Parents that have/ have had 3 kids ages 3 and younger at one time

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lifeisbeautiful

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I was just wondering how parents, specifically sahm, go out grocery shopping, running errands etc with 3 (or more) babies/toddlers ages 3 and younger… Double stroller and sling? Take a friend/family member? Babysitter?

When I had only one I wondered how people with two babies under 2 did it, now that I have two babies under 2 (lol, under 1.5 to be precise), I wonder how people with 3 under 3 do it 🙂
 
Go to the website fullhousemoms.com, go to the bulletin board for questions, and ask there. That is a website for parents of multiples, and believe me it is not only their parents of triplets who have three aged three and under to cope with. The membership has many families with twins plus one or two more born within three years.

I just had the two. I did a double side-by-side stroller with toys attached to the outer edges by those little plastic ring chains–wouldn’t reach to whack the brother–taught the boys “hands in”, pushed the cart with one forearm, and pulled the grocery cart after. (Those ring chains are good for handled sippy cups, too.) The store I went to had nice wide aisles, and thanks to the Americans with disabilities act nearly every store you go to will usually accomodate a double stroller. If I had three, one would have been in the cart, tied in. If I had four, I would have chosen the stores with the wide carts that allow two kids to sit side-by-side.

Oh, and park next to the cart return and go when the kids are fresh. Keep your pantry stocked so that trips that aren’t happening today don’t have to happen today.

If having multiple young children does not get you organized and in the habit of looking ahead for possible difficulties, nothing in this world will. And you will still lock yourself in the bathroom for a cry once in awhile. That’s okay, too.
 
**2 grocery carts - **
**1 has the car seat in the basket and the next up in the seat, the 3rd walks. **
another cart for actual shopping items.
**You use the seat straps for the purchasing cart to attach it to the baby cart, thus when you pull the baby cart it in turn pulls the shopping cart caboose style.🙂 **
 
Our grocery store and target has carts made for 3 which is nice. Sometimes it’s a double stroller and sling, sometimes it’s just the stroller and the oldest walks.

I remember the days of having just one and wondering how I’d even manage with him. As you add children you figure out ways to make it work and now taking all 5 out isn’t usually a problem (…there are days…😃 ) Our oldest is 9 and he can usually be trusted to help with the little ones. It can be an adventure sometimes, though 🙂

Jennifer
 
we did it, fortunately much of that time is a dim blur, but I do remember disctinctly the day I decided never, ever to take them all shopping with me. It had to do with a trip to the mall to buy shoes on a morning when I had been working all night, a toddler who did a sit-down strike at the top of the escalator while the 3 year old went on her merry way, and the infant decided to let loose the accumulated contents of her large intestine all over me. I still have nightmares. DD decided after all she did not like the shoes we bought, pitched one into the appliance store and the other into Penney’s perfume counter.

i still shake when I think about it.

that and, since we did not always have a car, or a washer, getting to the laundromat with a shopping cart full of dirty diapers, baby in a sling, toddler riding on top of the diapers, chasing the 3 yr old.

I am getting the shakes, please somebody bring me my margerita.
 
lifeisbeautiful said:
I was just wondering how parents, specifically sahm, go out grocery shopping, running errands etc with 3 (or more) babies/toddlers ages 3 and younger… Double stroller and sling? Take a friend/family member? Babysitter?

When I had only one I wondered how people with two babies under 2 did it, now that I have two babies under 2 (lol, under 1.5 to be precise), I wonder how people with 3 under 3 do it 🙂
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When I had 2, 21 mths apart. I went grocery shopping on Saturday, and dear daddy watched the kids. I knew I couldn’t fit and fight with two kids, and a grocery cart. Besides…it was my day off. Glad I had only 2. They are in college now…and DH and I are catching our second wind. Empty nest years…here we come!!!😃
 
I avoided going out as much as I could. I do remember going out w/ them to the store and buying a pregnancy test. The checkout lady looked at me, looked at my kids, looked back at me and rolled her eyes! :rolleyes:
The store was bad enough but the thought of going to church w/ them alone was enough to send me into panic!
 
don’t even get me started on doctor appts. which meant two buses and a rapid transit to the HMO on the other side of town, in Cleveland winters with sleet, slush and wind, snowsuits, boots and invariable one of them would throw up on the bus. My youngest was an angel but it was never possible to carry enough diapers to see her through one of these expeditions, the cold did something to her insides.
 
I just don’ do it. Saturday, is my day to run errands… ALONE! Even if I don’t get to do things just for me, not having to take anyone to the store is a wonderful thing.

When I do have to go with the kids, (if my husband is deplyed or somthing) and this sounds crazy… but I make my list and try not to spend more than 20 min in the store. If that means going more than once a week, that is fine. The kids can only last about that long before they start to pick on each other.
 
Thanks for your answers so far!
I was a little hesitant to ask, since I figured it wasn’t easy and don’t want to discourage anyone from having 3 in a row, but I was interested in seeing how you did it 🙂

I know several families with 3 or more in a row (one has 10 in a row, another has 10 almost in a row, maybe one or two small stretches over all), and have seen the beautiful relationship their children have, but I have never asked the mothers how they do it.
 
This was helpful to me b/c we are expecting our third under 3 in Feb. They will be as far apart as yours were, monicad. I like the idea of going out by myself on Sat. That is a great suggestion.
I remember when I was growing up, my dad did the grocery shopping after dinner and it was always a treat when my sister and I got to go with him. I know that we were both older than 5, so that is a big difference than shopping with small children. Mom stayed home with the younger ones.
And as for other people’s comments or looks on having so many kids so close together, I don’t know why it bothers them. They aren’t the ones having the kids or taking care of them. 🙂
 
Ok, I go shopping in the evenings with no children and also pick up lots of end of day bargains. Hubby gets home at 3pm, so I might head out after we’ve eaten. On the rare occasions I take all four, it is a nightmare.
I try to get appointments after DH comes home, and I won’t take them unless they are really ill.
 
I have a 3 year old boy, 1 1/2 year old girl and a new baby brother coming in Dec.

Right now, they do really really well with my girl sitting in the cart seat, and my son walking (sort-of 😛 ) alongside. He really does well staying with me, in general, although I have to keep a sharp eye on him, b/c as we all know, kids can dissappear in a FLASH. He’s learning to walk holding on to the cart… his “punishment” if he doesn’t behave reasonably well is to have to sit in the basket of the cart. He usually hates this, so will straighten up if I have to start threatening it. An hour long trip to Wal-Mart is pushing it, although he can do it, but a half-hour weekly trip to Aldi is getting easier and easier! And even at three, he’s actually turning into quite the little helper, as well as being great company, although if you’re not careful he’ll talk your head off. 😃 And timing is key… too tired or too hungry, and you’ve just signed your death warrant. Puzzleannie’s account gave me the shakes, too. :eek:

My plan for when the baby comes and I start venturing out again (which probably won’t be for quite a few weeks) will be to wear the baby in a sling/snuggli, and then proceed as usual. I"m sure it will be hard at first, especially coordinating trips with new baby’s eating/sleeping needs, and considering the fact that it will be the dead of winter, but I guess I’m prepared for that! I don’t like going out shopping too much when DH is home, b/c I just really like to be with him. :o Sorry if that’s too cheesy! 😃
 
just to point out that kids have 2 parents, and one should be watching the kids while the other is doing a necessary activity. only be sure to educate DH on the fact that mowing the lawn or working on the car while the kids are running around does not constitute child care. also dads DO NOT babysit, they parent.

that sling thing, used to be called a Geri-pack, don’t know what you gals have today, was the best baby gift I ever got for #3, she went everywhere hanging in front until about 6 months, then in the back-pack, leaving 2 hands free for the other 2 kids. Also provided modesty for BF (which was a rarity back then and a necessity on a long trip like a crosstown bus ride). I only went on such expeditions in case of dire need, if DH was travelling out of town, or if I was sleep deprived and hence in an altered state. also I was certifiable at that stage of my life, or I never would have tried some of those trips at all.
 
lifeisbeautiful said:
Thanks for your answers so far!
I was a little hesitant to ask, since I figured it wasn’t easy and don’t want to discourage anyone from having 3 in a row, but I was interested in seeing how you did it 🙂

I know several families with 3 or more in a row (one has 10 in a row, another has 10 almost in a row, maybe one or two small stretches over all), and have seen the beautiful relationship their children have, but I have never asked the mothers how they do it.
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My DH is one of 9. My m-i-l had 4 cribs in one room! 7 boys all in a row…a year apart…then the 2 girls on the end. My d-i-l used to say the boys were much easier than girls…I told him, he was just older and more worn out by then.

I avoided taking the kids to the store when they were real small. 4 and 5 was about the age I took them out…but we had a “chat” before we went anywhere. They loved to go out to eat…so that was my bribe. I avoid Wally World on Saturday for grocery shopping, because other parents let their kids run all over the place…some screaming, yelling, opening and closing freezer doors. Annoying!!!

I know the roll eyes look…I have done it myself…only I’m saying to myself…“better you than me, lady”. 😃 It’s too distracting to take small kids to the store. I couldn’t use a snugli…because my oldest was 10lbs when he was born, and I had a c-section and couldn’t carry anything that heavy around.

If you can avoid taking them…do it. You need a rest too. We wanted 4…stopped at 2. I’m not the 4 cribs in one room type. My m-i-l, (God rest her soul) was dear women and must have had nerves of steel.
 
here, here. new born and a 2 year old and 3.5 and homeschooling an 8 year old.

I don’t know how I did it… Maybe I didn’t go anywhere…

I know that I did stuff on the weekend when my spouse was home…

I really don’t remember how I did it… LOL… by God’s good grace for sure…

Thank God for NFP… I didn’t learn about it until new born came around… (in the nick of time!)
 
KCT said:
And your mother in laws name is Saint what?? —KCT
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:rotfl: she had to be…there is no way I could do it. They both had good jobs at the auto manufacturers in Michigan, and retired just before the big lay offs. They worked in different shifts, and my f-i-l did all the cooking and got the kids ready for school. They lived in a small town, where 10 or more kids was the norm. (must have been the cold winters, 😃 )

My DH and I wanted 4…but after #2…that was it for me. Yeah, I feel a good bashing coming along…but, my DH and I are responsible for each child’s welfare. Two was our limit. Having 2 in diapers at the same time was unreal, so no way was I going to take them somewhere alone. When they went for there doctor visits, my mother came along. (turned into a different person once she became a grandmother…go figure 😃 )

It’s a tag team effort when it comes to raising kids. It’s not the 50’s where dad came home, at 5:00, dinner at 5:30, Cronkite at 6:00, read the newspaper and to bed at 10:00.

My DH and I hit the ground running when ours came along. In a way, I think that because my husband had so many siblings…he watched how his dad got up in the morning and got everyone going…now my DH does the same thing. He said, if I made enough, he would love to have been the SAHDad.
 
Large Family Logistics is an excellent web site that gives the “inside scoop” on managing life with many small children.

If you’re very interested in learning the tricks of the trade, I’d also suggest signing up for the MOMYS e-mail list. The messages – from experienced “Mothers Of Many Young Siblings” – are both educational and inspiring.

After reading about these families, “3 under 4” starts to just seem like the beginning. Here are some of the women whose web sites I’ve come across, whose lives really amaze me:
  • A mother of 26 children, most of them adopted, with moderate to severe special needs (many in wheelchairs).
  • A mother of 12 children, ages 10 and under, including two adopted sets of siblings, most of whom have behavior problems related to having been born with drug dependencies. And she cooks healthy food from scratch, homeschools, and sews beautiful dresses to sell on eBay. (Talk about humbling. I only have two children, and some days, I can hardly manage to *get *dressed, let alone *sew *a dress. 😉 )
Want to know how these women manage? They’re pretty clear about it:

“I can do all things in Him who strengtheneth me.” (Phil 4:13)

True, God may not be calling us to imitate the details of their lives… but reading their stories is a reminder that we need not fear to be open to all that He *is *calling us to. Even if “I can’t imagine being able to do that!”, that’s no reason for me to be closed to the possibility that maybe, with His help, I can.

Now, if only I could find my socks… 😛
 
lifeisbeautiful said:
I was just wondering how parents, specifically sahm, go out grocery shopping, running errands etc with 3 (or more) babies/toddlers ages 3 and younger… Double stroller and sling? Take a friend/family member? Babysitter?

When I had only one I wondered how people with two babies under 2 did it, now that I have two babies under 2 (lol, under 1.5 to be precise), I wonder how people with 3 under 3 do it 🙂
Click to expand...
That happened twice in our household. Once with me, my sister and my brother, and again years later with four kids in five years.

The second time around was probably much easier as Mom had 4 able bodied babysitters.

The first time around, well…I still hear stories! lol.
 
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