Does anyone else struggle with the practicalities of days out if you have more than one small child?

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

I have DS1 is 4 and a bit of a live wive -tends to get over excited and run off / generally needs to be active.

DD who is 2 and is potty training but tends to exert her toddlerdom with defiant sitting down on the pavement and refusing to move.

DS2 who is 10 months and obviously needs to be in a buggy / sling (but find that even more complicated!)

And lots of stuff to cart about...nappies, change of clothes, food etc.

So what usually happens is I take them to the beach - DS1 will run off over excitedly in one direction to look at something, DD will sit on the floor and refuse to move (or run in the other one) and I have to abandon DS2 in the buggy somewhere to go grab one of them.

DH is working over the holidays so most days the DC are not in nursery / holiday club I will have them alone. I have planned things like soft play (older two can just run off happily), farm parks, walks in the park, feed the ducks, beach etc. Essentially stuff we do all the time and they enjoy but no major novel treats.

I am fed up to the back teeth of friends with older children or one child telling me I need to get out and about more. Usually the days out they suggest involve boats / trains / open top buses, fairgrounds where you need an adult to go on a ride with you or clambering down to some secluded beach. A few have suggested I take them away on my own for a few days. This brings me out in a cold sweat. I can't go to a local farm park and take DS on the go karts for obvious reasons - what do I do with the other two?! I can't go swimming with them all. A train will be ok as long as they behave...

Does anyone manage these things with more than one child / younger children? It seems a logistical nightmare to me. Success is usually getting through a day in one piece .

I feel your pain. I'm a LP so generally don't do days out unless I'm with my family. I find it very hard doing it on my own.

2 pre-schoolers running off in different directions, toilet stops, tantrums . I did manage the Seal Sanctuary in Cornwall with them the other week, but I knew it was on a small site (could leave food / nappies / spare clothes in the car) and was during term time so not too busy. Even then we only lasted 2 hours.

We swim sometimes but get to the pool at 8am before anyone else. As soon as it gets even slightly busy we have to get out as I can't watch them in a busy pool.

I struggle with my 2, they are 5 and 7 and both have Autism, i can only realy take them out if someone comes with me, we plan trips when my mum has days off work or Dh is home.

Thank you...it is good to know I am not alone (but sorry you are sharing the pain!).

I feel incompetent a lot of the time that I should be getting them out and about more but it is never as idyllic as it seems is it? Family trip to the beach, sandcastles, a picnic and ice cream seems like it should be postcard perfect but in reality someone cries because they have decided they don't like sand, a wasp gets in the ice cream, someone else sobs....

We seem to forget each year how hard a trip to the beach is (even with dh helping), dd1 doesn't like sand on her feet, you lay all your stuff out, blow things up (armbands, rubber rings) put up the beach shelter and then its 'i'm bored mummy' , the beach is a nightmare, we tend to go to the park (just up the road) and have a picnic.

I might just have lots of picnics in the back garden. The food seems to be the only bit like like

Only just getting brave enough to go out with DD and DS who are 5 and 3, DD has toiletting issues, and dragging two children to the loo in a hurry with bags is not good.

I still struggle getting out with my kids sometimes and they aren't babies anymore. I like the fact that we can share on here because I sometimes find, when I'm having a really low moment and just want to let it out I don't always pick the best person to talk to! Some people seem to love making you feel even more useless than you already do. Apparantly, everything in their world is rosy and perfect, they are up at the crack of dawn, never late, house perfectly kept, their kids never play up, they take them to several after school activities a week whilst being a parent helper and with a baby in tow!

Why do women do that to each other? I would also like to add that my life is also ok some of the time! Ha ha, not all doom and gloom!

Some children are just more portable than others!

Ones that run off are harder work than 3/4 stay putters!

Me too!!! I only have two children 3 & 6 but holy moses taking them out on my own is no fun at all and be be brutal I now refuse unless it to the local park. We have a business which means long hours and weekends plus OH is now cycyle mad! Took them to beach once on my own and not to be repeat both going in opposite directions I was screaming my head off, had headache, felt rubbish got home and just wanted to escape from them.

The local great but noisey soft play is the only place they can run lose.

My boys are too cheeky and badly behaved now - I dont take them anymore!

I really struggle to get out with my 2, who are 19 months and 4 months. I cant drive and cant get my huge double buggy on a bus and am too scared to get the train in case it leaves the station while I'm still trying to get the buggy on/off. I'm not sure if that's a bit mental or a rational worry

I have 3 and only do proper days out when DH is home.

In the week I do parks with picnic, local shops, library and the other day we went to a local cafe for lunch.

Other than that we just do activities at home, paddling pool out, painting, dens, things like that, or visit friends.

If you've got bolters then soft play is often the only way forward, expensive and hellish but easy.

At least you can just let them go for an hour or so and maybe get to have a cup of tea.

I have been known to utilise the local ikea crèche as well so that I can have a cup of tea. Dont tell anyone though

Have to chuckle when the calm parents talk about visits to the museum - you are joking right???? My boys would rearrange the whole set up.

Visiting friends is ok as long as they are not the house proud set! As for going shopping thats another nightmare, one is climbing, one is in the window display and for food shopping that is also banned, when DS1 runs and drives in front of the OAPs tutting and DS2 is dragging anything off the shelf and popping it into the trolley.

personally I had 4 wildfires very close together but found that a slow train journey through the countryside (with a family and friends railcard) used most of a day when combined with a playground at the other end and a sandwich or 2.

A really huge double buggy helped in the containing/restraining (I had 4 under 5) when necessary and had a humongous carrier for the rubbish necessary items that we have to cart about.

I love the national trust as they often have walled gardens that Dcs could be let loose in with clear boundaries!...and a cup of tea for me. I didn't usually venture inside the houses though!

Our local library was also a good diversion

but yes it is hard work and tiring.

Just make sure that whatever you are doing you are enjoying your Dcs as much as you can. A little chaos is great