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3+ moms, please tell me about your daily routine

Summer20Summer20
in Toddlers: 24 Months+

After a year of back and forth, we are now starting to seriously consider trying for #3.  Every logical reason points to stopping at two, but I just don't feel like our family is complete yet.  Anyway, most of the concerns (time, money, sleepless nights, etc) are either short-lived or we can make work.  My biggest worry is just how I will take care of three little ones all at once. 

For example, at bed time DH and I each put a kid to bed - what do you do with kid #3?  Especially if he/she is still pretty young.  At nap time I currently let DD watch a TV show while I put DS down because I know she'll stay put.  Do I do that at bedtime too?  I hate to use TV all the time, but if she's not good and distracted then she's busting into the baby's room and waking him up... And what about when DH isn't here and it's just me?  At lunch time I barely get to eat between all the cutting of food, picking up dropped things, refilling drinks, etc.  How do you manage it with another?

I know this isn't rocket science and I would figure stuff out, but I'd love to hear from some experienced 3+ mamas.  What is your daily routine like?  How do you do naps/bed with three kids?  What things work best for you?

Thanks!


DD february 2010 | DS october 2011


*please excuse my typos, bumping from my iphone*
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Re: 3+ moms, please tell me about your daily routine

  • saturdaynightdoubletreesaturdaynightdoubletree member
    I'm not quite at 3 yet, but had and still have a lot of your same concerns. I learned with 2u2, if that's what you want to do, you make it work. I always dreamed of having a big family and close in age, but after each kid DH and I have spent a lot of time weighing out pros and cons and trying to see how practical it is. We agreed to three. I always wanted 4 or 5, but it's not practical in today's world unless you're very blessed with a lot of money, or have a lot of family around to help in every way possible. DH is 7.5 years older than me, and has major issues about being old when his kids are junior high and high school, he wants to be able to be active with them, etc etc.
    On a more daily basis, I've been blessed with a DS who refused to adopt any bedtime routine other than put me in my crib and leave me alone. So he's easy, and as DD gets older she is getting easier too.. Although bed time and nap time require settling down and reading a few substantial books. Both kids started preschool this year, and I don't think I'd be having a third kid right now if it wasn't for those 15 hours of them being occupied every week; they only go 3 days a week from 9 to 2. It gives me time to grocery shop, not worry about entertaining, and will provide me a little one on one time with the new baby. Besides, in 2 more years my baby will be starting kindergarten, the year after that I'll have two in school, and it's only a matter of time before they start getting more and more independent. Sad, but true. You just have to follow your heart, everything else will work itself out.
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  • snicksnacksnicksnack member

    I don?t have three but I have two and I do a lot what you were talking about I do by myself or DH does it by himself and my mom watches both kids by herself when I am at work.  I see your younger one is under two it may be easier if you wait until he is over two to have the baby.  At least at that point he will be out of the throwing cups and food stage.  My kids are two years and three months apart and now that DD is over 2 and ? it has gotten easier because she can listen and understand what we are saying.

     

    Bed

     

    My advice don?t do long routines for sake of routine.  I never did that with either one of my children and it works in my favor. Like the  PP poster DD is fine with a kiss and being tucked into bed.   Additionally, I can give them a bath at a time that works vs. before bed.

     

    On nights they both have a bath, the baby only gets a bath every other or every third night due to Eczema, I bath them together.  Since the baby is little I get in with them.  DD goes in first I clean her then the baby.  I wash the baby while DD plays and then he is out, dressed, and I nurse him for about ten minutes while she is still playing. I am sitting right next to the tub watching DD.   Once he is done I sit him in his chair and I take DD out of the bath.  She is dressed, teeth brushed and into bed.  After that baby is changed, book, and into bed.  I don?t think adding a third to that routine would be terribly hard once the third child is older say from 6 months on.

     

    Meals

     

    With my toddler I don?t refill drinks, provide different food etc.. on demand otherwise I would spend the entire meal catering to her every whim.  I make sure she has a full glass of milk and water with her meal.  If she runs out of either she has to finish the other glass before getting a refill.  Same with her meal she needs to eat everything before getting more one particular thing, otherwise she would live on bread LOL. This is the only way that DH and I can sit down and eat.   Either myself or DH cook dinner and/or lunch and everyone eats at the same time for lunch and dinner when we are all home, on Sunday we like to eat breakfast together.   The baby will be starting solids in a couple of weeks.  At first I will have him fed before we get home once he can eat more finger foods he will be worked into the meal routine. 

     

    Naps

     

    When the baby was not on a routine he would just sleep wherever.  The hard part was my toddler waking him up.  Now that he is on a routine he goes down for his early morning nap before DD is up at around 7.  She gets up around 8:30 9 and he is waking at the same time.  I get them both up and she eats breakfast.  Sometimes around 10 he is tired again and I just carry him upstairs and put him down I don?t need to provide her with any entertainment as it is only a couple minutes tops and I can trust her to stay in the living room playing. For the afternoon nap they go down at the same time.  She helps me put him down and then she goes down.  It is fairly easy.  I think the hard part with three is DD will be too old for a nap and I would not have any down time, but by the time we decide as the PP said DD would be in preschool allowing for downtime.  I think if you space your second and thrid closer to 2.5 years apart you will find it easier than with 2u2

     

     

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  • gimmietimmiesgimmietimmies member

    Weekdays I get them up before or at 7am. S goes to dayhome, K is in kindergarten on alternating days with dayhome, the others are in school. I get them ready on my own as dh leaves at 6. With the exception of S, they all get up and get dressed on their own, make lunches, breakfast, etc, on their own. When the girls were younger I helped dress them, from oldest to youngest. I had that down to about 5-10 minutes. I am out the door by 730 with one or two girls, and off to work. Evenings, back at home is dinner, bath and bed by 800 for S and 830 for the older girls. Everyone helps out. I still bath the younger girls around the same time, so I get through that quicker. When they were smaller I brought their pjs into the bathroom and got them dressed as I was getting them out of the bath. Into bed I put the youngest down first and work my way to the oldest. Although T doenst really need help, she just needs reminders to get to bed. Again, dh is usually out, so this I do on my own. NBD.

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