Give me your juggling 3+ children advice

[mammaofmany]

My husband and I have decided to try for a third baby. Kids are 4 and 2.

You hear so many of the cons about having three - car, holidays, days out, washing, dividing time, bedtime alone etc.

Can you please give me your practical top tips and advice for how to tackle things? What's the best thing you did to prepare? A household routine you got into? A car you bought? Thank you!

I have 4 and found the jump from 2-3 quite hard, however, my eldest child has a different father so in some ways my 3rd was like my full time 2nd if that makes sense. So it may be the jump for 1-2 that's the hardest but I suppose it's different for everyone.

I did have to upgrade to a 7 seater when I was pregnant with my 4th (he wasn't planned) but it's something I was going to eventually do even with just having 3. I went from a Jeep Compass to a BMW 2 series Gran tourer but i got the car at 37 weeks pregnant and took the first 7 seater I could find. I've since been recommended the VW Tiguan all space which is great for a big family.

in terms of a routine I found my third and fourth just slotted right in and followed suit. The hardest part is just getting out the door with them like getting them all dressed, it's like a military operation. I have their clothes out the night before etc to save time.

my biggest piece of advice is to just keep on top of the washing. A few days of slacking and it can be unbearable. I don't know why but have 2 adults and 2 children's clothes to wash seemed much more manageable than when I had to wash my third child's clothes but maybe that's just me!

I think having a third changes the dynamic of the family, it suddenly seems much bigger but in a good way. It's lovely having a 'group' of kids playing in the house keeping each other company.

Divide and conquer! (mother of 4)