how do you spread your time and give attention to all!

[Chavmum]

4 boys - age 11 - 3, 3 DSS, one DS - how can I make sure they all get a bit of me, when I'm doing it alone a lot of the time, working full time (11 hr days) then keeping on top of everything in the house?

When dh worked away, the only way I could give each child their "own" time was at bedtime. I started at 6 and each one (I have 4) got 30mins on their own with me - bath, story and so on. Even now their bedtimes are staggered 30mins apart so each can have time with one of us.

i have 3 little ones-nearly 8,6 and 4.4yo gets time when others are at school p.m.
6yo straight after school(or as he is often 1st up at silly oclock bit time then)
8 yo after littler ones are in bed

during holidays its a case of getting activities on the go and workng 1 to 1 and a lot of winging it!

we do it by one parent taking one child out on their own at a time, also the elder ones get to stay up later and they all get individual time at bedtime.

my boys are 12-3yrs and then dd is 14mths so similar ages to yours. its just a juggling act i guess, we arrange specific time with them each individually but also quite often three of them will be busy doing their own thing and the other one will come and spend some time with us etc.

games nights, film nights etc, lots of ways you can have enjoyable time with just one or two or all the children :)

and re the housework, i make the kids pitch in, the rule in this house is 'we all make the mess so we all help clean it up' so laying and clearing hte table, helping with washing up, folding laundry, hoovering, making beds etc are all things that mine help to do. my eldest loves to cook as well! i do do the bulk of the housework like proper cleaning etc but the kids all help out with age appropriate jobs :)