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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am a mom of three kids (ages 7,4,1) and am going to be taking time away from my career for a variety of reasons I won’t get into. I expect that will happen this summer or by the fall for the next school year - kids would be 7.5, 4.5 and 1.5.

I have always worked full time and had a nanny. I would love to hear from stay at home moms of bigger families how you structure your day. Specific questions:

- do you have any part time childcare for toddlers at home to give you time to do chores like cooking, or to take time for yourself like exercising? 
- what do mornings look like? Right now my nanny and I tackle mornings together before work, and I drop my older two kids off at school before work. So she actually doesn’t handle the morning routine for all 3 at once. 
- after school activities: do you try to get your older kids to do activities in the same place? Do you all go together to after school activities and hang out waiting for the other?
- when is dinner cooked while you’re taking care of all three kids? Do you meal prep or let them play while you cook? 
- how do you help older kids with homework while watching a toddler? Right now I wait until my husband is home from work so one of us can do homework with our oldest while the other watches the baby. Wondering if it’s possible to get homework out of the way earlier in the day.

Any other considerations or tips to stay organized?

I am sort of embarrassed to ask these questions, but I’ve always had my nanny for a few extra hours so I could have time to either exercise, cook, do laundry or run errands. I don’t plan to have a nanny if I’m not working but am open to a very part time sitter for some support. [/quote]

My kids are 7,4, and 2 and I WFH so do lots of shuttling for activities and also prep dinner solo after our nanny leaves and do homework with my oldest while prepping. 
-My SAHM mom friends expect for one have a part time sitter who helps daily or multiple days a week, even with preschool. I live in Greenwich, CT so lots of very well resourced families. If you’re not doing the babysitter route I would do part find preschool for your youngest. Especially with two older siblings, your youngest will do well and you’ll probably welcome the break too.
-Can your husband help with mornings? If he takes the train into the City you can drop him at the station after drop off. Otherwise, get everything ready the night before so it’s less crazy and do a simple breakfast (yogurt cups, cereal in the car, etc).
-My older kids and younger kids do activities in the same place or the same general area. As in, one kid has swim team practice at the YMCA and the other child has gymnastics down the street at the same time at the YWCA or I have my younger kids do a private swim lesson together or you stagger times or days. If school dismissal times are staggered significantly (kid 1 gets out at 12 and kid 2 gets out at 3) find kid 1 activities from 1-1:45 or 1:45-2:30, etc.
-I don’t meal prep outside of making more than we will need and basically always having ingredients for dishes the kids like on hand. My kids are all picky in different ways so I make different things and it’s the easiest thing at this moment in time. I let the younger kids play or watch Bluey and the older child does homework. I usually sit with my older child during at least part of their homework (while pasta is cooking, etc). My youngest still nurses, so that was a good distraction when they were 1 or early 2. My middle child likes to pretend to do homework next to my oldest and will practice writing letters or draw. [/quote]

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