick and easy, that’s fine, and I try to pick my battles with the kids’ homework. You’re definitely not failing; it’s just a lot to carry at once.

How many DC and what are their ages?

I never engage in any homework ‘battles’, so that could be a quick win, as sounds exhausting.

Are you by yourself, is there any way you could get a break, eg evening to yourself?

Is there any way to simplify meals on your working days, do you all eat the same?

The beauty of kids is support and confidence, but this naturally requires alot of work. Its better to have kids then not have kids i believe.