Does anyone else find parenting exhausting

[ItsSoHardD]

Does anyone find parenting SO hard? Like the hardest thing you’ve ever done? I read a thread the other day and people were saying how easy it was, especially so when their partners werent around. Then there is me barely coping, theres just so much to DO. It’s never ending, cleaning, cooking, washing, trying to do fun days out, school stuff, appointments 😓😭 is it normal to find it this hard? can anyone else relate?

Parenting my daughter - genuinely easy and joyful. She's slept through the night since day 1 (waking to feed in early days of course but then straight back to sleep). She's calm, funny, adorable, good company.

parenting my son... yeah. Exhausting. I love him so deeply but dear Lord he's a PITA 95% of the time.

Then having to hide how different they are to parent.

People who find it easy usually have relatively easy kids, which is down to luck. People who find it easier own their own often have (or had) a partner who actively made things harder or acted like a child themselves.
DD was very difficult between 2 and 9. After that it got slightly easier but not significantly. I still have to use ‘strategies’ to get her to do stuff. I’m also now widowed and it is much harder without my husband. I have no back up, no-one to talk things through with, no-one to take over if needed. Dd is great in so many ways but an easy child she is not!

I suppose it also depends about what else you've experienced. Before DC1 I was in a difficult job where I was (in hindsight) being taken advantage of. It probably helped me in the baby years, I found looking after my babies hard but not soul destroying like my previous job and knew what I'd rather be doing.

It’s hard, relentless, physically demanding and exhausting.

I have always been an early riser and before DC, that was my quiet time to plan, exercise, read. I was always on top of things because of that quiet time each day. Then DC came along and was a 5.30am rising lark. My quiet time disappeared and for a while it was chaos.

Parenting is relentless because raising a kind, thoughtful and responsible human is so hard. At times it felt like DH and I were the most unreasonable and strict parents in comparison to others, including our own friendship group.

DC is now 15 and on the whole a complete joy to be around. It feels like the relentless nagging; to mind manners, do homework, teach resilience and how to make better choices is paying off. Couldn’t imagine life without him.

mine are school age and I would say it’s harder, the mornings are horrific it’s just so much rushing around. When they alarm goes off in the morning I seriously contemplate life 😕

If your not exhausted your not doing it right!! So your probably a fantastic parent!

Oh yes the 530 wake ups and you have to be ON! Mummymummymummy …