Is it normal to feel tired of being a parent sometimes?

This might be taboo to admit, but I’m just so tired of being a mom. My ex-husband and I chose to have multiple kids, spaced out over many years, so I’ve been in the “small kids” phase for what feels like forever. It’s been 20 years since our oldest was born, and our youngest is still in elementary school.

Having kids was our decision, and I can’t blame anyone else—well, maybe society for pushing the idea that having kids is the “normal” thing to do. There was the early pressure to have one child, then guilt about making sure they had siblings, and finally our own desire to have both a boy and a girl, which led to a third.

I love my kids deeply, and they’ve had a good upbringing. They’re emotionally supported, they’ve never gone without, and I’m proud of the life we’ve given them. But if I’m being honest, I’ve never enjoyed the role of “mom” that much.

Today, I’m just tired. Tired of laundry, tired of cooking for picky eaters, tired of always being responsible, tired of dealing with other people’s kids (because that comes with the territory), and tired of not having the freedom to do what I want, when I want. Just… tired.

I know I’ll have kids living at home for a long time yet, so I need to figure out how to shift my mindset. I need to focus on how lucky I am to have three healthy, amazing kids. But right now? I’m just over it. Ugh.

Anyone else ever felt this way? How do you cope when the weight of parenting feels like too much?