Tension mounts for tired mom

Dear Abby: I am a working mother of three who may be battling postpartum depression. I feel like I am parenting alone. I get the kids out of the house by myself in the morning before my husband even drags himself out of bed. I drop the kids off. I go to work.

I teach, so my day is spent dealing with other people’s kids, and then I pick my own kids up. I have no time to decompress or devote to myself.

When there are school functions, my husband makes me feel guilty that I’m not spending time with the kids. Now he’s starting to make me feel guilty because the kids like him less than they do me. How do I get across to him that if he did more and was around them more, they would like him more?

I’m so tired from juggling all these balls. I feel like if something were to happen to me, he’d have no clue what to do. How can I fix this situation? I don’t want to resent him, but I’m starting to.

Dear Mom: Postpartum depression is more than being tired and overscheduled. It’s a medical condition that can have serious consequences.

It might help to discuss what’s going on with your physician, who can then help you explain to your husband that if he doesn’t step up, he could indeed be left with the sole responsibility of taking care of the children. You’re right. You shouldn’t be carrying the whole load, and the bonus would be the likelihood that your husband’s relationship with the children would improve.