~*UKFF's Children Thread*~

[SuperBacon]

 

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

It's true.

Thirded, 100% what Mums do all day is harder than any job out there. The biggest thing my wife missed and got tiny bit jealous was actually me just getting to talk to other adults during the day.

 

I have the utmost respect for what she went through day in day out with both my girls, bless her.

[SpursRiot2012]

Yeah, but how do you know? You're out all day at work. For all you know, it's easy. She just mushes her hair and drips some food on herself before you get home so she can keep the charade (and the life of luxury) going.

[wandshogun09]

It can be hard. It depends a lot on the kid/kids though, I guess. I used to look after my oldest nephew a lot when he was a toddler and he was piss easy to look after. He's always been proper chilled out even when he was in that 2-5 year old age when they're into absolutely everything.

 

But my daughter can be a right handful. She's 2 and a half now, I love her to death but she's a little fucking terror. My wife has her all day when I'm at work and when I get home she's more exhausted than I am after a 9 hour shift. The only days I'm with her all day are Saturday and Sunday and she runs me ragged as well. She's non-stop. I've got a younger nephew who was just like her as well.

 

I'd actually love to be a stay at home dad though. I hate leaving my daughter in the mornings and I've missed her first steps and her saying words for the first time and all kinds of stuff. As hard work as it can be, I'd rather be at home with her than anywhere else.

 

 

That's my girl Keira now. Can't believe how quick the last 2 and a half years have gone.

Edited July 14, 2016 by wandshogun09

[Surf Digby]

My other half went back to college and I had our daughter during the day and worked evenings and weekends. As long as you have in your mind that it's a good thing, then it is.

 

Babies cry. That's what they do. They're not doing it because you're doing a bad job or because you've done something wrong.

 

Keep 'em fed. Keep 'em clean. Keep 'em engaged. That's it. A lot of new parents buy into this idea that it's really hard and so go in with the expectation that they're not going to cope.

 

I loved it.

[Onyx2]

 

 

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

It's true.

That's what parents say, for sure. But I've always felt they're exaggerating. "Just wait until you're a parent, then you'll understand." I can see it being difficult before they reach school age but then you are rid of them for a large portion of the day.

Yes but on purpose you have just skipped the difficult years. The first two in particular are mentally stressful. I'm glad Diggers had a good time but who better than Digby?

 

There's a constant cycle of keeping them satisfied which can drive people mad. Assuming you are looking after them and trying to do household chores at the same time. From feeding to entertaining to cleaning to cooking to shopping... And this is all assuming you got a fantastic night's sleep and aren't going insane from the lack of adult conversation.

 

Apart from the aforementioned wrench of leaving them in the morning, plodding to an office to sit at a desk all day (massively generalising) is a cakewalk.

[hallicks]

My oldest is two and three quarters now, and with wife just finishing up pregnancy, I've been looking after her on the weekends for the last few months while wife rested up. It's bloody hard work, to say the least. Physically and emotionally draining. Not because she's a whining terrible twos-er (although that's part of it), but as Onyx said, it's that constant cycle of keeping them happy, entertained, fed, watered and clean whilst trying to keep on top of all the chores, laundry, shopping, cleaning. Most people hate Monday's but I find them less stressful than the weekend. And I never have to watch Peppa Pig at work either.

[carolann]

Yeah - being a stay at home parent is awesome.  My little ones are 5 and 2.  The 5 year old is constant questions, she knows a ton of swear words (mostly learned form me) and will only eat pasta, cheese and jam sandwiches.  The two year old likes to take his nappy off as soon as he has done a poop.  He will literally hide from me to do it. He also refuses to talk.  He can - he talks to other relatives, just not to me. 

 

I can go weeks without talking to any adult other than my husband, because my OH works he gets to lay in til 8am because he needs his rest for work.  Unless I can force him out of bed early I either have to shower with my kids (who get me up at 6am), or skip showers. If im not super quick off the mark, my 2 year old will accompany me to the toilet too.  He's helpful, he will pass me toilet roll. Lots of it. 

 

I used to do project management, have a social circle, go out, now i know most of the words to most of the Wiggles songs, and carry a military grade bag of wipes, nappies, bags, creams, ointments, child friendly cutlery and toys.  I am a hard core ninja that can walk - unfearing and oblivious to the sea of lego blocks, mega blocks, stickle bricks and bits of train track that are scattered about the house - regardless of how often I tidy.  I know 5 different songs about the phonetic alphabet and can simultaneously carry a baby, cook a curry and supervise arts & crafts (which is kid speak for glueing sparkly shit to everything). 

 

Anyone who says stay at home parenting is easy either doesnt have kids, has some kind of weird kid that at no point has a melt down, needs to eat, sleep, go to the toilet or move, or is just being a bag of dicks.  

 

I havent had more than 5 hours of consecutive sleep since 2014.

 

 

Edited July 15, 2016 by carolann

[carolann]

Karma - in the time it took to type that, my son emptied a large can of instant coffee into the carpet, and then rubbed it in. 

[Onyx2]

More power to yer elbow, carolann. But isn't it so worth it when they're cute like that photo? Gorgeous.

[carolann]

Absolutely, they're brilliant and silly and loud and irritate the fuck out of my perfect in laws and their genius kids in their pristine white houses.

 

But I'd still love a coffee.

[PunkStep]

That's a great post there carolann! Can relate to it massively. My youngest is now 4 but 2 weeks after he was born my wife had to go into hospital for an operation, which kept her in for a fortnight. Wasn't easy, especially with his older sister (2 at the time) to look after both on my own. That was only a fortnight but that made me appreciate just how hard it is to be a stay at home parent. The 'it's a full time job' claims are not wrong.

[Onyx2]

I just remembered this great answer on Quora from the other week.

[Chest Rockwell]

It does seem like one on its own is pretty easy to manage, and shit only really gets out of control with two or more.

 

I wouldn't fucking know though.

[deathrey]

I have no children either but up until recently I was very involved in raising my niece (8 years old) and nephew (5 years old). It does depend on the child as my niece was a brilliant baby (rarely cried, slept well, even put herself to sleep) but it was chaos once my nephew came along, and has been ever since. He is wonderful - funny, smart, cute - but managing him and his sister together is really tiring work. Whilst she is still really good, it's double the work with everything and then they fight over the stupidest shit and all hell breaks loose....

[lambyUK]

Anyone who tells you 'yeah, having 2 isn't double the work' are absolutely talking out of their arse.

I have 2 boys, the eldest being 2 (and a few months) and the youngest is now 6 months old. I'm absolutely exhausted and I work an easy job.

 

To echo the above, I have so much respect for stay home parents as I see how exhausted my wife is every night. We don't have parents locally so it's all on her. She's also breast feeding which makes it so difficult for her to keep up with a 2 year old and for other parents who have or have had children go through that age will testify, it's a fucking testing period too.

 

Having children though is the most rewarding thing that's ever happened to me. It's brought a purpose to my life that I never knew existed.

 

You just look at children and they are just so innocent though. My wife was in tears this morning watching the news regarding the horrendous attacks in Nice as my 2 year old was sat there happily pointing out the ambulances and police cars, blissfully unaware of the evil in the world that I fear awaits him as he grows up. Whilst the news was terribly upsetting, it was that combined with the innocent look on our son's face that set her off.

Edited July 15, 2016 by lambyUK