happycc Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Can someone tell me if this is a normal day for you with a 7 weeks old baby? 8am-kids alarm goes off, one of kids turn it off 8:30am baby wakes me up to nurse--I had already been up at 5am, 3am, 1am, i change his diaper and tell the older kids to wake up and my 3.4 yrs old rises and tries to sit on the newborn while I am changin his diaper 8:45am-tell 3.5 yrs old to use the bathroom to coax him off the baby and to leave me alone while I deal with newborns diaper 9am-still trying to get older kids up and going and start their chores. newborn wants to nurse more, 3.5 yr hasn;t gone to the bathroom because he claims it is too dark. it is not. I try to convince him to wake his sissies up. he says it is too dark. 9:05--i tell one of the sissies to getup to help brother turn on light. that should motivate at least one of the older ones to get up and it does. 9;15am-still telling them to get ready to start chores. baby spits up and i change clothes again. 3.5yrs old is screaming for cerial and runnng up and down hallway trying to "kiss" the baby. when he runs in the bedroom. I try to get him away from baby while finishing getting clothes on. 9:30 am - i get to bathroom, tell kids to start chores, and ask one of them to guard the baby while I am on the toilet. 9;45am-chores started to get done, i go and load the laundry machine, another diaper change, breakfast 10: tell the kids to start schoolwork, 3.5yrs old wants to watch super simple songs , i turn that on. while trying to get the kids started with schoolwoirk. 10:15 =baby has a major blowout. I have to competely change him. older kids are now not focused on work 10:30-getting the older ones back on track, 3/5yrs old runs in and jumps on the couch and nearly on baby. I get him back in the other room watching something anything, burp baby 10:45-nurse and burp baby, diaper change, 3.5 yrs old wants something to eat. 11am-one of the older kids notice newborn smiling then all the kids run to watch and the 3.5 yrs old tries to karate chop one of us, lunch. 11:30 -get ready to go to swim lessons, change, feed, load and go, this takes at least 30 minutes 12:30 -swim lessons 1:30-finally leave swim place 2-arrive home, get everything put away, change feed burp newborn, get 3.5 settled down before he pours out a gallon of milk on the carpet, put something on tv/you tube/ anything. get the older ones back on track with school 2:30-=burp feed change newborn, run to bathroom, change my self because of spit up/ and leaking milk, older ones start to do martial arts on the floor of living room to wrestle with 3.5 yrs old 2:45 - snack break this just goes on and on until dad comes home. I feel we get nothing done all day. Just the bare minimum/basics. It is mostly workbook stuff for the older ones. I am terribly behind in correcting the workbooks. No All about Spelling has been done since forever. WWE and FLL are done but with TONS and TONS of interruptions between 3.5 yrs old and newborn. When does thing start to quiet down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 :grouphug: Sounds a lot like Susan Wise Bauer's typical day with 4 children: 4th grade, 2nd grade, 4yo, and a baby. I only had 2 DSs, close in age, and each was *extremely* high-need and *extremely* difficult in completely different directions up until each turned 4-5yo -- which would have made trying to simultaneously homeschool slightly older children impossible for me. So I can't even imagine being in your shoes, and able to do more than bare survival! Hopefully, the baby will get onto a good schedule within the next month, the days will have more daylight hours in them starting soon, and you can work the rest of the children into a *helpful* routine! Perhaps shout out to 8FillTheHeart, or some of the other "moms of many" for some ideas... :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 doh! double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbabe Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Just wanted to give you a big hug. I'm having baby number 4 in the next three weeks and I'm quite nervous about school falling apart too. ((hugs)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie131 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Haha..you just described my day :lol: I can commiserate! My baby is the clingy sort, she won't let me put her down for a minute without screaming so I try to balance all the kids while I have a baby attached to me in a sling. Oh, and if she's not attached to me in the sling, she is attached to my boob. Sometimes I wonder why I bother trying to get anything done. My house is a disaster...oh well...at least we did math :tongue_smilie: Things are crazy at the moment, but it's just a season. Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I feel for you. I can remember my mom looking like a zombie when she was trying to keep things functioning and school happening after my twin little brothers were born. I found it hard enough dealing with the kids after #3 was born without homeschooling too. I'm hoping that new little one falls into a good routine for you soon. *hugs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I'd make them all sit around or near me on the sofa. I'd have my pile of books, snacks, and diapers in a basket near me. Maybe I'd fall asleep there in short spurts. Maybe I'd read the 3.5 year old a book. Maybe answer a school question for a kid sitting nearby. Maybe we would munch every so often. Either in the morning or in the afternoon, i probably put in magic school bus or libertynkids and doze some more. I'd be there when dh kissed me and left for work and it's highly likely I'd still be there when he got home. Dh would probably make dinner. Find your throne and rule from it with your children, gathered round you quietly awaiting your directives. Your baby is only 7 weeks old. I wouldn't expect to be up to full speed by then. And the older I get and more babies I have, the less I care about hurrying up and being done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paceofnature Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 This was me a couple of months ago :) My daily goal was to get reading and math done...anything else was gravy. They knew that even if we couldn't do school because of the chaos of having a newborn, things like cartoons and video games were not an option. We just kind of made a learning environment of things they could do independently ~ legos, library books (from when they went to the library w/DH), documentaries, educational websites, microscope, snap circuits, etc. I also know that the kids "helping" me with baby care, seeing that first smile and learning about infants is an important part of family life that only lasts a short time. Hang in there, it does get better. My little guy is now 4mo and we are starting to get back to our regular schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovetoread Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Totally normal and ITS OKAY!! Honestly, I always prepare for us to "lose' a school year with each new additon to our family. By losing I mean, only the basics get done and sometimes THAT doesn't even happen. NOw that my oldest is in 9th and next in line is 5th, it would be only the littles that "lost" a school year. Be gentle with yourself and with the little ones. They need time to adjust to their new position in your family too :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 How did you wean 3.5 yrs old child from TV/computers? It is the only thing that keeps him away from baby or hurting other kids or destroying the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Honestly, I'd turn off the tv and computer and make my focus dealing with 3.5 year olds behavioral issues. It'll be miserable for a couple weeksno doubt, but in the long run it will pay off and everyone will be much happier. He needs to not be rewarded with tv/computer for being hateful to people and some serious consequences for to dissuade him and positive interaction for good behavior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Yeah, that sounds fairly familiar. I would aim to get one or two things done a day and not worry about the rest. And I'd make those one or two things things that my big kids could do independently, or that I could do while nursing the baby (like reading aloud). You're still recovering and making a lot of milk -- the demands on your body should not be underestimated. Be gentle to yourself -- the baby will settle into a routine soon, and it'll be easier, but it takes some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Thank you everyone. This week we are two kids short. The two older helpful kids. They are off on an outdoor science camp all week. I am excited for them but worred about the weather and the germs going around.My newborn, 3.5 yrs old and myself have either a fever or sore throat. So I have not cut out tv/computers as I dont have a voice to really read aloud even. Sigh! My nine yrs old is doing the trial reading eggs right now. My 3.5 yrs is with a fever watching max and ruby. He is feeling too ill to be behaving badlly. So I will be mean mom when we all recover and return home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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