Like many parents, we seem to be on a constant conveyor belt of ‘doing’ – doing work/doing household chores/doing kidstuff/doing more domestic stuff – that leaves us always exhausted. Mix this in with interrupted sleep patterns for five years and it’s no wonder we’re part of the ‘tired-all-the-time-lets-complain-about-it’ generation.
I don’t know about you but lately I have been totally fed up of feeling this way partly I think because my tiredness comes, not from the exhilaration of an exciting life, but from domestic drudgery. So it was interesting to interview a counsellor at the weekend for a piece I am writing on parenthood. She is the mother of four kids, works, juggles her childcare and yet says she is not tired all the time.
Her secret is not a posse of ‘help’ but the fact she is (1) more laid back about her home life than me and (2) more determined to not only have some me-time but use it for more than sofa surfing. As I talked to her I realised I am so keen to keep on top of the laundry/chores/shopping/and not let it topple onto me, that I spend a lot of my day and evening racing around ensuring it’s all out of the way before I have a sit down. Needless to say by then, sitting down is all I can do.
As the counsellor said, ‘Would the world end if you left it for a few days? Would it be so awful if your house was a bit untidy?’ My first thought was to say actually yes, but in reality it wouldn’t bother my kids or my husband and it would mean I would have a lot more time to do something I love like a gym class, or read a book or watch a film. Of course, I would probably still end up tired but it would be a tiredness worth having.
So what are your thoughts on being tired? Aside from sleep and a week at a spa, let me know what might help you to feel less tired and fed up? How Tired Are You?
I’m tired, are you tired? If you lived in our house, this would be a very popular daily conversation, or rather competition. My husband and I start our day with this refrain and usually end it this way as well.
Like many parents, we seem to be on a constant conveyor belt of ‘doing’ – doing work/doing household chores/doing kidstuff/doing more domestic stuff – that leaves us always exhausted. Mix this in with interrupted sleep patterns for five years and it’s no wonder we’re part of the ‘tired-all-the-time-lets-complain-about-it’ generation.
I don’t know about you but lately I have been totally fed up of feeling this way partly I think because my tiredness comes, not from the exhilaration of an exciting life, but from domestic drudgery. So it was interesting to interview a counsellor at the weekend for a piece I am writing on parenthood. She is the mother of four kids, works, juggles her childcare and yet says she is not tired all the time.
Her secret is not a posse of ‘help’ but the fact she is (1) more laid back about her home life than me and (2) more determined to not only have some me-time but use it for more than sofa surfing. As I talked to her I realised I am so keen to keep on top of the laundry/chores/shopping/and not let it topple onto me, that I spend a lot of my day and evening racing around ensuring it’s all out of the way before I have a sit down. Needless to say by then, sitting down is all I can do.
As the counsellor said, ‘Would the world end if you left it for a few days? Would it be so awful if your house was a bit untidy?’ My first thought was to say actually yes, but in reality it wouldn’t bother my kids or my husband and it would mean I would have a lot more time to do something I love like a gym class, or read a book or watch a film. Of course, I would probably still end up tired but it would be a tiredness worth having.
So what are your thoughts on being tired? Aside from sleep and a week at a spa, let me know what might help you to feel less tired and fed up?
Like many parents, we seem to be on a constant conveyor belt of ‘doing’ – doing work/doing household chores/doing kidstuff/doing more domestic stuff – that leaves us always exhausted. Mix this in with interrupted sleep patterns for five years and it’s no wonder we’re part of the ‘tired-all-the-time-lets-complain-about-it’ generation.
I don’t know about you but lately I have been totally fed up of feeling this way partly I think because my tiredness comes, not from the exhilaration of an exciting life, but from domestic drudgery. So it was interesting to interview a counsellor at the weekend for a piece I am writing on parenthood. She is the mother of four kids, works, juggles her childcare and yet says she is not tired all the time.
Her secret is not a posse of ‘help’ but the fact she is (1) more laid back about her home life than me and (2) more determined to not only have some me-time but use it for more than sofa surfing. As I talked to her I realised I am so keen to keep on top of the laundry/chores/shopping/and not let it topple onto me, that I spend a lot of my day and evening racing around ensuring it’s all out of the way before I have a sit down. Needless to say by then, sitting down is all I can do.
As the counsellor said, ‘Would the world end if you left it for a few days? Would it be so awful if your house was a bit untidy?’ My first thought was to say actually yes, but in reality it wouldn’t bother my kids or my husband and it would mean I would have a lot more time to do something I love like a gym class, or read a book or watch a film. Of course, I would probably still end up tired but it would be a tiredness worth having.
So what are your thoughts on being tired? Aside from sleep and a week at a spa, let me know what might help you to feel less tired and fed up?