As you likely already know, we recently welcomed a new baby boy into our family! The last months of pregnancy kept me from being diligent about posting, but it is a new year and I vow to publish more frequently! Read on for my first thoughts on having three children!
Several people told me before my third son was born, “Oh no, you and your husband will be outnumbered by the kids!” This is certainly true, but the transition from two children to three has been easier in many ways than the change from one to two. First of all, no one has been worried that our firstborn will suddenly act out in bids for our attention. He already has a sibling to share the limelight with. Secondly, they have a playmate to have fun with while you are taking care of the newborn. It is also easier because I have experience already: I know what to do for cradle cap, stuffy noses, etc. Additionally I feel less pressure to be this amazing parent who takes them to museums, swimming lessons, and play dates. (Which, if you do all those things, you are spectacular because it is 4 pm and I don’t even know what’s for dinner tonight.) The last thing that makes easier is that my oldest child is three years old and can be an extra pair of hands to grab a diaper or pacifier!
That being said: of course it is more work than having two! There are more clothes to wash, mouths to feed, faces to clean, etc. I am really being tested in the Motherhood Department of Discipline! I hate yelling at my children: it is ineffective and teaches them that yelling is okay. I feel that sometimes it is the only option when someone is laying on top of someone else, standing on something that isn’t safe, or kicking a ball in the living room; you know, immediate safety concerns. I was proud of myself that I did not yell upon discovering green crayon drawn all over a bedroom wall the other day. I also didn’t yell when someone spilled the breastmilk I had just finished pumping yesterday. Calmly dealing with the situation always turns out better for everyone. (Though I must admit, sometimes I wish I had a punching bag to vent my frustration when I feel it bubbling over!) Such are the calamities that happen in a family with young children! At least they happen in this family! I will get back to you on how I am managing with three little ones!
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