People support burnt out single mom whose babysitter made her feel like a 'failure'

Parenting isn't particularly a cake walk and single parenting brings much more testing times where one needs to juggle multiple problems at once. Such was the case for a 26-year-old single mother, u/Consistent_Credit108 who shared on Reddit her struggles of balancing work, children and household responsibilities. Recently, her conversation with her son's babysitter dragged her down and made her feel extremely guilty for not making time for her kids. However, hundreds of people joined forces to offer the moral support she needed the most and she is grateful for it.

The single mom shared that she always ensured that her kids were well-fed, groomed and taken care of in daycare every day, all while she worked full-time, cooked and did the household chores too. "I have no time for myself and what little time I do I have I try to spend it with the kids. However, lately, I've been very worn down," she wrote. As she already feels mentally drained from a whole day at work where she often gets yelled at, the evenings become much more stressful when the kids seek her attention. "They're always asking me for things they know how to do on their own. Like getting a toy 2 inches from their hand. My daughter is always crying, you can look at her and she cries. It's like nails on a chalkboard," the burned-out mother said.

"My son has been asking for me to read to him a lot but by the time I sit down I'm so tired from my day I can't keep my eyes open," wrote the helpless mom. While her parents were not in a state to help her with the kids, the fathers of her son and daughter were too ignorant to lend a hand. The 26-year-old was hesitant to ask for help from other family members too. As things were already draining her out physically and mentally, she was heartbroken to hear her babysitter telling her about her son's wish. "My babysitter told me that my son wishes I would read more to him," she mentioned. "And my daughter, although she can't express it yet, how I know the disappointment she feels when I ask her to stop touching me and to give me some space."

"I feel like a failure to my kids," she worried and mentioned that she feels guilty for not cuddling or reading to her kids while also being overwhelmed by everything. She confessed to the community saying, "There's just not enough time in the day for everything and I know my kids are the ones suffering for it" and people backed her up not only with some advice but with appreciation as well.

"Could you get an audiobook version of a book he has and listen to it together? I know it's more of a time/exhaustion issue, but maybe that would be a lower effort way to fill his need," commented u/dogwoodandturquoise. "You are the furthest thing from a failure, you are a successful single parent. Your children are blessed to have you and they will know that their entire adult lives," reassured u/racemetoyourleader. "I don't know how close your kids are to being 3 and 5, but I have noticed as mine get closer to that age how much easier it gets. Hope it is the same for you," wrote u/tpain360.