Overwhelmed with boisterousness of 3 DSs

[PupandHat]

I have 3 DSs aged 2.5, 5, and 8. They are happy active children but I am finding it very difficult to handle the boisterousness of three boys. We go out as a family walking, cycling etc keeping them active during the day but when I collapse into a chair and try to sit with them watching tv at end of day they all sit on me and climb on my head (literally) to such an extent I end up having to get up and go back to housework to cope. I hate turning into this grumpy shouting mum by the end of the day but it is so overwhelming, and I know they deserve better. Anyone have all boys and suggestions on how to cope?

[CombineArvester]

I've only got the two but similar ages to your youngest two. Totally understand the feeling of being climbed over...why won't they watch TV like everyone else's kids?

Things that work sometimes for us - getting out their special chairs to sit on to watch TV (just two little plastic ones) stops some of the sofa climbing. DVDs instead of TV sometimes work, especially for the older one, we watch twenty minutes of cars instead of TV which doesn't seem to really catch their attention.

Five quiet minutes - 'I'm having 5 quiet minutes' is something I say in the evening, I set the countdown thing on my phone for 5 minutes and they are supposed to leave me drinking my tea and watching my own programmes unless its an emergency, works surprisingly well, you could turn it into ten minutes maybe with yours being slightly older?

They are SO active that I am absolutely knackered and starving by 7pm. On the upside I eat huge amounts and stay quite petite :)