If you have stumbled onto this page it's probably because you are either knocked up with your third or you are considering getting knocked up with your third! I'm right aren't I?
Yep I too googled, 'what is it really like to have three young children' and 'will I cope with three'
Ok if it's the first CONGRATULATIONS, I promise you will survive this! If it's the second GOOD LUCK, probably best if you don't to too much research, parenting three is crazy but it's best gone into blindly!
My third child was born when my son was just a bit past three and my daughter a bit past 4.5yrs, if I'd had my way she would have come even sooner but the mister took some persuasion! There are many views to take about having three so close together and the trials that come with it, imagine a child who doesn't sleep EVER, now add to that the memory of two years of children having 12 hours sleep a night. The shock is big! It's also a constant worry, am I giving the big kids enough, is the littlest being ignored?
I'll be honest I spent a large amount of my first few days after Termites birth in a panic thinking what on earth have we done? I mean honestly we've made a huge mistake we have THREE CHILDREN! THREE, THREE!!! How the heck will we cope!
Rest assured that passed quickly, well it had to I was doing 6 journeys to and from school a day by the time Termite was a week old, and that's the thing life goes on, you get swept up in all the stuff that goes with kids and before you notice the change you are efficiently mothering three children! Some days your going to think it's all gone wrong, that you'll never get a handle on it, that you are THE worst mother in the world! You aren't, everyone of us feels like that at some point whether it's 1 or 12 children that we have!
So let me give you some highlights
- The confidence you gain with you first two means you don't spend 90% of your time second guessing yourself and feeling guilty that you are doing it all wrong!
- Three kids fit on your knee, just about
- They will always have someone to play with
- The third learns very quickly, mostky the third may learn how to get away with more than the first two but they learn it quick!
- Life is never dull, its also never quiet unless they are all in bed
- Clothes become better value for money as they get much more wear, yes my termite is wearing 3rd hand jim jams and clothes, we definitely getting our moneys worth!
- You will meet loads of new people, during the three different school mum groups, during the many and varied, dance, drama, sport and after school clubs you will be attending you talk to many many other parents.
- Strangers will talk to you when you are out, this normally starts with one of the following
You've got your hands full
Do you not have a TV ha ha ha
You must be fond of a treat
or the nicer ones who probably have more kids than you...
Ah what a blessing
I bet theres always a hug to be had at your house
Aren't you lucky
I prefer these last ones as they give a better picture of the good times, yes I'm always being hugged and I LOVE IT, yep I am blessed beyond belief and I'm thankful every day and yes I am super lucky.
I'm thinking I've painted a fairly rosey picture for you and if you are still reading you must not be panicked yet so I promise you can cope until the end but it wouldn't be fair to not give up some of the nitty gritty....
- Some days you wont know if you are coming or going, in fact I set an alarm on my phone so that I never forget to pick the kids up from school! I kid you not sometimes I get so sidetracked I forget the time!
- There will never be a moment of peace in the early days. I can not have a wee, poo or a bath without someone asking something, needing something or wanting to join me or sit on my knee!
- If one of them gets sick they will likely all get sick, the pain of this is greater but shorter if they get it all together. That way you do all the sleepless nights of medicine, cuddles or vomit cleaning at once. If you aren't that lucky you could be looking at 3 weeks of disturbed sleep and Florence Nightingale impressions!
- Food bills are bigger.... Much much bigger than you think, start buying in bulk its a good move
- School uniforms in primary school rarely make it through the academic year so forget any plans of hand me downs, just buy budget brands its not worth spending the extra!
- You will never NOT have laundry of some description, even if you think you have washed, dried, ironed and put away every last scrap.... someone will be hiding a pile of clothes somewhere. Embrace Mount Washmore, it is here to stay and it could be worse!
- Housework may not be carried out as diligently as in days of old, but hey you have three little helpers! Ha ha ha ha ha I'm actually crying at this, Be under no illusion tidying with three children is like trying pick up leaves in a hurricane!
- Getting a family picture is close to impossible someone will have their eyes closed, or not be looking at the camera, or be pulling an insane face or crying.
- Bed time with three takes a long time! Three stories and chats and teeth cleaning and excuses of why they shouldn't go to sleep? It takes yonks some nights. It best to pr empt this by starting bedtime an hour before you want them to sleep!
Ah the good old days! Harry was 4 and Heidi 20 months when Jack was born. To be honest, I hardly remember the early days. We just got on with it as we didn't know anything else so what we experienced just seemed normal. I do remember never having a moments peace and the guilt of not giving each child enough attention (still get that now when I pick the kids up from school and they all try to talk to me at once).
ReplyDeleteLife is a whole lot calmer and easier now they are of school age and I definitely wouldn't have it any other way :D
The school walk! When you feel like your head might explode from all the talking at once
DeleteMy children were born very close together and I am pleased I had them like that as they are all very close and play together and all the bottles and nappies were over and done with quite quickly rather than having to start over again each time.
ReplyDeleteOur first son was 9 month old when I delivered triplets prematurely. Unfortunately only one survived so he is 9 months younger than his older brother. Then we had a daughter 13 months later - so we had 3 under 22 months! Then another 17 months later we had another girl - so then we had:
a son 3 years and 5 months
a son 2 years and 8 months
a daughter 1 year and 7 months
and a newborn daughter
I carried my baby daughter in a sling, and pushed a double buggy with my middle daughter and son in and my eldest son used a buggy board or reins! It was hard but I got through! If my triplets had all survived I would have had 4 boys and 2 girls under 3 years and 5 months!
Ah Tracy sorry about the triplets, 4 under 4 wowser it's lush though being so busy and surrounded by love x
DeleteAh Tracy sorry about the triplets, 4 under 4 wowser it's lush though being so busy and surrounded by love x
DeleteThanks - yes it is fun and mad with little ones so close! But like I said, one of the best things is they get on really well and can play lots of games together because of their close age x Looks like you coped well too! Well done to you.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was heart breaking when I lost my two triplet boys. I went into labour at six months and lost our first son at 2 days, then our second son at 5 weeks and six days. Our surviving so remained in hospital for 3 months when he had reaced a healthy 6lbs! It felt strange bringing him home as strangers thought he was a newborn when he has three months old. At least his two triplet brothers are together in Heaven x
Interesting read. See I think lots of this applies to me already so not sure I'll handle a third! Neither of mine have slept yet though so I'm definitely not used to sleep at night!
ReplyDelete