OMG, this is so hard and exhausting!

[Anonymous]

* Sure this will get flamed but... Give the kids a bath a night and have them sleep in their clothes for the next day.
* Make lunches for the whole week or buy ready-made lunches (lunchable) or buy from the school.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to daily life for the vast majority of working parents who've been dealing with this stuff all along without a full time nanny. I honestly thought I was going to open this thread and offer words of comfort to a new mom who is struggling with her newborn, not the mother of a K and toddler who can't figure out how to get the kids ready for school.

[Anonymous]

Wow, some of you women are beyond ugly. What angry lives you must lead.

[Anonymous]

What about a mother’s helper to come a few hours a night during the pickup/kids dinner/bath/witching hour? They could meet you at your house, help with stuff for the next day, read to the K while you bathe the baby, help get the kids dinner on the table, etc. You could probably hire even a younger teen for this since you’d be in the house and could give them very specific directions. Even for like 2 hours a night, you’d have extra hands and might take a load off your plate.

[Anonymous]

Outsource what you can.

-Amazon Fresh or Instacart for groceries.
-Amazon subscribe and save for stuff you always need - diapers/wipes/etc. There was a point that I only bought perishables at the grocery store. Anything packaged was ordered online.
-If you are not too tired, late-night grocery runs after the kids are in bed.
-Put a load of clothes in the wash in the morning when you wake up, and put them in the dryer when you get home.
-K'er needs to just buy lunch, OR you need to super simplify. Yumboxes helped me tremendously with this. Seems simple, but...they work.
-Lunch for your 16 mo can be leftovers from last night's dinner.
-I would let my 16 mo sleep in daycare clothes, but not my K'er.
-Your 5 year old should be able to get fully dressed alone. If not, work hard on it. When my kids were learning, I layered the clothes in reverse order. As in, pants on bottom, t-shirt on top of the pants, socks and underwear on top of that.
-Do whatever you can the night before.
-Simplify. Your kid doesn't need lunches that can't be refrigerated the night before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1.5 to 2 hours daily is not doable.

OP here. It has to be doable for awhile. It’s important to both our careers and not forever.

This is our life as well. Except for the half a month he’s out of the country each month (or longer) that I do solo. It is what it is. Take a day off now and again, you can’t give from empty cup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is my second week of daycare for my 16 month old and aftercare for my kindergartener after having a full time nanny. DH has to leave by six in the morning so it’s just me getting the kids up, fed, dressed and all their stuff packed for school and daycare. I do as much as I can the night before and kindergartener can do everything herself but so slowly. Once I get everyone to school, I arrive at work looking like I’ve been through a war and exhausted.

Pick up is easier but I’m so worried that I’m going to be late. Once we get home it’s dinner, bath, bed and then we have to clean out their lunch boxes and make food for their long days.

Last two weekends are nothing but getting everything done for the week. Our nanny used to do all the kids laundry and their meal prep/grocery shopping as well as picking up their rooms and family room. Now it’s up to us and we’ve run out of milk twice already and had to do a midnight run to get lunch supplies.

Please tell me it gets easier.

Wow. I’m sorry you have to adult now. Sounds like any other household. Maybe ask nanny for her shopping schedule and put that stuff on auto order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is my second week of daycare for my 16 month old and aftercare for my kindergartener after having a full time nanny. DH has to leave by six in the morning so it’s just me getting the kids up, fed, dressed and all their stuff packed for school and daycare. I do as much as I can the night before and kindergartener can do everything herself but so slowly. Once I get everyone to school, I arrive at work looking like I’ve been through a war and exhausted.

Pick up is easier but I’m so worried that I’m going to be late. Once we get home it’s dinner, bath, bed and then we have to clean out their lunch boxes and make food for their long days.

Last two weekends are nothing but getting everything done for the week. Our nanny used to do all the kids laundry and their meal prep/grocery shopping as well as picking up their rooms and family room. Now it’s up to us and we’ve run out of milk twice already and had to do a midnight run to get lunch supplies.

Please tell me it gets easier.

Wow. I’m sorry you have to adult now. Sounds like any other household. Maybe ask nanny for her shopping schedule and put that stuff on auto order.

You are truly pathetic, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is my second week of daycare for my 16 month old and aftercare for my kindergartener after having a full time nanny. DH has to leave by six in the morning so it’s just me getting the kids up, fed, dressed and all their stuff packed for school and daycare. I do as much as I can the night before and kindergartener can do everything herself but so slowly. Once I get everyone to school, I arrive at work looking like I’ve been through a war and exhausted.

Pick up is easier but I’m so worried that I’m going to be late. Once we get home it’s dinner, bath, bed and then we have to clean out their lunch boxes and make food for their long days.

Last two weekends are nothing but getting everything done for the week. Our nanny used to do all the kids laundry and their meal prep/grocery shopping as well as picking up their rooms and family room. Now it’s up to us and we’ve run out of milk twice already and had to do a midnight run to get lunch supplies.

Please tell me it gets easier.

The first couple weeks with anything regarding little kids is tough.

Yes, it does get easier. You and DH will work out the best, fastest way to do stuff and the kids will get used to the new routines as well.

Don’t listen to the DCUM martyrs - they are pathetic. I promise you it gets easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is my second week of daycare for my 16 month old and aftercare for my kindergartener after having a full time nanny. DH has to leave by six in the morning so it’s just me getting the kids up, fed, dressed and all their stuff packed for school and daycare. I do as much as I can the night before and kindergartener can do everything herself but so slowly. Once I get everyone to school, I arrive at work looking like I’ve been through a war and exhausted.

Pick up is easier but I’m so worried that I’m going to be late. Once we get home it’s dinner, bath, bed and then we have to clean out their lunch boxes and make food for their long days.

Last two weekends are nothing but getting everything done for the week. Our nanny used to do all the kids laundry and their meal prep/grocery shopping as well as picking up their rooms and family room. Now it’s up to us and we’ve run out of milk twice already and had to do a midnight run to get lunch supplies.

Please tell me it gets easier.

The first couple weeks with anything regarding little kids is tough.

Yes, it does get easier. You and DH will work out the best, fastest way to do stuff and the kids will get used to the new routines as well.

Don’t listen to the DCUM martyrs - they are pathetic. I promise you it gets easier.

“Martyr” ,“pathetic” = anyone who has a different experience than you...or less money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is my second week of daycare for my 16 month old and aftercare for my kindergartener after having a full time nanny. DH has to leave by six in the morning so it’s just me getting the kids up, fed, dressed and all their stuff packed for school and daycare. I do as much as I can the night before and kindergartener can do everything herself but so slowly. Once I get everyone to school, I arrive at work looking like I’ve been through a war and exhausted.

Pick up is easier but I’m so worried that I’m going to be late. Once we get home it’s dinner, bath, bed and then we have to clean out their lunch boxes and make food for their long days.

Last two weekends are nothing but getting everything done for the week. Our nanny used to do all the kids laundry and their meal prep/grocery shopping as well as picking up their rooms and family room. Now it’s up to us and we’ve run out of milk twice already and had to do a midnight run to get lunch supplies.

Please tell me it gets easier.

The first couple weeks with anything regarding little kids is tough.

Yes, it does get easier. You and DH will work out the best, fastest way to do stuff and the kids will get used to the new routines as well.

Don’t listen to the DCUM martyrs - they are pathetic. I promise you it gets easier.

“Martyr” ,“pathetic” = anyone who has a different experience than you...or less money.

The pathetic martyrs are those trashing OP and her husband for just expressing her feelings. If you can’t see this in reading the posts, then you are simply stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is my second week of daycare for my 16 month old and aftercare for my kindergartener after having a full time nanny. DH has to leave by six in the morning so it’s just me getting the kids up, fed, dressed and all their stuff packed for school and daycare. I do as much as I can the night before and kindergartener can do everything herself but so slowly. Once I get everyone to school, I arrive at work looking like I’ve been through a war and exhausted.

Pick up is easier but I’m so worried that I’m going to be late. Once we get home it’s dinner, bath, bed and then we have to clean out their lunch boxes and make food for their long days.

Last two weekends are nothing but getting everything done for the week. Our nanny used to do all the kids laundry and their meal prep/grocery shopping as well as picking up their rooms and family room. Now it’s up to us and we’ve run out of milk twice already and had to do a midnight run to get lunch supplies.

Please tell me it gets easier.

The first couple weeks with anything regarding little kids is tough.

Yes, it does get easier. You and DH will work out the best, fastest way to do stuff and the kids will get used to the new routines as well.

Don’t listen to the DCUM martyrs - they are pathetic. I promise you it gets easier.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is my second week of daycare for my 16 month old and aftercare for my kindergartener after having a full time nanny. DH has to leave by six in the morning so it’s just me getting the kids up, fed, dressed and all their stuff packed for school and daycare. I do as much as I can the night before and kindergartener can do everything herself but so slowly. Once I get everyone to school, I arrive at work looking like I’ve been through a war and exhausted.

Pick up is easier but I’m so worried that I’m going to be late. Once we get home it’s dinner, bath, bed and then we have to clean out their lunch boxes and make food for their long days.

Last two weekends are nothing but getting everything done for the week. Our nanny used to do all the kids laundry and their meal prep/grocery shopping as well as picking up their rooms and family room. Now it’s up to us and we’ve run out of milk twice already and had to do a midnight run to get lunch supplies.

Please tell me it gets easier.

The first couple weeks with anything regarding little kids is tough.

Yes, it does get easier. You and DH will work out the best, fastest way to do stuff and the kids will get used to the new routines as well.

Don’t listen to the DCUM martyrs - they are pathetic. I promise you it gets easier.

“Martyr” ,“pathetic” = anyone who has a different experience than you...or less money.

The pathetic martyrs are those trashing OP and her husband for just expressing her feelings. If you can’t see this in reading the posts, then you are simply stupid.

You’re kind of a bully. No one is trashing this family. If anything they have gotten helpful suggestions.
Parenting is really hard. Everyone knows that. Why don’t you go have a snack and step away from the Internet?

[Anonymous]

Could you sell your house and move closer to your jobs OP? That would alleviate some the stress of a three to four hour daily commute for your hubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is my second week of daycare for my 16 month old and aftercare for my kindergartener after having a full time nanny. DH has to leave by six in the morning so it’s just me getting the kids up, fed, dressed and all their stuff packed for school and daycare. I do as much as I can the night before and kindergartener can do everything herself but so slowly. Once I get everyone to school, I arrive at work looking like I’ve been through a war and exhausted.

Pick up is easier but I’m so worried that I’m going to be late. Once we get home it’s dinner, bath, bed and then we have to clean out their lunch boxes and make food for their long days.

Last two weekends are nothing but getting everything done for the week. Our nanny used to do all the kids laundry and their meal prep/grocery shopping as well as picking up their rooms and family room. Now it’s up to us and we’ve run out of milk twice already and had to do a midnight run to get lunch supplies.

Please tell me it gets easier.

The first couple weeks with anything regarding little kids is tough.

Yes, it does get easier. You and DH will work out the best, fastest way to do stuff and the kids will get used to the new routines as well.

Don’t listen to the DCUM martyrs - they are pathetic. I promise you it gets easier.

“Martyr” ,“pathetic” = anyone who has a different experience than you...or less money.

The pathetic martyrs are those trashing OP and her husband for just expressing her feelings. If you can’t see this in reading the posts, then you are simply stupid.

You’re kind of a bully. No one is trashing this family. If anything they have gotten helpful suggestions.
Parenting is really hard. Everyone knows that. Why don’t you go have a snack and step away from the Internet?

Oh, Sweetie, either you have reading comprehension issues or your definition of “trashing” means actual murder.

You need the snack, Sweetie, and a good long look in the mirror.