Will it get better (4 under 6s)

[emy72]

I have 4 under 6s and I am finding massively hard work at the moment......has anyone else found it that way and does it get better?

Yes - it does get better. I had 4 under 7's at one point and thought I was going mad sometimes - it was very tiring. We were also home educating (long story) at the time and so it was very full on with lots of extra activities to ferry various kids too and hang around amusing little ones at.

Those 4 are all now almost in their teens and are just lovely. They all get on really well together and we have great fun laughing together, shopping and shouting at stupid things on the TV. The dinner table is also very lively. Life is a lot easier - my kids think I'm so laid back compared to their friends mums- Thankfully they don't seem to remember how stressy I used to be. I think you get so tired that adrenalin goes into overload and you feel a little hyper.

My advice would be to find any way you can to take the pressure off a bit. If you have any spare cash get a cleaner (we did for a while).Also the old saying "don't sweat the small stuff" is good advice. One of my kids was really fussy about clothes - fabrics hurting etc. She always wanted to wear pyjamas - I used to force her to put on smart clothes for visiting granny, going out etc but in the end bought some track suits and just let her wear them all the time- granny complained and everyone thought she was a boy but it meant I could get out the door without war starting.This child is now the most girliest smart dresser ever!
I also in the end cut back on some paid for activities, the little ones hated travelling around so much and the naughtiest would lie down and grab the bannisters and refuse to leave the house- it wasn't fair on them to be dragged all over London in the car.I got a piano teacher to come to my house to teach the 3 eldest- so that cut out a trip.

Also have your shopping delivered - order as much as possible from ever reliable Ocado online. My children hated the supermarket and any kind of shop, one would always run off - it was hell! Go out to the park or a wood instead. I also bought toys, clothes etc online.I also stopped ironing - a smooth and a fold worked just as well.

They are small for only a relatively short time. I wish I had calmed down a bit and not worried so much about what other people might think of me and my children and not tried so hard to have them all well dressed, well behaved, attending all the right classses etc.and having a clean house.

Good luck

Haggis01, you describe our life so well and it makes a nice change that someone know how it is - most people around me have 1 or 2 children and I almost feel like I have to show I am on top of things all the time - silly I know.

I am fairly organised, with shopping online, cleaner and the rest, but like you say sometimes is just the not having a break bit that drives you a bit mad!

I think it's been exacerbated by the fact that my DS1 has been at school part time, so I guess I have had 3 at home (mostly) full time and that's been really hard work. After half term I will have 2 at school and two at home, and whilst still not the easiest thing in the world to have 2 toddlers all the time, I am sure it will feel a little more doable!!!

I am so looking forward to not having toddlers around but children I can just take out and do lots of stuff with - but like you say I am mindful I need to try and enjoy these days without wishing the away too much!

Thanks for you reply, it has really helped!
EMY

It is hard work and other people don't always understand just how much there is to do. Stay strong & look after yourself. I'm just starting to do this.

"It is hard work and other people don't always understand just how much there is to do."

I think most of us do. I find having one hard enough and am thankful that I don't have four.

This is by no means a criticism. I really would hate the amount of work four children would create.

hi Emy I feel the same way.

Am trying to justify having a cleaner just now but keep thinking about what I could buy them for the money IYSWIM?

agree with everything it is such hard work

Yes it does get easier, i had 6 under 6 and i found the evenings the worst. I am not an evening person so DP had to take over. Him tidying away and making sure the dishes were done made an easier morning for me.

I have to say though..teenagers are even harder work!

hi...
i believe we have chatted before idobelieveinfaries :)
i was pg with the twins last year and you were also pg at same time

now on baby no 7, due in 9 weeks !!

have to relate to emy72...

its hard work when you try to keep looking on top of it all....otherwise its easy to feel everyone is judging you..

at least thats what Im still doing. !!
if anyone pops round..im frantically trying to clean the house up a bit, and babies are kept immaculate on school runs etc...
i never complain to anyone about the pressure...because when my back is turned, they will just sneer "you shouldnt have so many then"

no idea why i put this stupid pressure on myself (I dont have any help at all) and my dh usually bears the brunt
but i think there is just something in me that wants to keep a clean house, smartly dressed children who all hand in neatly well done homework !! all my boys currently best readers in their year at school....! (obviously im thoroughly pleased with this)
...
but im wondering when my body will give up on my highly driven brain !

When I had 4 under 6 (now have 4 10 and under) my mum gave me a fridge magnet it says "cleaning house whilst kids are growing is like shovelling snow whilst it's still snowing". When I am stressed she tells me to go look at the fridge, it's true, so you just need to re-evaluate what are the important things to get done first.
They get older and wiser and they benefit so much in so many ways from being from a large family that I wouldn't swap it for the world :)Just wish DD2 (3 year old)was not so confident and always thinking she can do what everyone else does