Having 0 Hours Of Free Time

2026-07-19

Both of our kids are going through something. Our oldest is currently dropping his nap and so sometimes he doesn’t sleep at school. If he doesn’t sleep then he is very tired at bed time, but also if he does nap then he is extra awake even at 9 or 10PM at night. Also our youngest is almost two years old and he no longer wants to fall asleep by himself, he wants an adult in the room. And he will stand up and cry / scream until he gets it. So even right now I am typing this while sitting in his room.

And I know in my head that these are both temporary things.

But it means that on some nights I get no free time. And during some mornings I get no free time. Hence the title of 0 hours of free time.

My day will sometimes look like this:

• Wake up to a screaming child
• Hurriedly make breakfast
• Clean make coffee for myself and Sneha, pack lunches for children
• Play with kids
• Work for about 8 hours with a small lunch tucked in there
• Pick up children
• Make dinner, or watch kids while Sneha makes dinner
• Play with kids
• Give kids bath
• Read books to kids, brush their teeth, etc.
• Wait in the room with my youngest
• Be dead tired, go to sleep

And that is how I get 0 hours of free time.

And honestly it has gotten better since last week, last week was very rough. This week (the last 3 days I think) our youngest is at least sleeping through the night and getting up past 6:30 so I am getting 1 or 2 hours of free time a day.

Also I dont feel that sorry for me, it is annoying but again I know it is temporary and it is also kind of what I signed up for when having two kids. I need to adjust my own expectations. After having one kid I realized that having kids translates to much less free time, but with two kids that just continues. And I know it will be worth it.

I am pretty tired right now, so I am going to go to sleep.

-Gary