Are expectations too high?… or am I failing?
It feels like I’m just doing a poor job and I’m fully convinced that the mothers of young children who appear to have it all together either have help outside the home, don’t really care enough or have children that nap for hours and sleep amazingly. I’m a stay at home mom to a 4yo boy and a 10mo boy.
Im not going to say who has the expectation (whether it’s my husband or me) because Id rather not hear opinions surrounding my marriage. Im just looking for insight from other moms on how they manage similar things.
- no dishes in the sink before dinner (meaning dishwasher is empty and dishes from breakfast and lunch get washed as they are used) leaving a clean sink for dinner prep and etc
- eating out only once a month, so we cook and eat at home every day. we also try to stick to whole ingredient, so nothing boxed or ready made frozen.
- boys are bathed daily in the summer, every other day in the winter
- I shower, get dressed and make myself look presentable daily (not always makeup, but clean dry hair etc)
- one load of laundry from start to finish daily so it doesn’t pile up
- some toys on the floor are fine but clean floors and no clutter before bed (so clean up after the kids go to sleep)
- I’m also in online school full time so I do that after they sleep
- 1-3 hours outside daily to get the kids energy out
- be interested in sex 1to2 times a week
- be open to hosting family over the weekend even with a few days notice
- take time while my husband is at work to relax as well (15-30 minutes of just sitting while the kids play)
now some issues
- my kids don’t sleep. Like 10mo wakes up almost every 30 minutes after I put him down until 11pm. so I put him down at 7, and he wakes up at 7:30/8/8:30 etc. 10mo also only naps for like 30 minutes at a time. 4yo fights sleep every single night despite having a good routine and no Screen time, like literally will scream and throw toys etc the second we say it’s bedtime.
- I feel like I have no time for myself, any tine The kids are asleep it’s still full of things I need to do