from a (constantly) tired Dad
Hi all,
I wanted to share something in this group that I've been experiencing lately to seek advice from you all. I'm a 42-year-old father of two. My older kid is three and a half years old, and my younger kid is six months old.
I see my time with the young kids as a sugar cube. I see hot water getting poured over this cube every day, and the cube is dissolving in my hands. I'm not savoring the moment because I'm too tired, too stressed about money, or too worried about my own health to be present with them.
I try to get up at 5:00 AM to do work in the quiet hours of the early morning before the kids are up, so that when they wake up around 7:00, I can be with them and be present until it's time to go to school and work. But I hit the snooze button more than I'd like to admit. I'm just exhausted.
Later in the morning, when my kids are awake and I'm with them, I'm not present. I obviously experience guilt for not being present or energetic, or for being too worried about work.
Has anyone experienced this? I assume someone is. So instead of just asking if anyone is living through this, I'd like to know what you guys are doing about it. How do you recover your energy? How do you feel the way you were before you had kids? How do you stay awake to actually enjoy being with them and feel like a good dad?