i dont have kids but have been helping out with a friend who has a 2yo while their spouse is away for a month. its insane how much even just helping out in the morning and evening destroys my schedule flexibility. i am living and dying by this 2yo's schedule. i cant go to work until the kid is fed, clothed, and diaper changed. i cant stay late at work because i gotta help put the kid down for bed. i get woken up in the middle of the night by crying. im lucky i havent had to deal with the kid getting sick, which would disrupt me in the middle of the day. now imagine having multiple kids, all with different schedules, who all need to be driven places and put down for bed and fed and have items purchased for them etc.

i was considering having kids before but after this month of taking care of a 2yo i dont think i want to. the complete lack of schedule flexibility makes it impossible to work overtime when i need to. its a slow period at work rn and im already worried about falling behind. it really is the amount of time they take. ive read a lot of articles on mothers taking worse jobs with shorter commutes and more flexible hours and i totally understand why they would need that.