4 kids and routine???

[maggieagg]

anybody with multiple kids have a routine going?

i feel like we are all over the place and im losing the will to live 🙈

i have ...

11y dd
7y ds (autism)
4y ds (autism)
1.5y ds

bedtimes, bathtimes, dinners, homeworks and everything else in between 🙄

Hiya,

I have three children and I’ve just found out I’m pregnant 😩

The routine I have with mine tends to be dinner between 5-6, followed by a bath straight after. They have to get in their pjs and be completely ready for bed to have time downstairs watching tv.
Then between 7-8 they climb into bed for a story.

The rest of the time I’m just trying not to throw them in the bin.

Not a brilliant routine here other than I start to get cross if the 5yos (twins) aren't in bed by 8. One thing that has made things easier it's cutting down baths to whenever we have time (unless it's getting gross).

BTW also have 8yo and 10 yo. Getting them to read to little ones is good (or even cleaning their teeth). Also older 2 are responsible for putting own washing away.

Mine are teens now but when they were 11, 9, 7 and 5 it all hinged around the school day.
I think I relied on them all to get dressed/put reading book in bag/take bag to school type stuff. It did make them a little more self-reliant than some of their friends.
I'd also try to keep back favourite toys/internet privileges for the younger ones to use to be able to help the older ones do homework.. Oh and I remember bathing my youngest when he was a baby and having another read his school book to me.
Major juggling is required!

4 here. We do have a routine (ish) lots of it works around what the older kids are doing. However, I do try and get the two younger one 5 and 5months into bed at a reasonable time with a bath/story/feed/bed ish type setup. Sometimes this isn’t possible as the older two need picking up later etc and husband does long hours so I will try to follow the routine but then pop the little kids in the car and go to get big kids. We are normally up and out fairly early at the weekends and I think this helps to keep the bedtime routine the same over the weekend.

Aside from the school runs (we live quite rural and the bus service is rubbish so have to do school runs for the big two and then the 5 year old). I don’t have strict routine during the day. I do a few groups and activities with baby. Try and get some jobs done. The evenings can be very busy so will try to prep dinner if possible.

I don’t think it’s all routine that keeps things manageable. It’s organisation. I try to meal plan in advanced and this help the food shop. I try to keep on top of putting things in my diary so that I can look to the weeks ahead to see how things will play out. Some weeks are worse than others. If little one has a party coming up, get the present bought and wrapped. Any dress up days etc coming up then get the outfits sorted. Try and get the kids to keep on top of their homework so we have some family time. Deal with school forms etc and don’t put them off. Of course there are times that everything just goes out of the window and that’s ok. Also no one died having beans on toast did dinner one night!

I am having a nightmare at the minute, I've got:

13 yo (attitude ridden)
11 yo (raging hormones)
4 yo
12 week old baby

I dread 3pm every day, as it's nearly dinner time.

The first thing that comes out the eldest 2 mouths is What's for dinner?

And the 4 yo has just started doing it too

I actually get anxiety like it's a trick question because what ever I say, at least one of them will moan and complain, if not all of them.

I wish they could all just drink milk like the baby does.

I've decided to quit dinner time and just refuse to cook now, cos when I do no one eats it, so it's wasted food and a huge mess for me to clear up.

How does anyone cook a meal for a larger family? Or is it just my children that are so fussy and all like different things.

I used to cook 3 different meals a day when they were younger, but now I have a baby I just refuse

DH picks up the kids after work and they get home just before 4pm. They play or watch tv. I tend to get in from work about 5.30pm. One of the kids usually has an activity like gymnastics, rule of thumb is that if it starts before 5.30pm they eat after, if it starts later they eat before. We eat a lot of quick meals like beans on toast, omelette, hot dogs etc. Sometimes chilli or lasagne if it's been premade at the weekend.

I make the packed lunches while waiting for dinner to cook, bedtime begins around 8pm with the preschooler asleep first and everyone asleep by about 9.30pm. Our 11 year old stays up latest, but they all read in bed for a while.

I have 3 only. Our routine I pretty iron clad! I can't imagine how you manage several without one, I'd be so horrifically stressed.

Evenings are short but I resist being flexible!

If it's a bath night, everyone has to be upstairs by 7pm. We can still get all 3 in at the same time. Everyone out andinto pjs with teeth brushed by 7.30. Eldest allowed to read until 8pm. I wrangle the toddlers ad infinitum....

I'd say with 11yo you probably.just new to lay down the law a little? H/W must be finished immediately after getting home (perhaps with snack first, but not TV etc.). With the 2 that are autistic, do they enjoy routine? My eldest has ASD and loves routine, but she's very verbal etc so explaining has always been an option, I don't know how significantly your two are affected.