Baby number 3 is due in a few weeks and I'm having a major wobble starting to panic about how we're going to manage logistics (morning school runs etc) but also making sure everyone gets enough 1:1 attention.
Re school runs: DS1 is 10 and is due to start next week at an SEN school which is a 35 minute drive away. He hasn't got transport and is unlikely to this year, so school runs are on us. Thankfully I'm taking a year of mat leave (starting today, yay!) so this is actually possible. He'll be in Y7 next year and can potentially do train and bus which will make life a lot easier. DS2 (7) is also starting at a new primary school, which is around 10 minutes drive from us in the opposite direction to DS1's school. The timing just about works to get them both where they need to be on time, but will involve over an hour round trip in the car for us all every morning, including new baby once DH is back to work after paternity. Both DS1 and DS2 absolutely HATED the car as babies and screamed constantly, so I'm panicking a bit about that. Plus just fitting in the morning feeds etc.
To complicate matters both DSs are terrible in the mornings: DS1's combo of ADHD and dyslexia results in getting spectacularly distracted - he's poor at planning and following steps, does stuff like getting dressed over his pyjamas without realising/ packing his schoolbag then walking out of the house without it 30 seconds later. DS2 is just not a morning person and has needed digging out of bed like a teenager since he was about five, no matter how early he goes to bed, and operates on 1/4 speed until around 9am. He also struggles to eat breakfast and I usually have to basically forcefeed him something (otherwise he's hangry by 10am and in tears by 11). Even with constant chivvying and getting everything sorted the night before, we were fairly regularly 'only just on time' for school last year, with both of them attending the same school five minutes away 🤦🏻♀️.
School runs aside, just wondering how you balance meeting everyone's needs as parents of three children with a largeish age gap? DS2 is incredibly attached to me and already in full panic mode that he's going to miss out on time with me, despite lots of reassurance and basically being very excited about the new baby. DS1 is actually very happy in his own company a lot of the time but needs a lot of support with homework etc, and really loves having time with just me or DH. I worry between new baby's obvious needs and DS2's very vocal neediness DS1 is going to get forgotten/ feel isolated.
They get on well but are very different personality-wise so have always been used to a lot of 1:1 attention.