I'm to young for this

[DMcD]

I just turned 24. I'm the mother of three small children and raising six kids total. DH has been gone 12 weeks and counting. BM has seen her kids only 15 days of those 12 weeks. I'm stuck at home cleaning house, doing dishes, folding laundry. If I'm not doing that, I'm taking kids to doctors, attending school conferences, arranging playdates. All of my friends are going out, having fun. Here I am, waiting for the cookies to finish baking and listening for the dryer to buzz so I can fold the seventh load of laundry I have done today.

I may seem older to many of you. I'm only 24. I listen to Limp Bizkit and Blink-182. I have hip-hugger jeans and a Nine Inch Nails tee-shirt.

My schedule is booked. I desperately wanted to take a few classes at the community college less than a mile away from my house, but without the support of DH, I would just end up having to drop the classes. Most young adults my age are just finishing their degree and wondering what they want to do with their lives. I already know. I will be a mother for the next 17 years. It is a choice I have made and a job I wouldn't trade for anything in the world, but there are times that I long to be my age. To act my age.

God forbid I go out to a bar and get drunk with my friends. Who would watch my kids? How would I take care of them when I got home? Not that that's something I am dying to do, but it is one thing that I certainly can't do. Linkin Park is coming to town. I would give my right arm to go but I have to buy diapers and pay the mortgage and the insurance. Concert tickets are NOT in the budget.

I like who I am. I love my family. My kids and skids are great. I just sometimes wish I had different responsibilities. Not fewer, just different. I sometimes wish that instead of worrying about how often the kids take baths or if they are getting enough vegitables in their diets that I was stressing over midterms or budgeting how to pay for next semesters books. I sometimes wish I was the kid still and not the mom.

Someday (soon, I hope) I will find a balance somewhere in between. Until then, I just try to be a good mother and SM. Maybe once DH gets home, I can take those classes and he can take care of the kids while I'm in class.

[Forthelittleones]

Our local college has a drop in FREE day care for students - well actually mothers, they wont help DH - but thats another story.  See if your local college has something like that -

If I remember correctly- your DH is off TDY for training - is there a military base near by with a child care center?  Any mothers day out programs, or church based programs that offer drop in care?


Is there a mom in the area who you could trade duties with to get some you time?

And yes, I thought you were older, like 30's but this is all just an interent thing and we could all be any age!  

Take care of you and everyone else will be better including yourself!

[DMcD]

They have a nursery at the college, but it is strange how it works. Parents have to volunteer as many hours per week as the kids stay and they are so backed up, kids stay on the lists for several semesters sometimes. I could try to get the kids in there, but if I took 8 hours of classes per week, that would make my total school commitment 16 hours per week and I really wouldn't have the time for that. I'm stretched as thin as one person can be.

Both the air bases nearby have closed. One still houses a BX and Commisary and the other houses the VA hospital. Those are the only military run facilities left on the bases. The rest of both have been turned into private business offices. The next closest base would be about 40 miles from our town.

A lot of people had promised to help me with the kids before DH left. But even my SIL has flaked when it comes to the kids. She is always too tired and when she does tell me she will take the kids, I'll try to call her when she doesn't show up and her cell phone will be turned off. I'll get a call several hours later with her telling me that she fell asleep. This has happened about 6 times already. I don't ask her to watch the kids that often anyway. She doesn't supervise them at all, so I come home to a house that has been destroyed by my boys who had no limits and no discipline. Add my SIL's girls (who don't have any limits at any time) into the mix and you would think someone loosed a heard of wild pigs in my house. It takes me 3 times the length of time I was actually gone to clean the mess that was made. My other friend has been trying to help, but her DH just went out for his annual training and he will be gone for several weeks. I have painfully few non-internet friends. I don't get out of the house much.

So, I have thought through the majority of options and right now, I can't see a viable way of taking classes this semester. I also work a part-time job in the evenings for DH's atty, just to help make ends meet. I have lost 15 lbs since DH left. That may not seem like much, but that leaves me weighing in at a meager 95 lbs. I'm making myself sick. I shouldn't take on any more until after he gets home.

Thanks for the support. Sometimes this is a very lonely house, despite the number of occupants.

[wendl]

Hey D
By anychance do they have a program to subsized daycare costs in your area, that may be an option, or even online classes.

Also you really need to put AT least one day or night aside for YOU and only YOU maybe go to a movie, get your nails done whatever but its important. I try to do it, lol some times it doesnt always work that way.

Keep up the good work and EAT.

(((((hugs)))))

[DMcD]

There is a childcare program like that. I have been referred to them by WIC, but I haven't heard anything yet. They should be contacting me soon, but I will probably be put on a waiting list. I'll be on the waiting list and hope that I will get an available spot in time for summer classes to begin. They only cover work and school time, though. I wouldn't be able to go to the movies and have the childcare program pay the babysitter. I have actually considered dropping my kids off with the local crisis nursery and letting my skids stay home for a few hours. I'm worried that if I take the kids there, they call CPS. I really don't want to do that, but it would be a way to get out of the house for a while.

I eat. DH asks if I eat. It has nothing to do with the amount that I eat. I eat as much as I always did. I think it's the stress. All I know is that I can't wait for DH to get home so that I can take a few days for me, myself and I.

[wendl]

keep your chin up D, it will work out in the end.  Hopefully they will approve daycare for you for school that is what I had to do when I was 20 single and going to school.  Good luck with that.

I would take your kids if you didnt live so far :).

I know how it is with eating I lost 20lbs due to stress & I am little to begin with too.

[DMcD]

I know you'd take them, Wen. My kids are my life and I feel like an awful mom for feeling so discontented with my life. SD takes on such a huge responsibility with my kids and it's not fair. She usually volunteers, but I still don't think that it's right for her to have to do so much. She should be taking her driver's ed classes and studying the DMV manuals. I really feel like I have been barely holding things together up until now and it's all ready to come unraveled. I am not in control of the house or the kids and give them only what I can give. It's not much considering all the work that has to be done both in and out of the house. What I need is someone to come in and really help. My sister and SIL end up making more to do when they come over to "help". My mom is still MIA. Even if she weren't, I don't think I'd want her and my dad around. That would just fray my nerves even more. I'm bitching and complaining, I know. And if wishes were horses... (as the old Mother Goose rhyme goes). Maybe I'll get abducted by UFO's. LOL

[oneandonly]

Just some input here--you are doing a wonderul job and do not doubt yourself for one minute! None of what you are doing (raising your children, raising the skids, etc..)comes with a "manual"-you do the best you can.
Personally, I'd hold off on the college class thing if this is for credit or future career move--added stress.
There's no reason to not delegate more responsibilities to the children---for their own things and for the good of the family. There were 6 of us in our home and each and every one of us pitched in regardless.....if you should, God forbid, get sick or something, they would have to help, right? My mom came down the pneumonia right after she had the last babies-twins (I remember doc coming to house!) and the 3 oldest boys were responsible for cooking, cleaning, laundry, and their homework, etc......didnt hurt them one bit (dad worked 12 hour days).
Oh, and  no such thing as allowance for us either--we just did our chores.
We also never had babysitters---but, after our chores were done (summer time, weekends), mom always took us somewhere. Now of course, we knew how to behave and watch out for each other..and it was always some place free.....but I think that was my mom's way of "getting away" without really "getting away"--know what I mean? ANd, with the added incentive of a trip or whatever, we always got our chores done. She did this with 14, 13, 8, 3 and 1 yr old twins to travel with....I remember "cleaning" my own room up at 3 or 4.....
I do remember, on occasion, one neighbor lady watching us---with her kids too--and then my mom would do the same for her once in awhile....is that an option for you?
Stop being so hard and demanding of yourself~
*come back to chat soon too*

[DMcD]

Thanks for your support. I'm in a catch-22 situation here. The kids were taken from BM for multiple reasons, but one of the reasons was that SD was raising my SS's. She would cook and clean and help with homework and BM wouldn't do any of those things. Now, I know that I would be doing all of those things, too, but I can't help but see the parallels in the two situations. BM also made a lot of noise about SD becoming the household's "built in babysitter". Again, we assured everyone that wasn't going to be the case. I certainly don't want to make that the reality. She has her own issues to contend with. YSS and SD both have moderate to severe depression, but I can't treat it because BM won't agree to have them placed on anti-depressants. So, I have to just try to make their lives as consistent and routine as possible to make sure their depression doesn't worsen. OSS is very angry at the whole dad having to leave just after he moves here situation. He can rationalize the issues, but even though he understands, the hurt and anger is still there.

Three kids with emotional issues, three kids with severe academic problems, three kids with years of untreated medical and psychiatric issues added to three small children who demand my attention at every waking moment, I sometimes feel that there is nothing I can do to take care of everyone. I may be too hard on myself, but the truth is, all six of the kids deserve more than what I am able to provide to them right now.

Everyone has to make choices in their lives. I make choices for these kids every day, good or bad. Sometimes I screw up, sometimes I do the right things, but I have this weight on my shoulders that six children rely on me for just about everything. Six lives are counting on me to figure out how to make this group of people live as a family. Talk about stress.

[wendl]

D--
Dont be so hard on yourself. so what if the house gets messy (lol mine gets bad with only 1 kids full time and 2 skd on weekends)

Have the kids help fold laundry and do little things to help you out, that wont make if feel like you are making then raise eachother or themselves.

Growing up I had  2 sisters, 2 stepbrothers and a stepsister, we each had chores, dishes etc, this helped my parents out a lot even.  Maybe you can do a chore list for each child then as a reward you can make a trip to the local park or something that doesnt cost money.  I know in our area on the weekends they have a free petting zoo at the local park.

Try and set a time aside for homework time that way you have a little peace, maybe they could all sit around the table while you care cooking then if they needs help they can ask, who knows maybe the older ones can help the little ones, this way they are being mentors and you would be right there to supervise.

Just a couple of ideas.  

When does dh get back.

HUGS TO YOU