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Original poster

AMA- mum of 5

48 replies

wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 16:25

I’ve just sat and read a few AMA posts so thought I’d join in.

Mum of 5 kids aged 8,6,4,2 and 3 months, which I appreciate is bigger than average so AMA.

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Original poster
wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 19:50

TomatoSandwiches · 15/04/2023 18:46

How many siblings did you grow up with?

I had 2 sisters and he had one sister. So not what we are used to 😂

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Original poster
wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 19:51

MMM2022 · 15/04/2023 19:35

What’s AMA?

Ask me anything.

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Original poster
wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 19:53

MyFaceIsAnAONB · 15/04/2023 19:43

A lady who works at my kids’ school has 5 kids inc 2 sets of twins. She always looks sooooooo calm and serene and the kids are so well behaved. What’s her secret? 😄

My midwife and HV both said that the bigger the family the calmer the mum. I don’t know if we have just gave up the fight 😂😂😂

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Mummy2mybear · 15/04/2023 19:53

MMM2022 · 15/04/2023 19:35

What’s AMA?

'Ask me anything' x

Ilovealido · 15/04/2023 19:55

Is it unusual where you live? I’m in London & the biggest families I know of have 3 but the norm is 1 or 2 DC. That is London though!

Original poster
wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 19:56

CC4712 · 15/04/2023 19:38

How many bedrooms does your house have? What jobs do you and DH have? Are you planning more?

Just 4 bedrooms. But we are converting the loft and splitting the master bedroom over the next few years. We are both nurses (band 6 and 7). I’d love more but my last pregnancy was very tiring so think we might be done.

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Ilovealido · 15/04/2023 19:57

Also do you get lots of comments like ‘do you not have a TV?’ or ‘bet you have your hands full!’ I imagine you hear the same comments a lot!

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wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 19:58

HotSince82 · 15/04/2023 19:46

During lockdown did you find it was nice for your children to have each other? Did they fare better than other children with only one sibling or none at all do you think?

I think it was helpful during lockdown. We had 3 at the time and I was pregnant with no.4. I felt they didn’t lose out as much socially.

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wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 19:59

sazzt · 15/04/2023 19:47

How do you both hold down jobs with 5 kids when they get sick? Only one toddler here and a bad autumn/winter sickness season has seen both of us have a ridiculous unavoidable amount of time off for childcare😬

We work opposite shifts so always someone here and nobody misses work if the kids are sick. I think it would be unsustainable otherwise.

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wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 20:02

HotSince82 · 15/04/2023 19:50

Has anybody in real life ever told you that you were irresponsible and should have thought of the environment before having so many DC?
This seems to be a prevalent view in MN.
Not one that I hold BTW. In this country I think we are sleepwalking in to a massive population issue when we are all elderly with not enough economically active in the generations following us to support the economy/country.

Nobody has ever said it to me personally but I do see it often on online conversations about large families. We do try to live as sustainably as we can though.

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MMM2022 · 15/04/2023 20:03

Oh ok thanks 😊

Original poster
wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 20:03

Ilovealido · 15/04/2023 19:55

Is it unusual where you live? I’m in London & the biggest families I know of have 3 but the norm is 1 or 2 DC. That is London though!

Yes it’s less common where I am too (Scotland). However, there are 3 other families on the street with 5 kids and a few at the kids school who have 4.

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MMM2022 · 15/04/2023 20:03

@Mummy2mybear thanks 😊

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wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 20:04

Ilovealido · 15/04/2023 19:57

Also do you get lots of comments like ‘do you not have a TV?’ or ‘bet you have your hands full!’ I imagine you hear the same comments a lot!

All the time. And everyone else just tells me I’m off my head 😂😂😂

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Ilovealido · 15/04/2023 20:11

Ha ha, thanks for answering @wingingit1987 . I can just imagine 😂.

Justputitdown · 15/04/2023 20:13

What's the gender order? I'm one of 5 and I absolutely love it.

Original poster
wingingit1987 · 15/04/2023 21:49

Justputitdown · 15/04/2023 20:13

What's the gender order? I'm one of 5 and I absolutely love it.

Boy-8
Boy-6
Girl-4
Girl-2
Girl-3 months

that’s great to hear- so many people i speak to who come from large families just tell me it’s chaos 😂 I work with two people from larger families who refuse to have children of their own now.

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bobby4567 · 15/04/2023 22:12

Do you have routine that you stick to particularly with the babies and when did you last sleep through the night?

Aintnosupermum · 17/04/2023 00:58

Thank you for the car recommendation. Checking it out because quite frankly the Audi Q8/Q7, is too much money for what it is.

Original poster
wingingit1987 · 18/04/2023 11:18

bobby4567 · 15/04/2023 22:12

Do you have routine that you stick to particularly with the babies and when did you last sleep through the night?

Not really- they tend to fall into a routine because the older ones all have a routine for school/nursery. I feed on demand and I’m usually led by them though. With the older ones- they have a set bedtime and I’m blessed with the fact they all sleep well. I keep them as active as possible to make sure they are tired come bedtime.

I genuinely can’t remember the last time I slept all night as I’m bad for staying up once the kids are asleep just to decompress a bit. When I’m at work, I work til 1am so I’m used to getting to bed at 2/3am then getting up at 6 for school run.

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wingingit1987 · 18/04/2023 11:20

Aintnosupermum · 17/04/2023 00:58

Thank you for the car recommendation. Checking it out because quite frankly the Audi Q8/Q7, is too much money for what it is.

My husband was the one to pick the car and he liked that it came with roof bars (we do a lot of UK breaks so just about to invest in a roof box). It’s also fairly roomy and the back seats are designed to be comfortable even for adults. Not the best boot but I baby wear and seldom use a buggy (always hire one on holiday). We do shopping when kids are in school too so we haven’t found the boot to be an issue.

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CallieQ · 18/04/2023 11:28

Are you mad

Original poster
wingingit1987 · 18/04/2023 12:59

CallieQ · 18/04/2023 11:28

Are you mad

Just a bit.

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