Who actually thinks parenting isn’t exhausting?

After reading countless discussions about whether parenting is “hard” or “not hard,” I genuinely wonder—who are these people claiming it’s not exhausting to have kids?

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my children. Now that they’re school-aged, they can do more for themselves, and the daily challenges are different compared to when they were toddlers and needed help with everything. But honestly, life is still so much more exhausting than when it was just us adults.

Getting out of the house takes forever. The kids always need help finding the right clothes or gear.

Hosting visitors? That’s a whole other level of chaos because the kids love having friends over, which means constant tidying to keep the house and their rooms somewhat presentable.

Going to other people’s houses is easier, but it still involves coordinating drop-offs, pick-ups, or driving them there.

Evenings and weekends? Forget relaxing—it’s all about activities, school meetings, homework, or volunteering. And let’s be real, we wouldn’t be skating, sledding, skiing, or spending hours at the library if it weren’t for the kids.

Housework is next level. Laundry, cleaning, and tidying are never-ending when you’re managing a household with kids who aren’t quite able to pull their weight yet.

So how do people make it work without feeling constantly drained—especially when both parents work full-time, and the kids are normally active? While there’s plenty of joy in parenting, I just don’t get how anyone can say it’s not exhausting. What’s your secret?