Useful tips for 3 under 3

[Arimeh]

So howdy

Just after some useful tips for those of us who have 3 under 3. I'm not expecting it to be easy (although DS will be 3 a few months after the newby comes so technically I won't have 3 under 3 for very long!!)

So just after some tips that YOU found that worked for you, things that you wish you would have been told beforehand, and if you could do anything different than you did - what would it have been.

I won't have much family support (ie, any!) DH has to return back to work asap, so he'll probably only have a few days off, and my mum is flying down for probably a week after he goes back, but thats it. I'm on my own!!

Please give some reassurance that I will survive!!!

[feeb]

You are a strong woman you will do fine!!!!

Make sure you have a stash of chocolate!!!! It fixes all mummy issues LOL

Good luck I have no idea but wanted to give you a hug.

xoxo

[Sterla]

Have a friend with a sister who is willing to babysit!

(I'll be talking to her this week - so we can set something up!)

[2CheekyMonkeys]

wine! for you that is, not the kids! :-)

[Olive]

maybe look in to getting food home delivered, ie coles, aussie farmers direct etc.. even if its just ofr the basics like milk and bread on a regular basis you'll do ace

[Arimeh]

AJP - coles and woolies don't home deliver to this part of tassie ... wahhhhhh... I've already checked.. LOL

Sterla - I'm tellin ya, she'll change her mind once she meets him... although I did have a thought of calling her when I go into labour to watch them for me.. LOL

Hollo... wine for the kids ay... hmmmm.... might be more effective than anything else

Feeb - thanks

[Just Me]

Sorry no advice, Mel - but I also have 3 under 3 so I can offer you a bit of solidarity.

So far it hasn't been that bad (I'm 2 weeks in, I'm sure I have lots of war stories to come). I have a very settled baby this time which is really helping ... or maybe I'm just too busy to notice her being unsettled

[Arimeh]

haha TG I did think of emailing you and see if you wanted to become "war buddies" with me.. LOL

[luna moth]

You'll be able to do it!

I actually think it's a little bit easier than having three that are spread out in age, because their needs are much more similar when they're little. I have been a nanny for a 3 under 2 family, and a 3 aged 8mths - 12 years, and the littler ones definitely easier!

Get yourself some mantras, and repeat them to yourself. A friend has "they're only 1 and 2" and she says it over and over again and sounds like a nutbag, but it helps her to cool down when she thinks she's going to lose it.

Maybe "I'll sleep in 2016. I'll sleep in 2016...."

You'll rock it. You know it.

[Arimeh]

haha my personal mantra is usually "not too many years to go before DS is at school... "

LOL

[rhyb]

Wanna be my 'war buddy' Arimeh? We can go crazy together
Im gonna try this crazy 1 day at a time thing lol.

[Arimeh]

Yup you're on mate. I was thinking last night that I might do the "one hour at a time" thing..

[Trillian]

Babywearing for a start LOL. Umm tips from me would be don't worry about cleaning the house to showroom perfection because any visitors know how old your kids are and should expect that you can't do everything on your own (must stop using that one myself considering the age of my children now ) and accept all offers of help. Start cooking freezer meals now and if you don't already have one buy a slow cooker so you can cook a meal big enough for several meals and freeze the leftovers for the times when your day has gone to crap and you just need a quickie dinner without resorting to take away. Also do your dinner prep as soon as you find yourself a valuable moment of spare time - cut up the veges and have them in the saucepans so all you have to do is turn it on when you want to start dinner because Murphy's Law says that dinner time and arsenic hour are always at the same time

[Olive]

great ideas sherie!

another thing you could do is blanch your vegies and bag them into daily portions (cut up) freeze them, then just grab them out each day

[Just Me]

I have found that if all 3 of them cry at the same time, joining in can be very therapeutic (and maybe just a little involuntary)

Being war buddies sounds great!

[squidipa]

daycare or play groups parks and outings can help. activity tables with activities like pop stick gluing, drawing, tv, movies some idea's while the 3 year is busy it makes it easier with the other two left over. COFFEE, COFEEE and cheesecake lol

[Mak]

May be worth checking with the local council to see if they offer any services? A friend who got support for help with a nanny/cleaning for 12 weeks, I think it was the 3 under 3 that was the qualifier or it may have been bc she had a 2yo and twins but worth asking anyway.
Maybe a special box of toys each for for the older kids to be pulled out for feeds etc.
Good luck!

[kirsty_lee]

Tips on surviving? A bottle of Whisky, and a big one nahhhh you'll be right babe. Your super mummy!