How do you parent ?

[Icantsleep]

I have 3 and 1 year old daughters

I struggle to take care of myself
I really really really try
I even really try to be a father

Since moving back in with my family after requiring a week away from them, I have not slept more than 2 hours in a night
My sleep conditions are otherwise pretty ideal .

I was finally in a deep sleep early this morning when I woke up to screaming kids

Originally we built an inlaw suite for my inlaws who claimed they would help us with the kids , but they had other priorities, and are long gone

I seem to need a new occupant in my inlaw suite who will help with the girls, or I just may simply not be able to share the same roof with them

How do people with severe rls live with and take care of their children, while not slowly killing themselves in the process ??

[Polar Bear]

I didn't parent with small children. My RLS struck when my child was 7 years old.

However, due to circumstances, I was raising him virtually as a single parent. It wasn't easy. Actually single handed may have been easier, I was also looking after a husband with a serious chronic illness who was unable to function properly.

I worked part time, most of the time at my desk was spent standing. I often had only 4 or 5 hours' sleep, sometimes none. My (ex) husband was ill most of the time and unable to engage. I took it from day to day and often from hour to hour. At the time my priority was my child. When I was needing to walk because of symptoms, we went to the park etc.

If school was on vacation and I was working I took my child to work with me (husband did not engage) and provided envelopes and the company stamp and so a full box of envelopes would get the company stamp on the reverse.

You do sound frustrated at being woken by your children and I'm sorry this is so difficult for you.
Can you sleep in the 'in-law suite'.

There is no easy pathway, no easy solution. I had no choice but to get up and on with it.
And to try as hard as possible to maintain as much positivity as possible so my child had as normal a life as possible.

How did I parent a 7 year old (and upwards).... with great difficulty.

[badnights]

If I had had this issue when I had kids at home, they would have turned out much different, I am sure. I don't know how I could have raised them.
A nanny in the in-law suite would be great. Lower wage in return for accommodation - might work.

[debbluebird]

If you are financially able, get a nanny in exchange for room and board with a small salary. I was lucky, my RLS had not started yet. Also my Daughter slept well. On the weekends I taught her to get her own breakfast. She was 3 yrs old. I had a cup of milk in the fridge. The cereal was already poured into a bowl on the table. In those days I needed a lot of sleep. So I was able to sleep in. I must have had sleep apnea in those days since I needed so much sleep. 10 to 12 hours. I know my legs moved during sleep, so maybe I wasn't sleeping as much as I thought I was.

[Icantsleep]

So by 7am my kids are potentially running on top of the basement inlaw suite
It's great for sleeping through the night without noise, but noise is imminent by 7
My room has an ensuite bath ... I'm thinking of soundproofing the door somehow and I have found earplugs that let my kratom do its thing this morning .

I think the bigger issue I face is how do I tell my wife that the inlaw suite that was originally built for my inlaws now kinda needs to be occupied with new help

She hates asking for help
She wants to do it all herself (with my help)
I'm sure she hates revisiting the falling out with our previous occupants

.... but I really need more help
Especially in the wake of mirapex augmentation , rebound RLS , and now playing with new med regimes .

Oh .... and if i dont sleep soon I'll lose my mind

Again