Getting Too Old For This?

[Brooksie]

ME TOO!!!! I'm exhausted all weekend... and I'm only 24!!

[Cradle2crayons]

I've worked daycare the last 23 days. One of the drawbacks to contracted care. Right now, one of my moms is working two jobs. And her days off the other mom works. So every single day for the last 23 days I've had daycare kids.

I do have most mornings off though because I do afternoon care. So, I don't have them awake 8-10 hours a day so I do get a little down time,


But .Whew? Sometimes I think I'm too old for this too

[Unregistered]

I'm 63 and have been doing this for 27 years. I have another job - part-time PR specialist for a non-profit - I volunteer for several community organizations, maintain a vegetable garden and extensive flower gardens - and I'm an artist and published poet. What keeps me from exhaustion I think is that being around the kids' energy tends to energize me (or make me hyper!) and my husband does most of the household chores! If ever he can't do the grocery shopping or vacuuming or dishes, though, I don't seem to be able to make it through the week!

[Luna]

I'm 63 and have been doing this for 27 years. I have another job - part-time PR specialist for a non-profit - I volunteer for several community organizations, maintain a vegetable garden and extensive flower gardens - and I'm an artist and published poet. What keeps me from exhaustion I think is that being around the kids' energy tends to energize me (or make me hyper!) and my husband does most of the household chores! If ever he can't do the grocery shopping or vacuuming or dishes, though, I don't seem to be able to make it through the week!

I believe this is possibly the most important factor - having support and someone else to help carry the load of day to day chores. It's just too much feeling like you're responsible for it all.

I also feel like there is always one child in my group who sucks the life out of me...if that child is out for the day it makes all the difference in the world.

I wonder if the extracurricular activities actually help rather than drain a person? Spending free time doing something active and fulfilling that we are interested in...something we want to do instead of something we must do might be the difference.

It looks like age doesn't really make a difference since we have such a wide range of people all feeling exhausted.

[Neekie]

Me! I'm 60 and I'm worn out on weekends. I always have a weekend list was long as my arm. I never seem to get caught up anymore.

Oh, I am so excited to find someone else on this board who is my age. I am also 60 and am still doing child care and still loving it. But when the weekend comes around I am completely exhausted. I spend all day on Saturday recuperating and then by Sunday I am ready to go again. But I also have Rheumatoid arthritis and that doesn't help any.

[Neekie]

I'm 63 and have been doing this for 27 years. I have another job - part-time PR specialist for a non-profit - I volunteer for several community organizations, maintain a vegetable garden and extensive flower gardens - and I'm an artist and published poet. What keeps me from exhaustion I think is that being around the kids' energy tends to energize me (or make me hyper!) and my husband does most of the household chores! If ever he can't do the grocery shopping or vacuuming or dishes, though, I don't seem to be able to make it through the week!

I am 60 and can't believe that I am not the oldest one posting on these boards. LOL You are way more active than I am. I don't think I could ever keep up to you. My husband helps a lot, too. I don't know what I would ever do without him.

[providerandmomof4]

It comes and goes for me. This past weekend I could not get motivated, but I could not enjoy my own children either... I felt like every time I sat down to relax, one of my kids needed something and it was making me crazy. All week long I take care of kids and then on the weekend my own kids and grandbaby would not let me relax. My grown children are a big part of this as they both are still at home and both act like little kids at times...They need rides, they need money, they want to dominate the family areas, and their friends are there too! They will not help out around the house. (but that's a whole nother story) Sorry...just venting...Then I felt guilty for feeling this way. It's like the dc wipes me out and some weekends..... I feel like I have nothing left for my own family. What keeps me going is I know these feelings will pass.
Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it and then things ease up for me and I begin to regain my energy and passion for the things I care about.