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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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?!? [/quote]

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.[/quote]

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!”[/quote]

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.[/quote]

[b]Obviously my response was meant to be an exaggeration,[/b] but I do bristle at people who basically outsource their life crowing about how much more efficient they are at daily tasks than others.  It’s an utterly useless contribution to a discussion and it makes me wonder if the person making such comments even comprehends that they don’t get tired from keeping house and schlepping kids because… they don’t keep house and schlep kids.

And choosing not to put your kids in activities that would require any extra effort of yours is fine of course, but it is IMO a selfish motivation and therefore also not worthy of bragging about how much more efficient you are at parenting.  [/quote]

DP - no, it wasn't.  You just got busted for that BS comment and are backtracking.  Parents who use aftercare/afterschool activities don't parent?  What in the actual?

Running yourself ragged isn't something to brag about, PP.  Putting your kids in activities all over kingdom come isn't the pinnacle of parenting.  The OP doesn't *need* to keep house in her case - doing so is taking away from her energy to parent - and as a fellow parent of three, we need all we can get.  Stop dumping on people who use energy efficiently, i.e., prioritize being present with their kids over "keeping house" to some 1950s standard.[/quote]

Not backtracking.  You just don’t understand hyperbole.  Not my problem.

And again, “parent” however you want but you are essentially setting yourself up to be the “fun weekend dad” but pretending that you’re doing everything, and you’re just SO smart that you’re the first person who figured out that NOT doing stuff for your kids is easier than doing stuff for your kids.  (Because you need to save your energy to sit around at home at home with them at night and have long meaningful chats, I guess)

I am not the one who started with the criticism, so again, maybe stop pretending to be a superior parent when you’re basically only doing the fun and relaxing parts and paying other people to do all the hard stuff.  [/quote]

Try again.  I’m a mom of three who manages to work out daily, maintain a happy marriage and close friendships, meditate, and work FT.

Oh!  I also coach my kids’ (before school) sports two seasons a year, schlep them to club swim practice three times a week Sept - May, summer swim five times a week, time/volunteer at all their meets, read to them, listen to them, walk them to and from school.  I could go on.

Parents who put their own *needs* after their kids *wants* are missing what it means to parent well.  You can’t be there for your kids when you don’t care for yourself.  [/quote]

Your life sounds utterly exhausting! Not trying to be funny either. [/quote]

It’s not, at least not most of the time.  The stuff I listed doing for my kids I mostly truly enjoy.  I’m ruthless about prioritizing my actual needs and setting boundaries and that goes a long way.

The larger point is one other PPs made, which is that prioritizing your kids wants over your own needs isn’t healthy. It doesn’t do them any favors in the long run.  [/quote]

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