What are ways to fight mothering fatigue?

[NewMom0208]

I know taking care of small children is tasking and it is somewhat normal to feel tired.
I lhave only one, a very active 3 year old with a very short attention Span.
He sleeps only from 10 to 7, no naps
I don't have any family close by and my friends are just too busy with their own lives.
I have somehow been unsucessful in making single mom friends I can click with. I keep on trying.

So, i get up at 7, do my things and keeping him entertained, by 3 pm I am exhausted.
What are things you do to meals it easier?

Somet things that have help so far:

He gets up at 7, I don't, he doesn't like it a bit, but I lazy around in bed till 7:30 sometimes 7:40.
He plays around the bed, occasionally begging me to get up: get up, mommy! Wake up mommy, come on mommy, follow me!

Playdoh, reading and tv are activities he can do for 10-15 min without my intervention, while I sit down and breathe and maybe even read a bit.

Any other ideas?

Today I had to run several errands, I think getting him in and out of the seatbelt tires me out... I have his seat in the middle, and it makes it tough for me to reach, but I think it's safer. Plus, reinforcing for him to behave as needed for the place: the bank, the grocery store, the dollar store and the pharmacy. Bookstore, parks and the beach are of course easier. Even the coffee shop he has down packed.

I have to admit it has gotten easier as he grows up, look at me writing a post before bedtime!
But I am still very tired, sometimes praying for bedtime so we can both crash.

Any words of advice, tricks, tips and or encouragement!?

[The Harpy]

None here but I am following along looking for suggestions.

I am a single working Mum of 3. My kids ar 18, 10 and 2.5 and the 2.5 exhausts me. And she naps at daycare still (they all do) and I am just falling down exhausted by 8:30 but she is still going until 10

[*MamaJen*]

It sounds like a community around you would be really helpful. Can you look into mothering meetup group? Or even a mother's day out program? Depending on where you live, you may be able to find a low-cost co-op preschool.

[justmama]

Do you have the finances to allow for something like the YMCA?  My kids and I have been members for a few years now because they love the classes(swim, dance, etc) and they even love goign to the daycare to play with their friends while I work out.  It gives me time to clear my head and exhaust my negativity when I get frustrated while they are safe in daycare playing with friends.  All the workers there know them/us and greet them warmly.  They know all the regular kids there and are friends with most of them.  I felt bad about taking them to daycare right after they get out of school just so I can work out until I realized that most days it was them asking to go.  If I try to take a night off that we typically go, they get upset with me because they enjoy it.  And it's much more feasible financially for us because the Y offers financial assistance for tuition.  Not only do we pay only half the typical monthly membership fee but we get one class per kid per session at 50% tuition which is HUGE when you have 3 kids.  It makes the classes much more affordable.  It would be enough to just get a little while to myself when I needed it but then there's the swim classes that I can put them in to exhaust them that make it even better.  I'm not big on competition or sports for little kids so we stay away from t-ball and soccer and things like that.  But dance class or swim class is just enough for fun body-moving and socialization while tiring them out just enough to make their active sides more manageable.  I personally get cranky when I can't get out for a run for a few days so I'm sure my kids are the same way.

[justmama]

Oh and my youngest is 4 and she's been going to the Y since she was about 1?  She loves it.