Struggling greatly at the moment :(

Toomuchdebt

I've also called the local church who are going to see if there's anything they can do. I don't go to that church and I made sure to tell them that straight away as I didn't want them thinking I go there when I don't. Ended up crying to the lovely lady who answered the phone as when I explained she mentioned her mum and sister have fibro and she has M.E. so she gets why I'm struggling and it was so nice to talk to someone who understood.

Lynplatinum

Hiya Toomuchdebt

Point 1: you are not being a whinging kid!! I have arthritis - both sorts and some days I feel like absolute pants. Making myself do the smallest thing wipes me out. I have semi retired and use alternative methods cos conventional medicine couldn't help. yep - often I was treated as whinener - those who know me will tell you I aint and it was only after scans and a lot of tests (which took some kicking and shouting to get ) did they realise how severe I was. It's not GP's fault they have so much to diagnose - real help comes when you can get hold of specialists! Keep metaphorically kicking those doors down girl!!!

Point 2: I hope you do have a sympathetic landlord. Do your self a favour tho - dont point out stuff - let them ask you! What they dont notice wont hurt em! (I speak as a landlord here :-)

Point 3: Have you tried your local Gardening Club or Allotment Association? this is not a one off problem but ongoing. Some of them may be willing to keep your garden in order in return for a bit of your land on which they grow somat of their own?? It might bring you free veggies occasionally?? I know my one in Milton Keynes used to do this as allotments were in short supply.

Point 4: If your kids are as old as they seem you are not doing them any favours by trying to do it all for them. My boys did their own washing from the age of 15 and could cook a roast; spag bol; chilli; veggie curry etc by that age too. They knew about bargain shopping - could sew on buttons and button holes and take up trousers - clean a loo - hoover; dust; clean a kitchen (washing up from the age of 10). I was a single parent and very strongly felt that should I suddenly become incapacitated they needed to be able to cope. They are now 30 and 33 and both them and their partners praise the fact that I trained them in being a 'domestic' It has saved them a fortune over time and made them livable with!!! (they can also wire plugs; re-hang doors; fit locks; fit skirtingboard etc etc and mow a lawn and prune a tree or three!!) Dont feel in the least guilty about teaching them these vital life skills - too many parents these days behave like servants and then the kids cannot cope when they leave home!

Reach out - if you dont tell people what you need, few of us being psychic, how can folk know how to help you?
Chin up - keep looking - there will be a resolution - you have already taken th first step - asking on the supportive community that is OS :A

Toomuchdebt

Oh the kids do a lot already-that's why I don't want to get them involved in the garden. They do the washing and ironing, they hang clothes out and bring them in, they cook dinner-sometimes on their own, sometimes they help me, they hoover, they take the rubbish out, the pick up the poo from the dog in the garden, they feed the cats,they sweep the floors and wash them, clean the sinks and toilet. My 18 year old is leaving for uni next week and is working full time until then-she's cooking dinner today. My 15 year old has GCSE's this year. My 13 year old is doing both English normal school and an online Polish school too which she will have exams for next August. So they already do quite a lot-I can't ask them to do more. The other 2 are 7 and 6 so they put clothes in the machine etc but can't do loads.
Thank you for everything else. I will see if there's a gardening club. The allotment association is a bit posh shall we say and there seem to be loads of allotments here.