How Many Kids Have You Had To Look After At The Same Time? (including friends over)

[Bathsheba]

It's a dark and wet rainy day here in Melbourne today... and I have 7 kids in the house and it's just me! 5 teenagers (2 boys and 3 girls) and my 5yo and 3yo boys. It's not the all time record... last school holidays i had 9. But that was a warm sunny day and they were outside. I had to call the ambulance at one stage because 1 of the teenage visitors (male) fell out of a tree and broke his arm but otherwise it was drama free although hectic... or should I say "hektic" (<-- teen speak).

I have worked at a school/ELC and been in charge of many more kids... but there you have resources and colleagues... it's different to being at home by yourself. Being a SAHM I tend to get all the kids come over whose parents are working and who haven't made arrangements for alternative care... a bit annoying but I'd rather they come here than wander around the streets I guess.

Anyhow... how many kids have you had to look after all by yourself? Include age ranges because looking after a wide age raises many challenges... like teens leaving doors and gates open for toddlers to run through etc.

Any tips??? I've already made a mountain of pop corn... eating kids are happy and quieter kids!

[Bathsheba]

Kids' friends gone home... I've earned my Mother's Helper tonight (nice glass of red with the Chicken Kiev). The girls were straighteneing the boys hair at one stage... I didn't think teenage boys would go that far to flirt with a girl LOL

[Lulu]

Oh no way, I've had a boy here with a spectacular afro and he let DD straighten it...I drove him home though, I wasn't willing to risk his safety at the train station

I suppose the most I have had was at DD's 14th birthday, it might not count but there were dramas all over the place because one girl was upset (drama queen) because she hadn't been invited to stay over (she actually had), 2 others that were just way too cool to participate in the games and insisted on sitting in DD's bedroom and the neighbourhood treasure hunt went slightly awry and I had to jump in the car combing the area to pick up some strays...

Then I sneaked a mothers helper and was hiding the the bushes having a cigarette when some parents rocked up and caught me puffing away with a glass in the other hand

[Bathsheba]

ROFL! I can just see your poor mortified face at being sprung in those bushes! Oh they should have understood! Pooey to them... they can do it next time!!! (i bet they wouldn't handle it!)

[Tinks]

Not including birthday parties I've had about 7 kids here, they're mostly the neighbours kids and my nephew. I don't think I could do any more than that!

I love your idea of having the kids whose parents work over.

[MrsFabuloso]

In my own home, I've had 6 to care for, a 12yr old, 11yr old, 9yr old, 5yr old, 2yr old and DS who was about 10mths. That was a challenge!! Though the 12yr old was a great helper with DS.
At work though (early childhood teacher) I have looked after more at once. But as you said it is easier there, it is (usually) safe, the kids are the same(ish) ages, there are resources and well, they're not your's which somehow (for me anyway) makes it easier! LOL!!

[Floweryfields]

Well that mix is what we have during the school holidays - so I would say 12 - cause that's the number we are legally allowed to have alone. It;s a challenge, but I'd take that mix over 4 6 month olds alone, which I too!

[BekZ]

I had my 2 nieces stay overnight around 5 days before I gave birth to DD3. It was hell!!!

This was the first time I had them stay overnight and I had planned a special pizza dinner then we had a disco and dvd.

OMG I just couldn't please them. My niece's routine is so different to my girls that we had chaos, tears, fighting and I had virtually no sleep (mainly due to my eldest niece having nightmares and wanting to sleep with me). Poor DH got moved to the lounge.

We couldn't wait to get rid of them...I sound really horrible and I love my nieces but they can stay home overnight