Mama’s Mental Health & Homeschooling

Hi I’m a SAHM with a 9 month old and a 5 year old. My daughter is meant to start kindergarten this year and I would like to homeschool, but I’m worried about my mental health and not being able to be the mom that I want to be if I never get a break from her and I’m just with the kids 24/7. My husband works two jobs to support us and that allows me to stay home. I already feel like I’m struggling to manage the house and the kids and I’m worried that taking on more with trying to homeschool. Anyone else?

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Same but different circumstances. Our 4.5 yr old twins start kinder next August. Age 4 has been SOOOOOOOO difficult. I'm a SAHM and work from home, too.
I'm already overwhelmed with both of them but hope by next year they will have chilled some.
I also have severe ADHD and have been struggling to get going in the morning since both kids still wake in the night.
It's exhausting.

Homeschooling can take less time than you think! My daughter completed our kindergarten curriculum right before turning 5, and we only spent an hour or so a day really sitting down doing school. She now reads at a 2nd grade level and she’s just 5 1/2! I have a 1.5 year old too, and we just do school when he’s napping generally. If I need a break, I just have her read while I read for half an hour, or watch a movie while her brother naps so I can decompress. Including kids in the house chores helps too, when cleaning up toys and washing dishes become a game the house gets cleaned while the kids are being entertained at the same time! I know it can feel overwhelming but it’s been so worth it to have the freedom and flexibility that homeschooling provides!

Definitely agree with - I found our family’s mental health (both mine and the kids) improved with homeschooling! It’s not a classroom where your kiddos have to sit still and “suffer through” lessons. It’s building a lifelong love of learning, “living life together.”

I always have a quiet time built into our homeschool just after lunch, when my older kiddos can play quietly and I either nap with the baby or do quiet time on my own. Little brain breaks are literally built throughout the day, so both my kids and I have times of chatter, times of fun, times of quiet, etc.

This blog post may also help: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/teaching-methods-finland-homeschooling/

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Resentment and placing blame on partner

Firstly, please don’t judge me - I’m aware all my thoughts aren’t rational and I do already feel badly about them

I’m finding myself becoming easily frustrated, annoyed, and placing a lot of blame on my partner for many things. Now I’d get it if he was rubbish but he’s not - he has the baby straight away when he gets home from work, he lets me get ready and shower before he goes to work, he pitches in with the chores and gives me any time I ask for off. He doesn’t go out loads either.

I do a lot of the mental labour - realising we need more of and purchasing clothes, milk, groceries, deciding dinner, cooking, cleaning, thinking about what baby needs, etc.

However I just find myself annoyed and blaming him for so many things I find difficult. I know this isn’t fair, but it’s almost like I’m angry that he’s finding it easy and I’m not. Angry if I’ve just got the baby to sleep and he doesn’t think and closes doors to loudly. Angry when he doesn’t dress baby warm enough, or when he puts him in a car seat with a coat on. When he forgets a blanket or doesn’t wash his hands and plays with him. When hes snoring and I’ve just got the baby to drift off.

We have had many conversations and he has tried to take loads off me but it never feels like enough for me to stop being annoyed with him.

Am I experiencing some sort of post partum mental health issues? I find myself upset and crying a lot. any advice would help.

Nursery lunches?

My daughter is nearly 10 months old and starting nursery next month. I want to send my daughter in with lunches so I know shes eating healthy meals but I'm honestly so lost as to what to put in her little bento lunch box that will keep till lunch time and doesnt need reheating. Ive been doing loads of baby led weaning at home, but I tend to make it fresh or pull stuff from the freezer I've previously made and defrost and reheat.
Could you show me some of the lunches you've been giving your baby? Or have you been been letting the nursery deal with the food?

Parenting 24/7 is harder than going to work full time?

I’m having a debate with my partner as he’s done nothing to help since. Our 14 month old was born, I’ve done it all alone all day and all night. He gets a break when he comes in from work all night I never get a break
He try’s to tell me it’s harder going to work full time 5 days a week than parenting ALONE 24/7?
What do you think

What would u do? What should i do

So to try to explain this in the best way possible I have a very small apartment.
I opened my back door which leads directly to the laundry room of the building. Lately, I started bringing my son in the laundry room with me because he bangs on the door and tries to get out.

Today I opened the door to get my stuff out of the dryer. I saw I guess my neighbor putting stuff in the washer. It’s a very tight space so I closed the door and was planning on going back after he leave instead of crowding up the space with the baby. Plus I was in shorts and had no bra on, it was an older man.

I latched my door with the dead lock as I usually do so that I do not get locked out and I just left it that way without thinking about it.

I turned my back walk maybe about 5-7steps. My apartment is barely 15 steps front to back.
Turn around. Realize my baby is GONE he’s only 16 months!

I start yelling for him. I approach the door and I hear my son laughing…
The man had opened my door to lure my son in the laundry room with him without me knowing!!!!!!!

They were playing 🤯

He was there for no more then 20-30 seconds if that. It happened so fast, he doesn’t speak good English he’s polish
My door usually slams loud when closed, so this was done quietly…..

When I discovered that the man was with my son, I was trying to simply take my kid back in the house, but he continued on playing and I was yelling at my son that he shouldn’t be wondering without me.

No, first off I know for a fact, my son did not open the door number one. It’s very heavy and number two. He doesn’t know how to open doors yet.

And I asked the man straight out did my son open the door and he said no I did.

My son could get the door to open maybe an inch, I know that. So he must have done that and the man just decided to open it and bring my son with him.

I’m so outraged. Annoyed, uncomfortable. I live alone just me and my son.

What do I do?

I don’t know if he is maybe a visitor, I see his car sometimes but usually it’s another person who looks like him with a different car. Maybe my neighbors dad is my best bet.

Anyway. What should I do? Should I bring this to management. Should I approach my neighbor and figure out exactly who that was?

Thanks ladies wish me luck

Partner is giving me the silent treatment

So I was struggling with my postpartum anxiety bad yesterday. My partner and I was out for drinks with family. He kept making jokes about treating me a bit shit.
Which no one thought was funny. I am usually quite patient about him using me as his jokes, but yesterday it hurt.

When we got home I told him it made me feel disrespected. Now he is giving me the cold fat shoulder?! What do I do ?

FTM

Hello,
FTM here. At what age do you stop applying cream on nappy area during nappy changes? My 2 year old boy isn’t toilet ready yet but uses both nappy pants/pull ups and regular diapers