Hey Lemmy!
I’m a dad to a two year old boy. He’s very energetic and needs quite a bit of supervision. Other than that I couldn’t wish for a better son. I’d like to preface my actual question with saying I want to be a parent and I wouldn’t change that given the possibility.
The question is, does it get any easier? I have been stuck in a loop of wake up, take care of breakfast and other preparations, go to work, go back to parenting and maybe two hours of rest after the kid falls asleep. It feels like I don’t rest enough. I will however add that I’ve struggled with depression for the better part of a decade, I’m still pretty heavily medicated and in therapy. I’m much better than I was a few years ago, but the feeling of tiredness and lack of strength to be the best parent I can is at times getting the better of me.
I’m fully aware I put myself in this situation and I’m not sure I’d be happier with no kids. I guess I’m just looking for other people’s stories of when they were in similar situations or simply some words of encouragement.
Thanks.
Mine are teens now, here are a few pointers:
Let them help with the dishes/garbage/sweeping. I know they’ll make a bigger mess now, but in a few years they take well to chores.
When they start asking questions, always treat them with respect like they’re a smart person who’s missing a chunk of knowledge.
How you respond to falls and failures shapes their lives. When they fall, ask if they need help up. If they ask if it’s okay, say it’s going to be okay. When they mess up, ask if they can help you clean up without going into blame, other than discussing how to avoid that in the future.