Burning Out

[Sprouts]

I'm starting to get those doubts as to why I am doing this again, I am almost complete with my first year with doing daycare and love being home (most of the time) but I noticed 4 is my limit, i lost one kid that would have helped to pay my assistant to be here (who is recently becoming more and more unreliable) , so when I have all four it's like no rest time (2 infants and 2 preschool) so nap times are opposite. My husband is another pain in my side cuz I feel like he doesn't understand , and on top of that I am pregnant so I am tired! And everyone seems to be getting on my nerves. I guess this is a vent and cry for help or advice or words of encouragement . thank u ladies for reading this

[My4SunshineGirlsNY]

I go through the burnt out feeling a lot...Mostly when I hit my PMS phase, I don't like feeling like that but I do.

I do remember what it was like having to be at my job out of the home, it certainly was less stressful, but I felt like I was missing everything at home and had a lot less freedom to get my kids to the Dr. or running them things to the school or even going to the store. I am limited in the summer time with these things, but during the school year I only have 1 preschool child.

The kids you have make all the difference, I have had some really naughty kids in the past which made my days nightmares...honestly I don't know how I held in there with some of them. I have a good group right now but still do get the irritated feeling ever now and then.

If you can afford it, I would downsize a bit, I am running smaller than I used to and it feels well more manageable. Hang in there, it is tough but worth it to be with your own kids.

[jen2651]

I have been doing this only about 2 years and I find if I get in a 'funk' doing something out of the ordinary helps me revive my love. I rearrange, switch out toys, do a different type of meal (made Chinese food!), or have a pajama day. I recently had to term a child for lots of reasons (really poor behavior, called his mom the b word at my house while she laughed, crazy mom - brought Lindor truffles and a Milky way bar for him for breakfast even though I provide it) but after that I realized again how much fun my kids were! I was just spending so much time internally dreading my struggles with him I was unable to focus on the fun group I really did have. Not saying you should term a child, but I am betting all the focus you have to give to your assistant, either during actual face to face time or thinking about her during off time is really weighing you down.

I am not saying people don't get burned out, but I think if we work hard to eliminate the negatives, the positives come through and we truly remember what we love!

[cheerfuldom]

Its important to focus on what you can change instead of just on what you cant. Do you HAVE to keep all the current kids? Is there anyway to adjust schedules so you get some down time during the day? Is your assistant still with you? Can you hire a better one to help out, at least until the end of the pregnancy, even one morning a week for a few hours? is there anyone local that you can talk to to help resolve a few things with your hubby? are you getting enough rest and time out of the house after daycare hours?

I will say that I really sympathize with you. I am going thru my 4th pregnancy and its not easy when you have little ones to care for, or if your husband is not very sympathetic, or if you have kids that are not all on the same schedule....been thru all of those things.

[Sprouts]

Well my husband works evening shift, so basically when all of the kids leave, its like the 2nd part of my day begins, and I am by myself. I only watch 2 other children besided my 2, and they are great...my son is the one who requires a lot of attention and hes a mamas boy. I cant totally put my husband down, he does help me with our children, but not everyday. I do need more time for myself and just to get out of the house. I am planning on getting another back up assistant, but its so hard to find someone I can trust especially when I do have the baby and I cant be down stairs the whole time (my child care is down stairs and I live upstairs). My mother in law is very helpful but she doesn't understand what Montessori is and what it is to have kids put things back where they belong, and most importantly ORDER ..i rather pay someone and tell them what I need then deal with my mother in law overbearing and messiness

[SunshineMama]

I thought I was on the verge of giving up and going back to the office. I termed the kid who kept getting me and everyone else sick, and have been much happier. He was my earliest arrival and latest departure, and the youngest, at 17 months. Since he has been gone, life has improved 100%. I even find myself posting here less and less because I am not having many issues with anything really. My advice is to lose your worst client. I lost the $700 a month in income, but it was so worth it.

[SilverSabre25]

I thought I was on the verge of giving up and going back to the office. I termed the kid who kept getting me and everyone else sick, and have been much happier. He was my earliest arrival and latest departure, and the youngest, at 17 months. Since he has been gone, life has improved 100%. I even find myself posting here less and less because I am not having many issues with anything really. My advice is to lose your worst client. I lost the $700 a month in income, but it was so worth it.

I did the same thing...cleaned up the issues and need to post less. I still do because I still have a few things that are driving me batty (see the baby fight thread, ), but it's less.

[dave4him]

I feel those moments of wanting to give up too, wishing it was back to just me and my own three little ones. But i just think of this whole thing as a season toward something greater. And the time i can spend with them all is worth the hard days