lovethyneighbourasthyself
New member
I'm 37 and my husband is 36. My husband is a wonderful and attentive father...when he's home. Which is approximately 6 months of the year (4 week rotations - gone 4 weeks, home 4 weeks). I work part time during our winter slow season and full time over the summer. Our 2 year old daughter has been in full time daycare since September and is finally coming out of the sick 24/7 stage.
I'm not going to lie, working full-time once we hit week 3 and 4 of him being gone are HARD, especially when she gets sick and I'm up all night with no relief. My parents are wonderful and helpful (but are also getting older). I would take at least 12 months of maternity leave so I wouldn't be working with the newborn.
My husband and I have always wanted two kids. I like the family dynamic and how you will have different things in common with each child at different stages of their life. We also only have a small extended family, that is very spread out, so my daughter only has 2 cousins that are a 4 hour plane ride away. There is no one else close by so I do worry about the lack of a sibling (even if there are no guarantees they will get along.).
So, my question is: solo parents, what's it like with two vs 1 short-term and long-term?
I had a hard pregnancy and a colicky baby so I'm dreading the newborn stage. But I know that's not forever, if I could be handed a 1 or 2 year old when she turns 3 I would do it in a heartbeat, but what am I really signing up for as a solo parent?
Do you just survive the first few years for long term gain? What's it like with a baby and a toddler as a solo parent? What's it like long term with a 3 and 6 year old and 6 and 9 year old? I know it's not comparable to a single mom because I get a break once my husband comes home.
My daughter and I have a great life together. She is my sidekick and is now a very loving and mostly mild mannered two year old but can still get very clingy, especially if she's not feeling well, which is obviously to be expected. It makes me wonder, how do you balance the needs of the baby and the toddler when they both get sick overnight if you can't tag team it with a partner?.
I'm not going to lie, working full-time once we hit week 3 and 4 of him being gone are HARD, especially when she gets sick and I'm up all night with no relief. My parents are wonderful and helpful (but are also getting older). I would take at least 12 months of maternity leave so I wouldn't be working with the newborn.
My husband and I have always wanted two kids. I like the family dynamic and how you will have different things in common with each child at different stages of their life. We also only have a small extended family, that is very spread out, so my daughter only has 2 cousins that are a 4 hour plane ride away. There is no one else close by so I do worry about the lack of a sibling (even if there are no guarantees they will get along.).
So, my question is: solo parents, what's it like with two vs 1 short-term and long-term?
I had a hard pregnancy and a colicky baby so I'm dreading the newborn stage. But I know that's not forever, if I could be handed a 1 or 2 year old when she turns 3 I would do it in a heartbeat, but what am I really signing up for as a solo parent?
Do you just survive the first few years for long term gain? What's it like with a baby and a toddler as a solo parent? What's it like long term with a 3 and 6 year old and 6 and 9 year old? I know it's not comparable to a single mom because I get a break once my husband comes home.
My daughter and I have a great life together. She is my sidekick and is now a very loving and mostly mild mannered two year old but can still get very clingy, especially if she's not feeling well, which is obviously to be expected. It makes me wonder, how do you balance the needs of the baby and the toddler when they both get sick overnight if you can't tag team it with a partner?.