DD 22 months watches far too much TV every day. I just don't know what to do with her. If she isn't watching TV, she wants me involved in whatever she's doing...
DS3 wants constant input/participation from me as well, and as an introvert I often find his neediness exhausting. He's going through a phase where he wants me to talk to him non-stop all day long. He loves language and soaks it up, but sometimes I just crave some silence. And especially when he was younger, I also found myself bored, as much as I love(d) to be with him.
I wanted him to go to preschool this year but it didn't work out, so I started to look online for activities to do with him to add some variety to our day. He loves sensory bins, costumes, plastic animals, play doh, water play, simple science demos, spooky crafts, and anything hands-on. I found that introducing new things helped break up the monotony for me and made me feel less guilty about the time he does spend watching TV so I can get a break.
My husband commented recently, "You don't like to cook or clean or stay at home, so why did you want another baby?" I do wonder what I've gotten myself into, but I also think it's okay to look forward to life beyond the baby years.
