Please help me plan!

[bagforlifeamnesty]

I feel like I'm preparing for a potentially very chaotic autumn and Christmas and I would love some help trying to get organised please.

I have two DCs, one toddler and one who is starting school in September. My diary is already full of harvest assemblies and reading mornings and half term and everything else. Younger DD will still be at the childminders so we have a year where the two DCs need dropping off and picking up at different places and times. Me and DH both work 4 days a week so have younger DD one day a week each but will be doing compressed hours so that we can also manage pick ups and drop offs.

Id like to have some Christmas activities along with the school events which will all be new to us. Not many but at least a Santa visit and maybe taking older DD to London to see Frozen.

On top of this, eldests birthday is 4 days after Xmas so I have to sort her birthday gifts as well as try to plan a whole class party either before or after Xmas.

And then the cherry on the top… I’m due DC3 in the middle of January 🙃 we didn’t think we were going to have any more so we have got rid of almost all baby things and need to start from scratch. Hope to buy most things second hand and also need to pack hospital bags etc.

Almost don’t know where to start… please help!

I‘m not sure what kind of advice you are after?

• get a physical calendar and write all events on it
• ask around for birthday party ideas
• make a list of new baby essentials
• ask around for secondhand baby stuff friends and family may be able to pass on to you

Start an excel spreadsheet. And a list.

Start a new row for every day between now and feb. Make a column for you, DH, DC1, DC2, events, chores.

Populate each cell with activities, leave days, who has to be where and when, leave work early, school play, daisy's birthday, panto tickets go on sale etc.

Start making a list of everything you need to do.
Book Santa visit
Pram research
Write Christmas cards
Post parcels to Canada etc

Print out both and blutac to kitchen cupboard. Update as you go along.

Don't overwhelm your DC1 , the first year at school is exciting as they do Christmassey things in the lead up . Our school did a Christmas Fayre .
They also pick up all the coughs and colds going

They need loads of relaxing time with the fun days out .

Do you do Christmas Bedding and pyjamas? You don't need to go mad. Primark do some gorgeous ones (I used to buy brushed cotton tartan ones) and a fleece blanket to go over the normal bedding.
PJs last all winter and the fleece just goes away for next year .

Mine used to love Autumn walks and collecting conkers.

If you do Christmas presents for your DC’s teacher and childminder, get them now, wrap them and then tick that off your list!
I really wouldn’t advise doing a whole class party for 4 and 5 year olds when you’re 8 months pregnant. No decent mother in the playground would expect you to do that, especially if her birthday falls between Christmas and New Year. Maybe just invite 8 or so of your Dd’s closest friends to a soft play party where everything is taken care of by the soft play staff. Some soft play centres even supply pre-filled party bags, food and drinks.

Great advice already given. Totally agree with all of it, especially about the overwhelming aspect of the first full term at school. Keep it simple, not just for your children but for you too. We visited FC at the school fair, so didn’t need another trip. Think of activities you can do on your own time. Decorating gingerbread men (shop bought or home made). Walk nearby to see the houses decorated with lights. Indoor picnic by the Christmas tree.

Don’t feel pressured to attend every assembly and reading morning. Obviously, it would be nice for your dd to have someone there, so you could consider sharing them between your husband and any family you have in the area. Whenever I can’t make a school function like that, I ask grandparents and god-parents if they’d like to go instead. They usually jump at the chance. Get them to take a few pictures to send to you!