I feel like giving up
- Thread starter grace49
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- single parents vent
@calebandre And I honestly think thatās why heās acting out too. Iām stretched so thin. If they are both asking for something, obviously Iām going to tend to the baby first so she doesnāt take a tantrum. Itās been hard on the head
@grace49 Itās so draining. Myself and my 2 boys (9&5) just spent 3 weeks at home, because we all got COVID (thanks daycare!) and it was fucking rough. they finally went to their dads last night for the first time in a month. I sobbed when they left, because I havenāt had that much quiet in a month and it was exhausting.
Reserve yourself some time after they go to bed & set boundaries with them. let someone else watch them, take a couple hours while they person watches them (if you can) to do something for yourself. Mental health is such an important thing and I didnāt learn that until I became divorced 4 years ago.
Reserve yourself some time after they go to bed & set boundaries with them. let someone else watch them, take a couple hours while they person watches them (if you can) to do something for yourself. Mental health is such an important thing and I didnāt learn that until I became divorced 4 years ago.
so I let them relax in bed with their iPads. Usually that works out ok but the oldest had other plans with the translucent powder 
@grace49 Take things, one day at a time.. Every parent has at least one story like yours.
My youngest, the most Macgyver of them all, was really good at opening doors. Even with locks.
He would get up at night and get out of his bed super slow crawl around us and leave the room..
The scariest part of which he knew where to get knives and would use them to open boxes of juices or open snacks he wanted. He would move chairs and stack stuff to reach high places. He was truly a skillful toddler at 2.
The biggest, most expensive run he had.. was after we put manual locks on the doors that he couldn't reach or open.. Well, one night it was just me and him, as his mom had to pull a night shift at work.
Well, she had done her nails and had left her stuff in the room. He had never touched that stuff before, it never got his attention.. Bad mistake, that night.. he got into that stuff. Opened over 40 jars of glitter and nail acrylic powders and mixed them with some ketchup that I have no idea where he got from.. when I woke up to check on him.. he was like, hi, check this out. I could not believe my eyes and worst. Didn't know how to tell his mom.
Needless to say, she freaked out.. cause it was easily over $300 in nail stuff all gone to waste.
So, yeah.. kids can be so creative and mischievous.
My youngest, the most Macgyver of them all, was really good at opening doors. Even with locks.
He would get up at night and get out of his bed super slow crawl around us and leave the room..
The scariest part of which he knew where to get knives and would use them to open boxes of juices or open snacks he wanted. He would move chairs and stack stuff to reach high places. He was truly a skillful toddler at 2.
The biggest, most expensive run he had.. was after we put manual locks on the doors that he couldn't reach or open.. Well, one night it was just me and him, as his mom had to pull a night shift at work.
Well, she had done her nails and had left her stuff in the room. He had never touched that stuff before, it never got his attention.. Bad mistake, that night.. he got into that stuff. Opened over 40 jars of glitter and nail acrylic powders and mixed them with some ketchup that I have no idea where he got from.. when I woke up to check on him.. he was like, hi, check this out. I could not believe my eyes and worst. Didn't know how to tell his mom.
Needless to say, she freaked out.. cause it was easily over $300 in nail stuff all gone to waste.
So, yeah.. kids can be so creative and mischievous.
@mike331 Holy moly I couldnāt imagine! It was like walking on eggshells when my kids dad lived here so I couldnāt imagine you having to break the news that her nail items have been ruined. I guess in that situation itās good to be alone. I guess Iām tired of living one day at a time but it has to be that way... 
@grace49 Honestly, after the initial reaction.. His mom, and I both knew.. We could not leave anything to risk around him at night.
Luckily that phase was outgrown, not much later.. When his mom left, he was sleeping more through the night and didn't nap at much during the day anymore. So I didn't have to worry about that happening again. Lol.
Luckily that phase was outgrown, not much later.. When his mom left, he was sleeping more through the night and didn't nap at much during the day anymore. So I didn't have to worry about that happening again. Lol.
katrina2017
New member
@grace49 It gets easier when they get a little older. 24/7 single mom to 3 since 2014. They are 10, 12 and almost 16 now and all those years of pulling my own hair out and crying alone in frustration seem minuscule compared to the emotions I feel now while looking at my quickly growing young adult. Fishing is my favorite thing to do and I spent 6 summers in utter frustration whole constantly baiting hooks, taking off fish and untangling knots. I remember feeling (and trying not to show) angry because I never got to fish, I spent all my time teach them how to. Last year was the first summer we pulled up to the lake and everyone grabbed their poles and scattered, only came to find me to show me the fish they caught. I fished happily for a while but then I caught myself watching them, unsure of how many family fishing trips weāll have together. I took pictures and walked around to their designated spots so they could tell me about the big fish jumps. I know everyone tells you to enjoy them while theyre little and youāre so stressed you canāt hardly think about next week, much less 10 years from now... but Iād give anything, pay anything, go back to 2 jobs at once and still broke, of I could put one of my 2 yr old babies on my hip in the kitchen and dance and sing and hear that giggle and kiss that sweet little cheek. It felt like I had forever with the ups and downs, now I think I might spend forever wishing I had it back. My sons favorite color was purple when he was 2. We had purple handprints in paint all down the hallway to the bathroom 
kervinjacque
New member
@grace49 I can totally feel you. I had kids with me for four months without a break. Now they are with their dad for three days a week. They are getting to me in evening and I already stress about what they gonna tear apart. That's their favourite. I took all the things out from apartment already. It's like barely empty and there's still many things left they like to grab, plus the older two climb chairs and everything to get to things I hide from them. I can't have make up and things like that. They even started to grab my cards from my pocket. I'll lose important things.
I don't have solution for you (us). We have to be smarter than them.
I don't have solution for you (us). We have to be smarter than them.
@kervinjacque Itās funny, I smelled my perfume being sprayed so I went in and took a bunch of things off of my dresser so he couldnāt get them. I definitely missed the powder 
hiding things is driving me crazy because I sometimes forget where I put them when I go looking for them again 
hiding things is driving me crazy because I sometimes forget where I put them when I go looking for them again agnosticusmexicanus
New member
@grace49 oh man. youre not alone. just today i woke up to my 4yo covered in eyebrow makeup and stuffed animals with my makeup smeared all over them, and also soaking wet hidden under the couch when she realized makeup doesnt just come off with water. oh and makeup and dirt all over my white rug, dirt from watering her āplantā which is really just a pot of dirt that i had in limbo. so yeah. its hard!
@agnosticusmexicanus Oh my gosh I would be spiraling. I always joke with people that I wish they could make me a time machine so I could go into the future. That is definitely one of those times!
solent_mark
New member
@grace49 Iāve been feeling that way too. And Iāve only got one so I canāt imagine trying to keep up with two! Itās just burn out. Like how much more of this day in and day out can one possibly take. I donāt know the answer but I know it cycles and eventually things will feel lighter. Hang in there.
Also when stuff like that happens, venting is huge for me. Because when you tell the story at first youāre still irritated but if itās the right person you canāt help but laugh. Stuff like that is what still makes me laugh thinking about how ridiculous it was. I know it doesnāt feel funny in the moment but yea, memories lol.
Also when stuff like that happens, venting is huge for me. Because when you tell the story at first youāre still irritated but if itās the right person you canāt help but laugh. Stuff like that is what still makes me laugh thinking about how ridiculous it was. I know it doesnāt feel funny in the moment but yea, memories lol.