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Original poster

questions about having 3

32 replies

madeupusername · 30/12/2005 18:08

hello. I have just discovered I am prg with #3. I always wanted 3, but am now having a minor panic. can anyone reassure me please? was it that bad? did you travel at all? did you go out of the house, even? My oldest will be 4 when new one is born, youngest will be 2. eeek.

As my name suggests I'm a name changer, btw - nothing sinister, I just don't want anyone I know in rl to find the news out on here before I tell them. haven't told anyone yet as it's v early days.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Glitterygook · 30/12/2005 18:15

I've got 3 (as you probably know!) - when ds3 was born ds1 was 3.5 and ds2 was 21 months. Tbh, it was fine - no harder than jumping from 1 to 2 imo. It gets harder when number 3 starts walking and they too are getting into mischief! Pretty easy when they are a baby I found. Getting out is harder than with 2 obviously, but still manageable! Especially when the baby is still in a buggy. I suspect next summer might be harder for me as ds3 will be nearly 2 and won't want to be confined to his buggy in the park!

Still wouldn't change it - you won't regret it - it's fab having a little gang! Thought utterly exhausting, I won't lie, it's the most amazing thing ever seeing them all interact together.

ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 30/12/2005 18:23

Wehn I had number 3, my other children were 4 and 2 like yours will be. I did find going from 2 to 3 quite hard as suddenly there are not enough adults for each child to have one, or, if you are on your own, not enough hands for each child, but it wasn't that hard. Yes, I went out. Don't forget, by the time you have three children, you will be a very experienced mother and can cope with more than you could when you were on your first!

gigglinggoblin · 30/12/2005 18:40

i love having three. 3 is so many more than 2. i sometimes feel like i have a whole army!

mine are 6, 5 and 1. the hardest thing has been the age gap because ds1 wants to do grown up things and ds3 cant. luckily ds1 loves being a big important brother so its not so bad, and i doubt you will have many problems with that age gap. you find you just have to jiggle your time around, so i spend time with ds3 while the older ones watch a dvd or amuse themselves with something, then i spend time with them when ds3 is having a nap. stuff like going to the playground is now a fave because they can all do something there. i find we get out more now rather than less as its easier to keep them amused and it tires them out!

i have also found that ds3s development has been a lot quicker than the other 2, and i am sure its mainly cos he is copying them

congratulations, it will be a lot of fun!

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MarsyChristmas · 30/12/2005 18:43

honey I have 5. Trust me... 3's a breeze! Enjoy!

Glitterygook · 30/12/2005 18:44

Norty Mars - tis not.

Glitterygook · 30/12/2005 18:44

Actually mars - I had 2 of the kids friends over today so had 5 of them - did think of you!! Blimey! They were all under 5 though!

MarsyChristmas · 30/12/2005 18:46

YOMANK

Original poster

madeupusername · 30/12/2005 18:48

do you, mars? I didn't realise. well if you can have 5 and still find time to be on mumsnet all the time, 3 can't be that hard....

anyway thanks, 3 people. not sure that "3 is so many more than 2" is reassuring but on the whole, I think I'll cope. how do you manage holidays?

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lockets · 30/12/2005 18:48

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MarsyChristmas · 30/12/2005 18:50

military precision lol

Actually, I find it best to keep a laid back approach. DS1 is 13, DD1 is 11, DD2 is 7 and the DTs are 22months (and slowly destroying the house).

I like the hanging out part of holidays. Haven't been abroad since I conceived the DTs on the last one, but planning on going away on a cheap deal either at the end of this year or next Spring.

Jasnem · 30/12/2005 18:51

Also watching with interest. My others are 5&6, though, so I'm going to have the age gap probs as well ( but I'm hoping that having them both at school will help when baby is tiny).

lockets · 30/12/2005 18:51

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Original poster

madeupusername · 30/12/2005 18:52

almost 3 and 16 months! that's 3 lots of nappies isn't it? hope your eldest potty trains early.

but actually I don't know anyone in rl with 3 - that was partly the reason for posting. most people I know have one or two.

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lockets · 30/12/2005 18:55

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gigglinggoblin · 30/12/2005 18:56

but they all play together in a lovely little tribe actually if one is naughty the others tend to show off by being on their best behaviour to make the other look worse. you become an expert at ignoring them so there is no point acting up

gigglinggoblin · 30/12/2005 18:57

erm... ignoring bad behaviour, not ignoring tham all the time

MarsyChristmas · 30/12/2005 18:59

oh I don't know goblin.... ignoring them all the time seems to work pretty well

geogteach · 30/12/2005 19:11

3 is fab and I think I probably have same age gaps as you will have locketts. DS2 is now 14 months and he and DD (2.5) are a real hoot together. I go out because DS1 (4) is a nightmare in the house and always has been. I've been abroad twice with all of them. The only down side i've found is that friends with 1 or 2 seem more reluctant to have you round but we make up for it by meeting in the park or soft play and hanging out with other 3 gangs!

vickiyumyum · 30/12/2005 19:15

i will have 3 come march! so this is a very interesting thread.

my main concern is that , as the eldest of 3 growing up, that i don't make the same mistakes that my mum made. she obviously had a favourite and me and my brother (youngest) were made more than aware of that fact. my other concern is for one not to be left out.

mine will be ds1=8 and ds2=4 when baby arrives. have been told by scan that it is a girl, although the sonographer said 75%!!!!! so that worries me a bit as i am kind of desperate for a little girl and so will have to keep an eye on the way i am with them, and to not go mad buying too much pink girly stuff, whilst leaving the boys on primarks finest (not that there is anything worng with primark, i might add )

FairyTaleinNewYork · 30/12/2005 19:23

i have 3 girls, ages 5, 3 and 10months old. there is exactly 2.5years between each girl (talk about timing!!). it is great, dd1 helps with her baby sister, and dd1+2 play well together most of the time. they have their rucks, and dd3 is now moving which can casue problems 'muuuuuuum dd3 is on my picture/eating my book/taken the dice' but gnerally its a fun but manic household. lol.

and if you have all of the same sex, then you can pss clothes down (except i cant with dd1+2 as they are the same size).

bev1e · 30/12/2005 19:49

I have 3 and it's fab. I found the step from 2 to 3 a lot easier than from 1 to 2 but it's what you make of it.

ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 30/12/2005 19:55

Going on holiday with 3 is no harder than doing it with 2 (but then I take cheap self catering holidays in the UK on the whole so maybe I don't know what you will be missing).

If the truth be known, when you get to 4 you have to make the first really major adjustment since becoming a parent, and that is, you have to swap your ordinary car for a minibus.

I agree with whoever said that one drawback of having more than 2 close together is the difference in interests between the older and younger ones. My older children don't really do much in the way of cinema going, ice skating, etc because th youngest is still too young for it. I took my four and three of their friends bowling the other week and found that with ramps and bumpers, that was just about possible, but the film would have to be a very short one if I were to take all of mine out to the cinema still.

Sherbert37 · 30/12/2005 20:07

Have three the same ages apart as yours will be and it's great. They are now 12 (DS1), nearly 11 (DD) and 8 (DS2). They generally play together / hang out together all the time and we rarely have other children around - they don't ask and we don't seem to need it. They do loads of activities which can be exhausting for us parents. Celebrating, as MIL said for the first time ever that they are really good together. It has only taken 12 years for her to comment on this! Are third children a breed unto themselves? Ours is!

Hallgerda · 30/12/2005 20:21

I have three boys, aged 11, 8 and 6 (with a 20-month gap between ds2 and ds3). I would recommend having 3. They entertain each other very well, and we keep finding mysterious things around the house that they have made (post boxes, art exhibitions complete with "Do Not Touch" notices, etc). Our first holiday with three children took place when the younger ones were 2 and 3; we stayed in a hotel in the Isle of Wight. We were clearly the noisiest family there, but it about worked out. It has got easier as the family have grown up. Yes, it is possible to leave the house - though I have occasionally sensed some disapproval from smug mothers of one or two perfect little girls while I dealt with a tantrum, a potty emergency and a teething scream similtaneously while out and about... You may find you have to relax your standards slightly over being able to see all your children at the same time, and you may find yourself less welcome at tea gatherings (but I was really quite relieved at the latter!). Hope it goes well for you - have fun!

ambercat · 30/12/2005 20:24

I have 3 and i love it.
The main problem is that ds1 5 and dd 4 tend to smother ds2 10 mths with too much love and he does get rather squashed!.
I am really enjoying the baby as i feel alot more confident with him and things that stressed me out eg feeding and sleeping i let wash over me cos i know it all turns out ok in the end.

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