Reply to S/o how do you have change your parenting approach to go from 2 to 3 kids successfully?

Forum Index » General Parenting Discussion

Reply to "S/o how do you have change your parenting approach to go from 2 to 3 kids successfully?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]I have 3 very little ones (4, 2.5, & 7 months). I feel a combination of both. We have LOTS of structure and individual responsibility but these are things we were encouraging even before our 2nd was born. Like, we potty trained first child at 18 months, a couple months before the 2nd was born, so we would not have 2 children in diapers. We did the same with the next one: potty trained him at 19 months before the arrival of Baby#3.
Anything they can do, they do themselves. I didn't even realize we were doing this until we had guests last year and they remarked on things like: when they (meaning the older two, not the baby, LOL) are done eating, they say, "May I be excused?" We say yes, and then they get down from their junior chairs, to towels hanging on the wall, and they clean their hands and faces. Little things like that make it manageable when you are also occupied with a baby.

Bedtime is pretty strict. DH usually puts the kids to bed around 7pm. They sleep in the same room, have the same bedtime, so it's easier in that regard. The baby nurses with me then goes to sleep around 8, then DH & I finally have time together.

Now on to the other side: I have become way more chill in some areas. Our first never watched cartoons or movies until she was over 2 years old!!! Once we had baby #3, my husband started turning on educational shows for the older two to watch in the mornings when they wake up (he dresses and potties them first too). And he cuts up fruit and other healthy finger food to eat for breakfast. A few years ago I never would have been okay with that. But it buys me time to sleep in if I need to, the kids are happy, mornings go smoothly!

I am working on getting the kids more involved in daily clean up. They're more than capable. It's more my own effort to remind them and help them get into it as a routine so I don't have to be the one always telling them to do it... But about every other day they do help with putting their laundry away or cleaning up the living room.

With 3 kids you really do have to stick to your guns in some regards. But let unnecessary things go. I let DH dress the kids most mornings. Sometimes it's not as coordinated as I would do it :) or my 4yo will do her own hair and it's obvious. But you know what, those are little things I've become relaxed about. If we just had 1 or 2 kids I'd likely be spending more time "fixing" things that aren't necessarily broken.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics