r/parentsofmultiples • u/beeznthetrap • 8h ago
ranting & venting I hate who I’ve become since I became a parent to twins…
The babies are 5.5 months old (4.5 adjusted) and my oldest is 4. The oldest has always been a handful, but since adding in our twins, the constantly being outnumbered, the demand, the attention, the stimulation, the nonstop crying/fussing/whining from all 3 (literally someone is usually upset), the overwhelming anxiety, etc.
I snapped today over a string cheese. I had the day from hell taking care of one twin that’s had an ear infection. I had to take off work the last 2 days (dad doesn’t have any to take), and I’ve been getting bombarded with emails from work, so I’ve got that on my mind. My sick twin would not let me out of his sight today. Then, it was just one thing after another. A blowout. I forgot the carseat, and I was out of time to leave to pick up my oldest from school, so he rode illegally in the car with a seatbelt (we only live 8 minutes away), and I literally went in my nightgown. Then, I had to go back to the house to change, put in the car seat, and feed my sick twin who had refused to eat big bottles all day because he finally decided he was hungry, all before we could all load up again and go get my girl twin at daycare. Then, come home, and more work and screaming and crying.
So, when my son interrupted me headed to the garage to put his carseat in, asking if I could open his string cheese (he’s fully capable), I literally just screamed and grabbed my head before I could catch myself. Not at him, in response to yet another demand on my burnt-out person. I feel terrible. This is not who I am. I’m tired of being tired. I’m tired of raising my voice and not being able to handle the fussing and crying and whining. It grates on my nerves and causes anxiety like no other. My husband feels the same way. We are struggling. All 3 of them cannot be happy for long. Someone is always fussing.
I take Lexapro 20mg, and I have for years. I’ve tried other anxiety/depression meds with no luck (Prozac and Wellbutrin). At this point, I’m wondering if I should speak up about the rage this anxiety and stress gives me. I just feel hopeless - like who am I? I am not the kind of person who tells their kid if they don’t stop what I’ve asked him to stop doing with his toy for the 5th time now, I will stomp his toy to pieces. That is not me, and yet, those words came out of my mouth.
I don’t know how we keep going. It is misery. I don’t like the rage, the frustration, the exhaustion. I didn’t ask for this. I don’t know why this is what I was given, if I can’t even do it without morphing into a person I can’t even stand to look at.