single1ds on the LP thread is feeling the pain of being an LP. I have posted her my groundhog days. Here it is:
(and footlong, if you 'think' you have anything to say please don't)
We all feel it's groundhog day from time to time - well, ok regularly. And the fact is, it just is. Young children have a routine and can't do anything much for themselves therefore as LPs we have to do their routine for them.
Maybe it helps to explain my scintillating days-in-days-out with my ds (3yrs next month):
My days are this: DS usually wakes me up around 6 or 7, standing by my bed and slapping my face.
He needs a wee. I have to get up and take him for a wee. Then we go back to bed. He wants to play games and I am shattered. But we play games - tents, lions, etc.
Eventually after not long, we have to get up as no way am I going to get any more sleep anyway now he is awake.
We go downstairs and I do his cereals and milk. Then I MN for a bit/check emails while coffee is on.
Then I make his packed lunch. Sandwiches, breakaway bar, yoghurt, fruit all chopped up.
He has now finished his breakfast and got a fistful of apple so I rush upstairs and have a shower. When I am drying I get him to come upstairs, brush his teeth and then get him dressed. Then I get dressed. We come down and he watches more telly while I put slap on.
Then I pack his bag with extra pants, his lunch, spare clean trousers etc.
We walk to the CM.
I go off and clean houses for four hours earning 40 quid.
Come home and go straight to pick him up from CM.
We come home and i am knackered (am 46) so maybe then we do something (do a painting or get logs in) more often than not we don't. He watches a bit of telly or plays while I sit like a zombie and think about tea or call a friend/do housework or look at MN.
After about 2 hours I start getting his tea on. We light the fire together - he scrumples up newspaper and throws logs on with me.
Then its tea about 5 or 6. He has noodles/beans and toast/scrambled eggs/fish fingers.
While this is going on I might call a friend again as by now I am needing adult convo. Stir/microwave with one hand and talk with the other.
Then he eats his tea and I watch the news with him.
Then its the marathon bed-time routine after about an hour of play - he climbs all over me...just generally mucking about.
I run his bath, do poos and a wee, bath him and wash his hair. I get his PJs and stuff ready and come down and wash up while he is in the bath.
Then I go up and get him out. Dry him. Nightnappy on. Play a few silly games on the bed. Get him into his bed. Give him a book. He looks at it while I go downstairs and microwave his 'hot teddy.'
I go back upstairs and read him a couple of stories then its lights out. Kisses.
He will probably come into my room in the night..the alarm goes off at half seven but referring back to the top of this, he is awake and has slapped me awake way before that.
Yup. That's Groundhog day.
It is hard. But it's rewarding too. It is very much done alone. ]
Nobody can ever get totally used to it. Why and how are we meant to get used to it?
But I am very happy. So long as ds is smiling and having fun, I know I am doing my job and there aint much more I can do than that right now.
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