3 kids is quite hard work, imo...

[Fillyjonk]

they are all great kids

the baby sleeps, though is still mainly bfding round the clock (shes 4 weeks tommorrow)

the older ones (2 and 4) are really good, they spend much of the day playing together (no school/nursery)

my lovely mother is paying for a cleaner, which takes the edge off it

dp is generally very good and is using holiday to take the older kids out, etc, though he is basically out of the house 7-6 most days. He is also doing the necessary reading/writing/numeracy stuff with ds.

but i am shattered, the house is trashed and I really, really need a few hours alone.

the laundry pile is breeding

and we don't have access to a car atm, and I can't face taking the 3 of them on the bus.

it is just hard bloody work, isn't it?

honest in 6 months time you won't remember it being any different........

Yes, but just think in a few years' time they'll all be great mates and doing the same types of things!

And a day like today is really hard because the weather stops you getting out for a trot down the road or putting LOs out in garden.

its funny now, am looking back at having just 2 and thinking "HOW was that hard?"

That'll be me in a few months time (DC3 due end April). Sounds like you are doing a great job. Everyone keeps telling me to lower my standards around the house etc as it will drive me mad - I only hope I can - sounds like you are pretty much forced to anyway.

I really hope it gets better for you!!

Mine are bigger - 10 months, 7 and nearly 10 - but yes it is quite hard work. Lovely - but time consuming and noisy I'm so glad it's not just me with a laundry pile that resembles the Andes. This last week has been hard because they've all been ill - when we just had two it was usually one ill, one well - but now the ill can outnumber the well!

Don't tell me that I'm due no3 in July and am thinking oh what have I done? Mine are 3.8 and 2.2 and are fighting all the time it seems.

problem really is baby in terms of getting out

it goes

anounce we are Going Out

feed

get dd1 dressed

feed

tell ds to get dressed

feed

tell dc to put shoes on

feed

get self dressed

feed

get baby dressedish

feed

get baby dressedish again

feed

abandon hope and make lunch

feed

oooops its 6 o clock and dark

hmmmmm - you need one of these slings you can walk and feed in

I will need to get out DD1 has nursery 9-11.30 every day, DD2 will start in a years time.

i keep stressing about getting a 4yo, 2 1/2yo and newborn ready for 9am.

oh, no, why did I have to read this post!?

still thinking about how i'll have to run one to school and the other to nursery 10 miles away, then go get child at nursery, then a few hours later, go get child at school.

then somehow get dinner.

i have a feeling we're going to be eating a lot of stuff out of the slow cooker.

indeed, sweet. a 5-year-old with developmental delays who is not potty-trained and can't dress herself, a 3 year old and a newborn.

it'd be easier if the nursery were attached to the school, but nah, it's miles away and i'll need teh two hours she's away to catch up on things.

I haven't found 3 to hard TBH, I have a 7,3 and 1 year old and am pg with number 4.

But then I have the oldest at school and middle one at nursery 2 1/2 hours per day. Don't get me wrong I have days where I could hsppily leave home but generaly things are ok, it will probably be number four that tips me over the edge

oh god we are eating mainly out of the freezer, no one has time to cook really.

nl-have never actually found such a sling, tbh, and I am the sling queen (you name it, i've tried it)

It does get better filly!

I'm afraid I used to let baby cry while dressing the toddlers... otherwise we never got outside. Also, they had to dress in the morning before any TV etc, so that they were 'ready to go' when I was finally ready!

Good luck!

Blimey expat that is a trot to the nursery

Oh dear - I know there's no way I could feed and walk - there's a fair bit of me and I need my hands to prevent poor baby getting smothered! I always feel envious when I hear about other people doing it.

"i keep stressing about getting a 4yo, 2 1/2yo and newborn ready for 9am"

oh jesus

hmm actually it COULD be ok. We are up at 6 and sometimes one of us is dressed by then.

oh and actually, dd1 (2.5) can dress herself, so you could work on that?

agree, IS hard but gets better. 4 week olds are pretty tough on their own and will space out feeds soon.

I can remember being overwhelmed with 1st baby and wondering how I'd cope; now when Grandma takes two oldest for a weekend sometimes (not that often...) we go 'phew, one baby, that's a doddle!

Can you afford to pay a local teenager/neighbour to help out, even an hour a day once a week? I'm gonna do this when I go back to work (kind of school-run au pair, I'm thinking of it...) To do some ironing or summat. Or even just play with the other two while you have a bath?

Sweetkitty, my plan is not to get the newborn ready for the school/nursery run - I will just put her in the pram or sling and do what I need to for her when we get home!

It does get better Filly, honestly it does! The first few weeks with 3 were an absolute nightmare but now DD is nearly 9 weeks old it is getting easier - either that or I have just completely let my standards slip, I suspect a bit of both... I even managed to get the DSs to school before the second bell today !

teenager thing is good idea

i must organise something like that

We're in a rural area, ped. The primary school where DD1 will attend has only 60 pupils, and not enough to sustain a nursery.

So it's 10 miles each way for DD2 - well worth it, though - she already tries to go with DD1 and sit down in the circle and sing