When I was a kid my mom was home most of the time because she wasn't able to find a full time job. But when she did work (she was a subsitute teacher) I stayed with my grandparents who lived across the street. My dad worked full time at the warehouse.

When my mom passed away, it was just me and my dad. I was 13 and at first I went to stay with my aunt after school. My dad worked evenings. He worked from 2:00 p.m. until 10 p.m. shift, so he didn't want me staying home alone at first. But, after a while, I was home alone.

I sympathize with your mom. I work all day and often have to run errands all night. I hate it. After work I just want to go home and rest. I'm not a constant cleaner, though. I struggle with cleaning house, mostly due to being so tired from doing everything else.