3 children 3 and under

[dingledangles]

My friend is due her 3rd by planned section next week and is freaking out! Please give me your experience of 3 children 3 and under. Looking for some practical ways to help her! Feel free to share the good, the bad and the ugly and I will filter what I tell her!!

@jessstan2 I've read a few books where that happened, one of the children went to live with the grandparents and the others stayed at home! I can't imagine that felt very nice for the one who was sent away!

I have the same age gaps as my friend although mine are older now, I chose it that way because I wanted them close together!

And it's her first section advised by the consultant because of complications with her second birth!

Thank you everyone!! All sound advice and will help my friend to know she's not the only one! She doesn't believe me that she will be fine!!

Think the newborn stages were the most intense for me so far

I had 3 under 3.5 and it was chaos but very happy chaos! I'd go back there (20 yrs) in a heartbeat. Firm routines for bedtime, mealtimes, baths etc. Wear them out most days. Fresh air, visits to friends but also have lots of floppy do nothing days to let them just "be". Pick your battles ie it's not a big deal if one won't eat broccolli or one still wears nappies at night at age 3. Be organised with meals, laundry, prepare clothes and changing bags etc each evening. Enjoy them and don't waste time fretting about housework. Look after yourself. Sleep is key. I promise, in what feels like ten minutes, they'll be leaving home!

I had 3 under 3.5 all boys it was stressful, a very hard few years especially working part time too.

Best tip -take a day off!!
Feed and keep them clean but sod any housework - take them out - sit down and watch them play

It doesn’t take longer to do two days of housework v one day

DH needs to pull his weight - he cooks while you settle - he does baths them while you clean up etc make every child free minuet count!!

A friend of mine had 4 under 4 and her key was organisation. I (with 2 DC 3.5 years apart) was agog. Everything is colour coded so she knows whose is whose and there a nappy change station in every room.

I had 3 aged under 16 months (DD twins born when DS was just 15 months old!!). The first few years were pretty chaotic and exhausting and I had to be super organised. Couldn't work as childcare would have been ridiculously expensive. To be honest I loved the craziness of it all and fortunately they all got on pretty well which helped. They're now 15, 15 and 16 and those years have passed in a blur. It can be done but you have to accept that there won't be much time for anything else during those early years! No regrets though as my kids have bought a huge amount of joy to my life.

These are all lovely to read ❤️

God, I must be doing something wrong! I only have two under three (two under two for two months!) and I struggle!

@Silversun83 one of my friends just has one who is 5 and she really struggles.. it's all relative to your own situation!

4 under 4 here and the baby years were the hardest! Routine was key for us - it still is and they're 12, 11, 10 and 9 although it is much easier now physically. We're just hitting the hormonal stage and its starting to get a bit crazy again but at least they can do things for themselves so I'm not constantly changing nappies or feeding or whatever.

Double buggy and a decent sling is a must for when she's recovered from her section.

Its mental but I love it and I wouldn't change things for the world!