I confess. I might be in over my head. Anyone with kids has their hands full, but for me, having three kids is a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. I love each of my kids dearly, but the three of them together can be more than I can handle at times. They push me damn near the point of no return just about every single day.
There is never a point in time when one of them doesn’t need something. Seriously, it would be easier to just stand in the kitchen and fulfill food and drink requests all night long rather than sit down for five minutes only to be summoned up again for the next request. After a long day, it is completely exhausting.
Parents of any number of children probably all feel the same way. It’s a lot of work. However, for me, when I had my third little bundle of joy, that is when the shit hit the fan. I don’t know that is was her specifically, but rather just having a third human to tend to that was so difficult. That said, the Hulk is not necessarily the easiest child. She is very stubborn, independent, opinionated, and busy. Hmmmmmm… maybe she takes after her mama!
I had heard that going from one kid to two kids was a hard transition. And it was, don’t get me wrong. I just wasn’t prepared for what going from two to three would be like. In my mind, it wasn’t going to be that different. Our house was already chaotic, messy, loud, and someone was always sick. What was one more kid thrown in the mix? Well, I came to find out one more kid is A LOT.
With three kids, we are now not only outnumbered, but also majorly stressed out. Here are some things that changed when we had that third baby.
The need for a big family car. With the need for one more car seat, having three car seats/boosters all in a row just wasn’t going to work. Literally, they didn’t fit. Now only a minivan or SUV with a third row will do. It’s funny because even that isn’t big enough when packing up to go out of town. That thing is jam packed with all the bags, equipment, people and pets! Maybe a bus is a better option.
Someone is Always Crying. Could be any of the three kids…or sometimes even mom! Between the fighting, injuries, and pure frustration, tears are guaranteed multiple times a day.
Family pictures. It’s damn near impossible to get everyone to look in the right direction for a picture. Throw five people together for a quick snap shot, and it is inevitable that at least three of them will look angry, confused, annoyed, sad, or distracted…and mom always ends up looking mad. It is science. I personally don’t even think it is possible.
There is never a time when everyone has everything they need. Never. Ever…or at least I have yet to experience it. Can you get me milk, pants, socks, food, a show, more food, more milk, food again….it never ends. Then throw a couple pets into the mix. Hence the never sitting down.
Enormous, super-sized Costco packs of food and/or toilet paper last about a week. 5 people (three of them growing kids) go through an absurd amount of food and supplies. String cheese lasts 10 minutes. Goldfish…did I even buy them? They are gone 5 minutes after they are unpacked. Didn’t I just buy toilet paper? I guess when unrolling the roll is a game you tend to use more.
Privacy. It is non-existent. This might just be the case with kids in general, but since I have had three of them, someone is always there watching me. Even the cat and dog join in. Come on Gang, Mom has to Pee! There is no peeing alone, showering alone, even no sleeping alone.
Transportation Logistics. Only two driving adults and two cars; three kids that need to get places. Catch my drift? It is physically impossible to be in three places at one time. I’ve tried.
Chaos is an everyday reality. It’s always loud. It’s always messy. It’s always hectic. Everyday. But I guess that is what I signed up for!
Even though these things stress me out sometimes, I love having my family of five (plus 2 pets). In truth, quiet would be glorious…but these days are short. I’m trying to enjoy them. One thing is for sure…NO MORE KIDS!
