'Dear husband, I need more help' - mum's painful plea to her other half
"I'm telling you how much I need you, and if I keep going at the pace I've been on, I will break. And that would hurt you, the kids, and our family" ?
We know raising kids can be tough - and if you're doing it on your own (or even if you just feel like you're doing it on your own), it can be doubly so ?
So, for some mums out there, this recent Facebook post, from Celeste Erlach (aka the Ultimate Mum Challenge), will really ring true.
Celeste, who's mum to a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, has written an open letter to her husband, requesting just a bit more help.
Read it for yourself, and let us know what you think...
Celeste's post in full
"Dear Husband. I. Need. More. Help.
"Last night was hard for you. I asked you to watch the baby so I could go to bed early. The baby was crying. Wailing, really. I could hear him from upstairs and my stomach knotted from the sound, wondering if I should come down there and relieve you or just shut the door so I could get some desperately needed sleep. I chose the latter.
'I wanted to scream at you'
"You came into the room 20 minutes later, with the baby still frantically crying. You placed the baby in the bassinet and gently pushed the bassinet just a few inches closer to my side of the bed, a clear gesture that you were done watching him.
"I wanted to scream at you. I wanted to launch an epic fight that very moment. I had been watching the baby and the toddler all damn day. I was going to be waking up with the baby to feed him all damn night. The least you could do is hold him for a couple of hours in the evening to I can attempt to sleep.
"Just a few hours of precious sleep. Is that too much to ask?
"I know we both watched our parents fulfil the typical mother-father roles growing up. Both our mothers were the primary caretakers and our fathers were relatively hands off. They were excellent dads, but they weren't expected to spend a significant amount of time changing diapers, feeding, caring, and tending to the kids.
"Our mothers were the superwomen who maintained the family dynamics. Cooking, cleaning, and raising the children. Any help from dad was welcome, but unexpected.
"I see us falling into these family dynamics more and more each day. My responsibility to feed the family, keep the house clean, and take care of the kids is assumed, even as I return to work. I blame myself for most of it too. I have set the precedent that I can do it. And in truth I want to.
"No offence, but I'm not sure I want to know what a week's worth of dinner would look like with you in charge.
"I also see my friends and other moms doing it all, and doing it well. I know you see it, too. If they can manage it, and if our mothers did it so well for us, why can't I? I don't know.
'Maybe... I'm just not as qualified for the job as everyone else'
"Maybe our friends are playing the part in public and secretly struggling. Maybe our moms suffered in silence for years and now, thirty years later, they simply don't remember how hard it really was.
"Or maybe, and this is something I berate myself over every single day, I'm just not as qualified for the job as everyone else. And as much as I cringe just thinking it, I'm going to say it: I need more help.
"Part of me feels like a failure for even asking. I mean, you do help. You are an amazing father, and you do a great job with the kids. And besides, this should come easy to me, right? Motherly instincts, no?
"But I'm human, and I'm running on five hours of sleep and tired as hell. I need you.
'I need you'
"In the morning, I need you to get our toddler ready so I can care for the baby and make everyone's lunches and drink a cup of coffee. And no, getting the toddler ready does not mean plopping him in front of the TV. It means making sure he went potty, giving him some breakfast, seeing if he wants water, and packing his bag for school.
"At night, I need an hour to decompress in bed knowing our toddler is asleep in his room and the baby is in your care. I know it's hard to listen to the baby cry. Believe me, I know. But if I can watch and pacify the baby for the majority of the day, you can do it for an hour or two at night. Please. I need you.
"On weekends, I need more breaks. Times where I can get out of the house by myself and feel like an individual. Even if it's just a walk around the block or a trip to the grocery store.
"And some days when I've scheduled swim class and play dates, and it seems like I've got it all under control, I need you to offer to lend me a hand. Or suggest I go lay down during the kids' naptime. Or start putting away the dishes without me suggesting it. I need you.
'It's assumed I'll be home all the time and always available to care for the kids while you're out'
"Lastly, I need to hear you're grateful for all I do. I want to know that you notice the laundry is done and a nice dinner has been prepared. I want to know you appreciate that I breastfeed at all hours and pump when I'm at work when it would be easier for me to formula feed.
"I hope you notice that I never ask you to stay home from your networking events and sport activities. As the mom, it's assumed I'll be home all the time and always available to care for the kids while you're out and I feed that assumption by, well, being home all the time.
"I know it's not how our parents did it, and I hate even asking. I wish I could do it all and make it look effortless. And I wish I didn't need kudos for doing things most people expect from a mom.
"But I'm waving a white flag and admitting I'm only human. I'm telling you how much I need you, and if I keep going at the pace I've been on, I will break. And that would hurt you, the kids, and our family.
"Because, let's face it: you need me, too."
?
The response
The post has certainly struck a chord with parents, getting shared nearly 4,500 times and generating 7,500 reactions.
One mum said: "I could have written this.? My husband is an amazing father and partner, but yes, sometimes I do need that extra help. A pat on the back. A nap. A thank you. An hour of alone time. Why do I still feel bad then when I ask?"
Another wrote: "Yes!!! I feel just like this and it puts so much strain (among other things) on our marriage."
And finally this, from one mum who went through it and came out the other side: "After we had our first child, this was us. I could have written this myself.
"But that first year was all fighting and arguing. He saw that I did it all, and even though he worked his ass off, eventually my husband just got it.
"He started helping more, and now that baby #2 is here, I don't even have to ask him anymore. He just helps. I cook, he does dishes, takes care of the toddler when he's home, takes care of the dogs...
"I don't really notice it anymore but after reading this, I guess I just didn't realise how lucky I am. I wish more husbands would step up. Right now I'm feeling grateful for what I've got.
? "
We know not everyone will be able to relate to this, though...
Have your say
Does Celeste's post feel familiar to you? Or does it leave you feeling lucky that you have a partner who doesn't view it as 'helping' out - and just gets on with things?
Tell us in the comments below or over on Facebook
Image: Celeste Erlach on Facebook
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Authors
Tara is mum to 1 daughter, Bodhi Rae, and has worked as Content Editor and Social Media Producer at MadeForMums since 2015
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