I love my kids, I just hate parenting
I like spending time with my wife, without the kids.
Going out for a romantic dinner or even a boozy lunch, enjoying each other’s company and pretending life is as it was before you became parents, or became roommates, or became contractually obligated to run out the string, is a critical part of a healthy relationship.
But I hate date night.
The Buried clan spent the last week in Turks and Caicos! (Visit my Instagram page to hear me rub it in your face.)
We had a great trip, made lots of memories, spent way too much money, and got home in one piece. Despite the two flights that book-ended the excursion.
All things considered, the two four-hour flights went pretty well. The Hammer slept (mostly) the whole time, Detective Munch behaved (mostly) the whole time. I didn’t give out any goody bags in a passive-aggressive attempt to stand up for all parents who get hassled on planes. And I didn’t deprive my five-year-old of technology in an attempt to see how long I could go without getting punched.
I did change a blowout at 35,000 feet, which I’m pretty disgusted by/proud of. And that wasn’t even one of the ten best things about flying with children!
Read more about The Best Things About Flying with Children …
Last week, I wrote about the sleep deprivation, the loss of both quantity and quality of sleep, that comes with being a parent.
Even after sleep training, even when they’re older, your sleep schedule gets shredded.
Today, I thought I’d share a timeline of the typical night in the Buried household, from when we put Detective Munch down to bed and from when he gets us up the next morning.
Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy night.
You may have noticed that “being tired” is a recurring theme on my blog, because my blog is about parenting, and being tired is one of parenting‘s recurring themes. Yay kids!
I knew – we all knew – that being tired was part of the deal before I had my first kid, and it’s not the tiredness that bugs me. No, my problem isn’t that I’m exhausted, or my constant sleep deprivation; I knew my quantity of sleep would suffer. It’s the quality of sleep I miss the most!
Two kids deep, the little sleep I do get has become a battleground. Every night, there’s a five-year-old in my bed, keeping me awake for no discernible reason, and a baby in my bed, keeping me awake just because he doesn’t want to starve to death!
Together, the little leeches have stolen my sanctuary from me.
When you have kids, being tired becomes a way of life. A defining characteristic. Part of your personality.
Everyone gets tired as they get older, but when children are part of the equation, recovering lost energy is a lot more difficult. The idea of being able to catch up on sleep is a silly enough myth to begin with, but when you’re a parent desperate for an energy boost, it’s the straight-up Holy Grail.
So is it true? Are parents doomed to be forever tired? Or is there hope?