How do low energy people parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would call myself a pretty high energy person - routinely work out, am up every day at 6:30am, work full time, etc.

But being a parent to 3 young kids is kicking my butt. I am exhausted. Between the mental load (laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning, doctor appointments, etc), enrichment for kids (sports, religion, etc) and school - I am so tired! How do low energy, introverted people do all of this?!?

I spend an hour a week on laundry, grocery shop 1x a week, kids eat breakfast & lunch at school, cleaning is outsourced, doctors’ visits are minimized. I sign kids up for aftercare enrichment at school so that I don’t need to shuttle them anywhere extra.

It sounds like you are high energy but also highly disorganized. Use some of your high energy to plan better.

DP but it actually sounds like you don’t do much parenting (or anything else, for that matter).

“I have so much energy after I pay other people to do all the things that would require me to expend energy!”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, come back and clarify why you do laundry every day. Basically everyone here thinks this is overkill.

DP. I have two teens and do two loads of laundry every day. Between the sports and the outfit changes, there just is a lot of laundry.

Three teens here, we all have queen or king beds changed weekly, and they do sports so often two showers a day. Two have school practice gear that needs to be washed every night they practice. A lot of our clothes are hang dry and we don't have a laundry room and only one railing area to hang clothes so it needs to be done daily to stay manageable. We have around 3 loads a day.

[Anonymous]

Switch to a part time job or stay home. Or let go of your high standards and lean into grocery delivery and letting your laundry pile high. Don’t work out everyday. Drink lots of coffee. Take 20 minute power naps. Hire a babysitter or family to come watch your kids for a full day once every few weeks to catch up on sleep and rest. It’s a season of life (that is longer for you) but one day your kids will be able to help around the house more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would call myself a pretty high energy person - routinely work out, am up every day at 6:30am, work full time, etc.

But being a parent to 3 young kids is kicking my butt. I am exhausted. Between the mental load (laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning, doctor appointments, etc), enrichment for kids (sports, religion, etc) and school - I am so tired! How do low energy, introverted people do all of this?!?

I spend an hour a week on laundry, grocery shop 1x a week, kids eat breakfast & lunch at school, cleaning is outsourced, doctors’ visits are minimized. I sign kids up for aftercare enrichment at school so that I don’t need to shuttle them anywhere extra.

It sounds like you are high energy but also highly disorganized. Use some of your high energy to plan better.

DP but it actually sounds like you don’t do much parenting (or anything else, for that matter).

“I have so much energy after I pay other people to do all the things that would require me to expend energy!”

You think because the pp has cleaners and kids eat breakfast and lunch at school that the pp doesn’t parent? Wtf?

I have 3 kids. I also try to sign up for activities at school so I don’t have to do extra driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would call myself a pretty high energy person - routinely work out, am up every day at 6:30am, work full time, etc.

But being a parent to 3 young kids is kicking my butt. I am exhausted. Between the mental load (laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning, doctor appointments, etc), enrichment for kids (sports, religion, etc) and school - I am so tired! How do low energy, introverted people do all of this?!?

I spend an hour a week on laundry, grocery shop 1x a week, kids eat breakfast & lunch at school, cleaning is outsourced, doctors’ visits are minimized. I sign kids up for aftercare enrichment at school so that I don’t need to shuttle them anywhere extra.

It sounds like you are high energy but also highly disorganized. Use some of your high energy to plan better.

DP but it actually sounds like you don’t do much parenting (or anything else, for that matter).

“I have so much energy after I pay other people to do all the things that would require me to expend energy!”

None of what I listed counts as “parenting”, DP. I save my energy to spend quality time with my kids, which is when parenting actually happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, come back and clarify why you do laundry every day. Basically everyone here thinks this is overkill.

DP. I have two teens and do two loads of laundry every day. Between the sports and the outfit changes, there just is a lot of laundry.

Three teens here, we all have queen or king beds changed weekly, and they do sports so often two showers a day. Two have school practice gear that needs to be washed every night they practice. A lot of our clothes are hang dry and we don't have a laundry room and only one railing area to hang clothes so it needs to be done daily to stay manageable. We have around 3 loads a day.

Yeah, but if they are teens, they’re doing their own laundry anyway, right?

Each teen keeps a foldable drying rack in their room to hang dry their stuff in our house.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe we are still talking about the damn laundry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - wow didn’t realize the laundry thing would be so decisive.

I do laundry every day because I would rather wash and fold and put away 1 or 2 loads a day than 5 or 6 twice a week.

DH doesn’t do his own laundry (see working 60-80 hours a week) and neither do my kids. Both dh and I work out most days so we have our regular clothes, work out clothes, kids clothes, towels and linens.

Your DH can do his own laundry notwithstanding the number of hours he works ( my DH does) and esp if he has time to work out. If his hours mean u guys are making bank, hire a full time housekeeper. If not, he needs to figure some other job out with less hours. You’re struggling bc he’s not pulling his weight around the house and you have zero expectations for him.

+1. My DH works full time, as do I. He’s in charge of all the laundry in our house. That’s how I know it doesn’t take much time to do. He’d never volunteer for a time consuming chore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - wow didn’t realize the laundry thing would be so decisive.

I do laundry every day because I would rather wash and fold and put away 1 or 2 loads a day than 5 or 6 twice a week.

DH doesn’t do his own laundry (see working 60-80 hours a week) and neither do my kids. Both dh and I work out most days so we have our regular clothes, work out clothes, kids clothes, towels and linens.

Your DH can do his own laundry notwithstanding the number of hours he works ( my DH does) and esp if he has time to work out. If his hours mean u guys are making bank, hire a full time housekeeper. If not, he needs to figure some other job out with less hours. You’re struggling bc he’s not pulling his weight around the house and you have zero expectations for him.

+1. My DH works full time, as do I. He’s in charge of all the laundry in our house. That’s how I know it doesn’t take much time to do. He’d never volunteer for a time consuming chore.

+2. My DH is in charge of loading/running/unloading the dishwasher. Yet another chore that can be done in minutes.

[Anonymous]

This is one of the reasons I decided to be childfree. I don’t dislike children per se, but I just don’t feel I have the capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would call myself a pretty high energy person - routinely work out, am up every day at 6:30am, work full time, etc.

But being a parent to 3 young kids is kicking my butt. I am exhausted. Between the mental load (laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning, doctor appointments, etc), enrichment for kids (sports, religion, etc) and school - I am so tired! How do low energy, introverted people do all of this?!?

I spend an hour a week on laundry, grocery shop 1x a week, kids eat breakfast & lunch at school, cleaning is outsourced, doctors’ visits are minimized. I sign kids up for aftercare enrichment at school so that I don’t need to shuttle them anywhere extra.

It sounds like you are high energy but also highly disorganized. Use some of your high energy to plan better.

DP but it actually sounds like you don’t do much parenting (or anything else, for that matter).

“I have so much energy after I pay other people to do all the things that would require me to expend energy!”

None of what I listed counts as “parenting”, DP. I save my energy to spend quality time with my kids, which is when parenting actually happens.

There it is! I submit that better parenting might be to minimize direct exposure to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would call myself a pretty high energy person - routinely work out, am up every day at 6:30am, work full time, etc.

But being a parent to 3 young kids is kicking my butt. I am exhausted. Between the mental load (laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning, doctor appointments, etc), enrichment for kids (sports, religion, etc) and school - I am so tired! How do low energy, introverted people do all of this?!?

I spend an hour a week on laundry, grocery shop 1x a week, kids eat breakfast & lunch at school, cleaning is outsourced, doctors’ visits are minimized. I sign kids up for aftercare enrichment at school so that I don’t need to shuttle them anywhere extra.

It sounds like you are high energy but also highly disorganized. Use some of your high energy to plan better.

DP but it actually sounds like you don’t do much parenting (or anything else, for that matter).

“I have so much energy after I pay other people to do all the things that would require me to expend energy!”

None of what I listed counts as “parenting”, DP. I save my energy to spend quality time with my kids, which is when parenting actually happens.

There it is! I submit that better parenting might be to minimize direct exposure to you.

Hmm. I submit that better parenting might be to minimize direct exposure to *you*.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would call myself a pretty high energy person - routinely work out, am up every day at 6:30am, work full time, etc.

But being a parent to 3 young kids is kicking my butt. I am exhausted. Between the mental load (laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning, doctor appointments, etc), enrichment for kids (sports, religion, etc) and school - I am so tired! How do low energy, introverted people do all of this?!?

I spend an hour a week on laundry, grocery shop 1x a week, kids eat breakfast & lunch at school, cleaning is outsourced, doctors’ visits are minimized. I sign kids up for aftercare enrichment at school so that I don’t need to shuttle them anywhere extra.

It sounds like you are high energy but also highly disorganized. Use some of your high energy to plan better.

DP but it actually sounds like you don’t do much parenting (or anything else, for that matter).

“I have so much energy after I pay other people to do all the things that would require me to expend energy!”

None of what I listed counts as “parenting”, DP. I save my energy to spend quality time with my kids, which is when parenting actually happens.

There it is! I submit that better parenting might be to minimize direct exposure to you.

Hmm. I submit that better parenting might be to minimize direct exposure to *you*.

Ooh chin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, come back and clarify why you do laundry every day. Basically everyone here thinks this is overkill.

I mean, do you do at least 7 loads of laundry per week? Whether you do all 7 on one day or one load per day, it's the same amount of laundry. I posted earlier what I thought some of OP's problems were, but laundry isn't one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - wow didn’t realize the laundry thing would be so decisive.

I do laundry every day because I would rather wash and fold and put away 1 or 2 loads a day than 5 or 6 twice a week.

DH doesn’t do his own laundry (see working 60-80 hours a week) and neither do my kids. Both dh and I work out most days so we have our regular clothes, work out clothes, kids clothes, towels and linens.

Why are you folding laundry? Just dump it into drawers or bins and call it a day.

Honestly it sounds like you deliberately make life harder for yourself. You don’t need to wash every piece of clothing after 1 wear. Buy a million pairs of underwear, socks, etc so you don’t run out, and can skip a laundry day. When it’s time for laundry, don’t waste time folding underwear and if you buy all the same type/color of socks, there’s no need to make matching pairs.

I'm not OP but what don't you people understand about how laundry works? If I buy one million pairs of socks, I may only have to do laundry once every one million days, but on that day I'm having to handle one million socks! I would much rather wash the socks every 10 days and have only 10 pairs of socks to worry about. Or do you people throw away socks when they're dirty?