City lawyer with toddlers can't cope

[RosieIrene]

I work FT at a city firm and have two dd 1 and 3. Have a full time daily nanny but still can't cope. Work all day, come home and put kids to bed and work all evening to make billable target or have to go to client functions. So stressed out that on weekend just want to sit in garden with kids and do nothing. Can't sleep, can't talk to anyone. How do people manage?

Mozhe - are you serious? A waste? Speechless for the moment but will return...

She speaks a lot of sense imo...probably more eloquently than I due to her lawyerly ways !
Seriously the o/p needs practical/sound advice....not utter tosh spouted at her...

lol @ Batman and Robin reference.

It wasn't utter tosh, it was an opinion.

Ah. So you're not a lawyer?

LOL littlelapin! I'm gobsmacked that someone can say that staying at home with your children is a "waste"!

Agree LOL at Littlelapin - what a 'nice' comparison.

Very unrealistic to most people....

DH is partner at same city firm so works even longer hours than me. I have always enjoyed my job and have worked hard to get where I am and know myself well enough to know that I would not be happy staying at home. But I can't seem to find a way to balance work, kids and house admin. I have tried working one day at home and although it frees up 3 hours of commuting time, it is not enough. So tired all the time. Work is slipping, I am slipping - sometimes walk right past the train station because can't focus...sometimes wonder if it is extreme stress or depression.

O.K., we need to wait till Op gets back to us. She's probably fallen asleep 'kreamkrackered' at her Pc, from sheer exhaustion.
Does she want to work ? I smoney an issue ? Is there a dh ?
If she DOES want to work, them we must, unfortunatley go along with Moazhe , and find practical ways to help her.

Do you have any other help RosieIrene?

I must say, before you mentioned the commute I couldn't quite see the problem since with a full time nanny you presumably haven't much to do when you get home other than spend time with your children and put them to bed. But 3 hours of commuting is a hell of a lot. I used to do that (not into London though) and it was a nightmare even before I had DS. I wouldn't contemplate it now I have a child. Can you consider moving closer (I don't know the ins and outs of London commuting sorry)? Or working from home for a day?

RI, could you get a part-time position nearer home with a less demanding firm? Even if just for a couple of years until your DDs are a bit older?

Slow typing. O.K. Rosie, what is your true heart felt belief - do you want to work or not ?

RI, I have no proper advice for you, just sympathy as I feel just the same (I am still up working too). Maybe best advice is to just go to bed and get some sleep for now.

mozhe, am speechless. Harpsi is wasted by spending time with her kids? Dear me what a sad way to think.

jajas....help/support/encouragement, more likely to be useful than ' jack it all in ' imo.
I work fulltime and have 5 youngsters so know it can be hard, hard work but sisterly support always helpful..Practical things that worked for me MAY be helpful to RosieIrene too.Also feling too sressed/low in mood needs to be addressed or could develop into something more significant.

For some people, to "jack it all in" is the right thing to do.

mozhe, you are Xenia, aren't you?