How are you coping if you have a larger family?

[Buzzthedragon]

I’m finding it increasingly challenging.
So if you have say three or more children, how are you coping with repeated bubbles bursting/ closing of different educational settings/ work balance etc etc?
I’m being sensibly cautious, keeping children home/ testing if they have ‘symptoms’ etc. But age gaps mean that my children are all in different schools (from kindergarten to college). It means so many colds and germs at this time of year in normal circumstances and at the moment it feels ages since anyone has managed a full week without one corona crisis or another. We’re in an area with an awful lot of cases.
I’m self employed which is just as well because I’d have surely been fired by now if I wasn’t . I’m winging it and I’m stressed to bits.
How are you all coping and staying sane?

To elaborate, by ‘corona crisis’ I mean things like bubbles closing/ isolating for being close contacts/ testing after fevers/ School closures due to staffing issues etc etc etc.

I'm in the same boat. I have one in nursery, one in primary, one in secondary and one in college. I also work in a school. So far, there has only been my bubble that has shut, although the child who is in Secondary must be the only bubble in his year left as I get a message every day. For me its the anxiety of not knowing who is going to be where and when as I know they can go at any minute. DH is working from home so we can deal with any closures from a childcare sense but its driving me mad and I wish they would just let you take your children out if you want to without any fines.

Yep @Pissedoff1234 me too.
I wish I could take mine out.

Drinking lots of wine 🤣🤣🤣 and eating junk !
No 2 schools - 4 different yr groups.
Only one child to isolate so far 10 days
Lucky my kids have been very healthy so far. I’m giving them vits and making sure they eat healthily.
Its hard with all these staggered drops and pick ups !
It’s crap as we aren’t allowed to go over 6 but I think my eldest feels it the most saying we are in a permanent lock down - with no friends allowed to come round and play 😢😢😢 x (we have a grumpy neighbour so I wouldn’t dare invite anyone) and my children would be too nervous if we broke the rules ! So got to stick with them .
Don’t think the government have mental health at the top of their agenda for large families !
Seems like the single child and large families get busted

I have 4 at school, 3 in primary and 1 in secondary. So far we’ve only had one child isolating because of bubble exposure.

Our youngest is a baby so I’m not working and my husband is WFH so it’s actually been fine as my isolating child is in year 6. He can be left home while DH works upstairs and is able to do some school work on his own.

He’s back to school tomorrow and is very excited.

I’ve actually found having lots of kids great in some ways over the last 8 months as they’ve entertained each other a lot of the time. In other ways it’s been awful- home school with 4 kids and a newborn was crap.

I actually think I’d have lost it had I been working though so hats off to you for managing that as well.

I'm the same, 2 adults working full time- 4 kids in 4 different settings.
Constantly feel like we are dodging covid bullets...
Its exhausting and a logistical nightmare 😴
Just had my weekend off , won't have another day off for 2 weeks...
I'm dreading what its going to bring!

Think it must be geographical. Dh and DCs are in 1 High school and 3x primaries. I work across 3-4 schools a week. I've had one cancellation due to heating and none due to covid. Only one year bubble has closed across my family's 4 settings.

3 dc at home here (12, 14 and 16) plus 2 away at uni
I'm a doctor, dh a teacher
So far - 16yr old has had one 2 week isolation period
12 yr old been out for one week due to lack of teachers
currently 14 yr old in the middle of 10 days out due to lack of teachers
no time off so far for me or dh

it is stressful, but tbh has gone better than was expecting back in Seotember. Thankfully as dc are older they can be left on their own somewhat. Biggest problem is it has all had a bad effect on youngests behaviour/attitude to learning. COnstrantly checking emails though to find out who is the next child off that week!

but we just keep plodding on, not much else we can do

Student dc coming home at the weekend which will be great. One of them has already also had a 2 week isolation due to being a contact. WIll feel better when they are at least back home LOL

I have 4 children and currently pregnant with baby number 5.
I work from home and my husband can balance working from home too. I'm very lucky in these circumstances. I feel for people who dont have that option

We have 4, 3 in secondary and 1 in primary. Homeschooling was challenging but since Sept, they have been in school every day, so no issue. I'm working two little part time jobs, but they are a walk from home and DH is WFH full time. I think he is finding it the hardest as he has a stressful job and is on calls all day...I actually have loved spending so much time as a family, but I do worry about my older teens and their lack of socialising and having fun. They have missed out on loads of school trips, and my Y11 is extremely stressed about mocks (which are after Xmas so she can't even have much of a break).

We have 4 between us and the only ones who have had covid are us! Ours are big, 3 at university, one older and are very responsible, no parties for them. They are being tested this week for the exodus on the weekend