For those who have 3 or more kids!!

Well I am due to have my new baby in a few weeks and will have a 5 year old ds and 2.5 year old dd. 6 weeks after the baby is born my ds will be starting school.....so a few big transitions happening in our family.

I am just after your most helpful tips for caring with three kids. Whether it be in regards to school drop offs or organisation or helping the kids not to feel to left out! Any advice would be hugely appreciated!! smile

i have a 6 year old who started school this year, 3yo twins who will be starting kinder next year and a new baby due in March next year. All i can really say is you learn to adapt... every family is difrent. I had people trying to tell me what and how i should do things cos they do it this way and it works for them but when id try to do it their way it just wouldnt work! thing is every family is difrent... what works for someone else may not work for you! but you will work it out. I had the three boys on my own for a couple of years before my current husband moved in and the way things worked then was even difrent to how it works now. thing is next year will be difrent again as i will have the new baby and we plan to move away (which means i wont have my family around to help) and my husband will be working so i will have to change the way things work around here again but it will work! You just have to sit down and work out how things work best for you... if you have family close by... take advantage of it. As far as your oldest going to school... when i was on my own id get up in the morning, have my coffee and get dressed and brush my hair, get boys up and fed and get them all dressed. then we'd all heap into the car (or pram if i was walking)and we would get the oldest to school. then we'd come home Id have my shower and do my makeup and hair and then our day would start. we just had to plan things out and adjust them to make it work. now i can leave the boys home with my husband whilst i take the oldest to school and he picks him up which makes things easier.

Sorry i know ive rambled here but i hope i have helped in some way even if its just to give you a bit of peace of mind that things will work themselves out smile Good luck with it all.

Oh... and things like a tandem pram was great with my two younger kids. it made going out with 3 so much easier and less stressfull. my two younger ones were twins so they were the same age but in your case having the baby and toddler in the tandem will make going out on your own with them all so much easier.

Hi.....
I am a mum to 5 boys, including 13month old twins...The best advice I can give for your sanity is to get your kids to be as independent as you can as early as they can cope. Does that make sense... If your kids can care for themselves...dress, toilet, feed, then there is less you need to do. Of course you need to supervise this independence but if you start early and bit by bit, your kids will adapt well. then they will also be able to help you too.... My 5 year old does well for himself...gets his own breaky, dresses and showers himself as well as packing his bag for kindy. Needless to say, my older boys do everything for themselves including making their own lunches, taking care of letters from school, homework etc.as well as their specific jobs
Oh and be organised....everything has a place and everything in its place...that way the kids know where everything is when they need it...
Good luck, also remember, with lotsa kids...your house will never be spotless for long but it will be full of laughter.
Julie