Bryan asked me today if I've thought at all about how I'm going to take care of all three kids when it's just me by myself, with no extra family members here to help.
Why yes, yes I have.
I had a preview of what life is going to be like when that happens. Bryan had to go back to work on the day that Paige, Isaac, and my Grandma Bonnie drove up from California, which meant that during their twelve hour drive, I was on my own.
Most of the day went really well. We didn't try to go anywhere and I let Peter watch episodes of Go Diego Go on Netflix so I could take a nap while Cooper napped. (My doctor insisted that I have a nap everyday, no matter what. I laughed, then said I would do my best to comply.) Bryan was due back at 5pm and at 4pm I thought to myself that we had had a pretty good day.
And that's when the crazy broke loose.
When Bryan walked in the door I told him I was glad we had all made it in one piece. And I was serious. Peter and Cooper decided to make up for how good they had been for most of the day. I have no idea why 4pm is the bewitching hour at our house. Most of the naughtiness consisted of ignoring me when I asked them to do (or not to do) certain things.
I wonder, why is it that I can ask them to do something and they act like I'm not talking but Bryan can ask them to do the same thing and they listen? They might not obey right away, but at least they acknowledge him. What is the magic power that dads have that moms don't? Or is this something specific to my household?
I'm still thinking about how I'm going to handle things next week when it's just me and the three kids. Will I ever get dressed before lunchtime? Will we ever leave the house? Any ideas for maintaining sanity, both mine and theirs?
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5 comments:
Routine. Really, mark it down on a poster somewhere in the house and refer to it often. Include some time on the routine for going out.
It'll be difficult at first because the boys will push their limits. Include incentives for compliance. They will try to find out what the boundaries actually are. Make the poster the bad guy, not you. It might, in fact, help to have dad put the poster with the routine up for extra authority, since they seem to mind him more than you. That way he can be a presence in your house even when he's not there.
baby swing saved my life with #3 and #4....baby was fine and content to swing, other kids got my attention.
But that doesn't mean that sometimes I didn't have to leave my baby lying mid-nurse on the kitchen floor while i ran out the back door, barefoot, in the snow, looking for my two little boys who thought it would be funny to go on a "walk" by themselves.
4:00 is such a bewitching hour! Well, at our house it's usually closer to 5:00, but then again Nathan doesn't get home until 6:00 usually (he goes into work late and helps out in the morning a lot -- that is how *my* kids get dressed before noon! Haha!)
Routine has helped a lot, and so has the passage of time. In those first weeks I literally had the TV on all. day. long. Sometimes that makes bewitching hour worse, I've noticed, but you do what you've got to! Anyway, it appears my boys have survived ... we don't have to do that anymore!
I usually reserve a few special activities for the afternoon "bewitching hour" -- things like watercolors, bubbles, our ball-pit balls (they make a huge mess, but they are entertaining and Nathan can help clean up when they get home), video games (Leapster), marble game, etc. Now that Logan's in Kindergarten, homework is a good activity for the late afternoon ... he actually likes it! Sometimes the Bjorn comes out at the bewitching hour, too, so I can hold the baby while still having use of my hands.
Anyway, I have no doubt that you'll make it! Good luck!
i don't really have any helpful ideas, but i can say that bella listens to patrick A LOT better than she listens to me. while we visited my brother for two weeks there were even times when she listened to him better than me. sigh... i don't know.
she'll get older and be a little less demanding, and then things will get easier. don't rush yourself. be patient. try not to commit yourself to doing too much at this time in life. just relax and enjoy your little newborn. it's so sad how fast they grow out of that stage.
by the way, love the dress in the previous post...we in fact have the same one.
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