The ‘I’m SOO exhausted’ cry

Okay, so you’re a parent. You may have one kid or you may have more. You are exhausted and just don’t feel like doing anything some days. But you do anyway, because if you don’t then everything will go down the toilet. The mess will get bigger. You will get overwhelmed. You may get short with your family. It is truly unreal how easy it is to just snap. It’s like a ferris wheel that keeps on going.

I’m in this state a lot more than I need to be. You get woken up at 5 a.m. by your three-year-old, get her back to sleep, only to find that you have to get up anyway to get your other kids ready for school and you’re still so freaking exhausted you want to cry. It is a vicious cycle. How do we allow these things to be the norm to only to feel burnout? I know for a fact it cannot be healthy by any means. We do all these things because we love our family and want what is best for them. However, we live in a fast paced society. We don’t slow down. We don’t breathe. It’s a perpetual cycle of stress and overwhelm on us parents, especially of parents with special needs children. I honestly do not know how I function each day sometimes. I am so tired by 8 p.m. that I want to just go to bed! That was not the case a few years ago. What is happening?

Here’s the thing though, we work through the exhaustion because we have to or else everything falls apart. I’ll say it again because it is worth repeating. WE LOVE OUR FAMILY AND WANT ALL THE BEST FOR THEM. But what we can do to avoid burnout and this exhaustion is to simply do one thing at a time and rest as much as we need to. Write out a daily ‘to do’ list and make it simple enough to accomplish it. Our bodies need it. Our mental state needs it. The piles of endless laundry, dishes, mess, and so forth, will always be there. Time won’t. It goes by way too fast and if you allow it, you miss out on a lot of nice times with your family.

As a mom of three kids, I used to do a lot of things around the house at night after they went to bed. However, I found that it was actually making my mental state worse because I didn’t reserve any time for myself to do something I wanted to do. I just did things that I ‘needed’ to do. The stress built up over time and I started to be cranky and not someone to be around. It took a family member to point out that I was being a b****. I immediately changed the way I was doing things. I started to give myself time at night after kids went to bed. It helped immensely. Also, sometimes, I give my daughter an iPad during the day, so I can get some time to do a few things around the house. Listen, the whole ipad thing, it’s a lifesaver. I use it when I need it and aren’t ashamed to tell you. No, it’s not good for kids to be on ipads all day, I know all this. But seriously, if someone hasn’t walked in my shoes, they cannot possibly judge. They have no idea.

The thing that I love the most (sarcasm) is when someone who does not have kids or has minimal responsibilities, tells you they’re sooooo tired. You know the people I’m referring to. And yes, they very well may be. No judgment there. However, no one truly knows the amount of s*** we as parents go through every single minute of every single day. Yes, it’s what we chose. We chose to be parents. We chose the love that these souls provide for us. We knew what we were getting into. Having worked many jobs throughout my life, I must say that being a parent is by far the toughest, but also the most rewarding. With that said, it just frustrates me when someone complains about things that are seriously not even that big a deal half the time. This may sound harsh but some people really just need to get over themselves.

Rant over 🙂

Much love to you all and friends. Let me know in the comments below if you can relate. No one will ever understand what you are going through unless they have walked in your shoes. It’s okay to be tired and have all the feelings. Rest up as much as you can. Talk soon.

~ Agnieszka