How do you handle 4kids (of which 3 under 5) AND work full-time..

[mumofmany]

Ok.. i'll admit i'm tired.. emotional and exhausted. But feeling really overwhelmed at the moment.

DH work away most of the week.. so it's me me and me to do everything.

I was up a fair bit last night to the 19mo and 4.5yo.. and all I can think of now.. is when the next bub comes, how am I going to handle it!?

We transitioned the 19mo into a big girls bed in with her sisters (all 3 girls share the large rumpus room), but she has been having trouble settling, so in pure exhaustion, i've let her sleep in the cot in the nursery. This normally isn't an issue, but kinda need that spot for the new bub in a week or so!

Add into that, I most likely will only be having 2 months off work.. agrh.. it is all so overwhelming.

I heard once that there was a service the government offered for baby sitting after hours that your CCB applied to if you have 3 under 5.. not family day care.. it's like an occassional service? Anyone know of this?

phew.. thanks for listening.. i might go have another cry.. try wish this bub out of my tum and try to remember what god has blessed me with and be thanklful..

any advice on how you handle things.. i'm ALL ears!

[mollycat]

There is a service called "in-home care". Not sure where you can access that from - maybe talk to your baby health nurse/doctor/etc. Ours is run through our Family Day Care service.

This is where a carer will come into your home and look after the children (rather then take them out to a centre/FDC). There is a certain criteria that has to be met before you can access this service and I really don't know what it is.

Good luck.

[mumofmany]

thanks for that mollycat. i'll talk to the midwives etc when i have this bub, as i plan to stay in hossy only min time of 6hrs.. so need to find out what home support I can get.

[Arimeh]

Are there any BB members that live near you that can come and help out? Take the kids for the day so you can have all day with just the newby?

ETA - I found this by googling:-

In Home Care

In Home Care is a child care initiative announced as part of the Commonwealth's Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. Eligible families may have child care provided in their own home (where care is available).

In Home Care places are targeted to families who have no access to existing child care services, and/or their circumstances mean that an existing child care service cannot meet their needs, and where the family meets one or more of the following criteria:

* the child has, or lives with another child who has an illness or a disability;
* the child's guardian (or guardian's partner) has an illness or disability that affects their ability to care for the child;
* the child lives in a rural or remote area;
* the work hours of the child's guardian (or guardian's partner) are hours when no other approved child care service is available;
* the child's guardian (or guardian's partner) is caring for three or more children who have not yet started school.

The Department will continue to have discretion to allow exemptions to the eligibility criteria for a family in special and exceptional circumstances. Services will be required to contact the Department in such circumstances.

[mumofmany]

Thank for that Arimeh! I'll see what I can find out. It's not something I think I would rely on.. but would be nice to use if I needed IYKWIM.

As for support.. My mum is hopless, alcoholic and gambling addict. My dad lives an hour away and works OS for 40weeks/year. My stepmum is a joke, will only look after kids once they are totally toilet trained and can feed themselves. Plus she's a clean freak, and when we are there, if I feed my kids, she literally hands me a chux and asks me to wipe up the mess AS they are eating, rather than waiting til the end of the meal (she says the vermon will appear b4 the end of the meal!).

My brother and SIL I love dearly and would love to live closed, but they are 50mins away. I'm trying to convince DH to move closer to them for the support.

My in-laws live within 10mins.. but they are all in their late 40's with teenage kids and all work FT, so not always available or able to help me out.

It's really hard for me to ask for help, but I called my MIL and paid for her flight to come over for 3 weeks 6/3 - 29/3 when the new bubs here to help out.

I've only just stopped FT work myself.. but I've kept the 19mo and 4yo in care on a monday. So that will be my day to just enjoy new bub.

Sorry for rambling.. thanks for listening

[MantaRay]

Oh hun, I can't imagine how you handle it. I have two kids and work full time and I am exhausted! I really hope you can get some help hun.