Since Corona I find it so draining when the kids are home

[Bluebellsinthesnow]

I've got a six and 3 year old. My dd was in reception when covid broke out. I remember being so excited for our first summer holidays together and then the obvious happened.

In total she's been off for a month due to classroom lock downs. Plus the chunk of time after Xmas when they couldn't go. I got my three year old in with a childminder 2 days a week and she is doing him so much good. She takes him out all over and he's mixing with other groups of childminder kids too. So I get two days a week to do my jobs and see friends and family. Go food shopping etc.

My plan is in a year to start looking for a little job when my son goes to school too. But what I've noticed is I just am already dreading the holidays.

I have already booked them both into holiday clubs costing me £250 for them both to just go six hours a week. But it will be so nice for them and it gives me a tiny break.

But this week has been awful. Our family pet is poorly. So I've got a rabbit I've had to syringe feed and give antibiotics too every day. Then my son got a chest Infection Tuesday. He's now on antibiotics. Wednesday my daughter has began coughing. So she's been off the last two days. Then today Ive started my period. My house is going to pot. I am grumpy and have no patience today. I'm just feeling close to tears. the constant snacks. The constant moaning. Bickering. Runny noses. Lack of sleep. Me trying to juggle everything.

It just makes me think why dont I enjoy them being home anymore? I feel everything is so much harder and I have six weeks coming up and fear it's going to be hell..
Is anyone else feeling like no sooner they get routine it's back to kids home?

For some women the better choice for them is to work full time and use good quality wrap around care or have a nanny/housekeeper arrangement. We had this once the kids were both in school at one point and it was excellent. Mostly I've worked pt (sn dd) and I loved being with my kids but it's not for everyone

It was different when my kids were small. We just let them out to find someone to play with. I remember letting my 8yo out to play with friends and the 4yo toddling off after him. Peace reigned in the household until they came back for food. My 4yo is now 37 with dc of his own aged 8 and 5, but it would no more cross his mind to let them out on their own than fly to the moon.

OP thank you for this post
Usually in the holidays I take one day off each week
We take it in turns to decide what to do
Walks, swimming etc
I always look forward to it and enjoy time with them

This year I've booked the days off, and in a way regret it

I simply cannot be arsed

As per previous posters, they've only been back 5 mins.

Been doing local walks through out lock down

Go back to school AND STAY THERE

You can't expect Teachers to work throughout the summer! After the year they have had, trust me, they are on their knees. They aren't there to supply childcare. As hard as it is, if you need childcare, you just have to pay for it.

Totally feel you OP. Having them at home for 6 weeks just feels like lockdown now. I am so sick of random walks and picnics and baking- I’d die happy if I never have to see a fucking half burned, sticky, paw patrol cup cake ever again 😂

We aren’t going away anywhere, so I’m going to try and spread the fun days out as much as I can and hopefully it’ll fly by!

Sorry for the slow reply. Household is still down.

I'm so glad it's not just me. It's just boring. Booking in advance it's a guarantee illness or the weather will laugh at you the day it comes around. I miss being able to wake up and make a decision for days out.

Not sure what sunflower wrote but I presume it's about why I had kids. I do enjoy being a mum but life is limited. Still is limited. It's been hard work. Our kids have missed out big time and have been home for an unhealthy amounts of time. Leaving them slightly behind on maths. Reading. Socialising. Etc. So forgive me that I'm not buzzing about six weeks of snacks. Bored kids and being abit skint. Because money is also tight. There's only so many days at the park that can be done.

I did pharmacy and home care work before. I can't go back yet. But whilst the kids are little and when both are at school I'd do anything for a couple of hours a day. I plan to build up as they get older. It's not a lazy thing. It's just the set up. I have nobody to collect my kids. Take them to school. The after-school club doesn't exist at the moment. Plus sick days and holidays. I have nobody to take them for me. It's hard. I don't hate being home. I just dont feel I can offer the kids alot of fun or joy right now. Plus it feels the house gets messy when bored kids are home. Which I end up chasing my Tail trying to get washing away and stop them leaving a trail of mess and requiring snacks and dinner. That's another thing. The food bill goes up when my eldest isnt having school meals.

I will try and be as positive as possible. I just like the routine and it's lifted my spirits to see my kids busy and learning again. Feels like another lockdown coming up.

We will survive though

Thanks for the support x

Just here dropping a message of support to op and pp's
Reading all your posts on this thread I really didn't see just how difficult it has been for mums since Covid

You're all doing great by the sounds of things

@KibeththeWalker

Have you a career to go back to? Get some rock solid childcare in place and re-focus on that maybe? It will take you mind off the minutiae and your time off will feel like a break instead of more parent-drudge.

Is that the rock solid childcare that gets cancelled at a moment's notice?

@Bluedeblue

You can't expect Teachers to work throughout the summer! After the year they have had, trust me, they are on their knees. They aren't there to supply childcare. As hard as it is, if you need childcare, you just have to pay for it.

Wow, from end March 2020-end of March 2021, my DC had a grand total of 13 weeks in school. I do not blame the teachers but another six weeks at home just feels intolerable. The dc don't even want to be at home for six weeks, they've had enough of it after the past year. Parenting is so hard nowadays. You can't open the front door in the morning and send them out to play like it's the 1970s...the modern school summer holidays is like an intense endurance course of parenting.

How absolutely ridiculous. Our lives have had a metaphorical bomb thrown at them.
Anybody who can get up and dressed and look after children deserves a bloody medal.

"rock solid childcare". Now there's an oxymoron

It’s just hard. I find Parenting is like this in general, regardless of lockdown- when you’re knackered and need a break, it’s the times when your kids are the most demanding through illness, tough times, etc. See it as tough time and know that these times come and go? The relentlessness of parenting is exhausting, and routine takes away a lot of the mental load. When the routine is disturbed, it’s even worse for me.

And you don’t need to ‘enjoy’ parenting all the time! I certainly don’t. I appreciate my children and being a mum, but there’s a lot that’s far from enjoyable.

Solidarity. Unusually for me, I'm pretending it's not happening! At least we can go to people's houses and meet up with friends. It's all just feels like such hard work, and my littlest one is an anti social nightmare that wants to go home 20 mins into any outing

I have never had ANY unpaid help. My parents lived 200 miles away, DH's 100 miles, no other local family. DH left the house at 5am and returned at around 7pm until DS was 4, then changed to a job where he worked 5.30am - any given time weekdays and 5.30am -2pm Saturdays (boarding school).

I went back to my career (also teaching) when DS was 17 weeks old, part time mornings only initially, working back to 'real' full time when he was 7. There is no reason not to work if you want to just because you don't have unpaid help. Just pay for help!

I'm not saying the childcare situation has been good in the past 18 months. I know it's been impossible to get. But I'm talking about the future for OP. If OP doesn't enjoy the drudgery of parenting, going forward she can engage a reliable childminder and get back to being a pharmacist. No?

AWhere is your partner in all of this? She/he is not mentioned once unless I missed it?