Guys! It’s so true what they say 3 kids is wilddd! McKay is now 3 months (what in the world) so I feel like I’m starting a little more to get the hang of it. But let’s not kid ourselves the minute we get the hang of something – the world flips and we have to get the hang of it all over again. Little McKay has been the sweetest little addition to our family. He is so sweet & content. He just loves to be cuddled and when Mason + Monroe talk to him! I am obsessed with every age when it comes to the kids especially the baby stage but I do love seeing him being more aware of his surroundings and the crooked little smile he gets on his face when he lays eyes on me. The kids love to take care of him. They love to read him books, play peek-a-boo, and cuddle him on the bed. It’s so sweet to see how excited he gets when they spend time with him. With all the newborn love we are swimming in also comes with learning how to juggle 3 little kids in our Family. So we have 3 under 5! To some that might be so crazy but for us it’s just perfect. Mason + Monroe have always been attached at the hip and I’m sure McKay is going to jump right in. Life with 3 feels like there is always someone waiting for you. Waiting for your love, attention, or help. I am say, “yes, one second.” wayyy more than I ever have before but I think it has been great for our kids. There are no more free seconds so I have to make them. Every time I get one kid situated the other one needs me. With that said, I want you guys to be able to relate to this or get a take away so I’m going to bullet point it so it’s an easier read. But I’ve come up with a short list of things that help me be the best mom I can to our little ones and the balance.
- Making Each Kid feel special at least once a day. When I look back on my childhood it’s not the amazing Disneyland Trips that my parents would take up on that made a deep impression on my heart, it’s small moments. It’s small things my parents would whisper to me, or that time they helped me feel safe when my feelings were hurt from a friend, it’s the funny jokes that would give me the giggles all throughout dinner. It’s how they would make they feel special + loved. This is such a big one for me but also something I need to be very intentional about. I will literally ask myself if I made each kid feel special today. Did I take 30 seconds out of the 86400 in the day to look my kid in the eyes and tell them how much I love them and how proud of them I am? I make a conscious effort to do this on their level too. Another way I like to make them feel special that day is to get at least one big belly laugh. If I can get each kid to belly laugh for a good minute by the tickle monster or a funny joke I feel satisfied. I don’t know if they will remember each moment but even if they remember a handful that’s enough.
- Downtime is underestimated. My dad once said something that has always stuck with me. He said “when you have quiet moments with people, moments when there is nothing but silence, pay attention to that moment because something special happens when nothing is happening.” It has always stuck with me and it’s so true. I try to make time throughout the day or week where we do absolutely nothing. We will all be cuddled on my bed mid afternoon and just talk, giggle, and cuddle. I look at these moments as times to recharge, to fill our love tanks, and to really bond. I do the same thing when I’m nursing McKay. Often it’s in the middle of the day and the big kids are still around to they will come in the nursery with us and read him books or just sing and hang out with us. The bonding that happens in these moments isn’t anything I could create – It simply creates it’s own magic.
- One on one time with the baby. I’m sure you’re thinking why do you have that titled: One on one time with each kid? Well here it is my baby is only going to let me hold him for hours on end so much, that newborn scent fades quicker than I can say I love you, and that little one grows so quickly it breaks my heart. Something about a brand new baby makes me heart swell and I want to soak it in as much as I can especially being my third I don’t have as much time so I have to make sure to get that time in. Like I said earlier I cuddle with him while I’m nursing, relaxing with the kids watching a movie, and every second I get to sit down throughout the day I have him in my arms. But our real one on one time is at night when the bigger kids have gone to bed and I get cuddle him for hours on end and leave him in our bed right next to me until almost 11:30pm when I put him in his crib. My night time with him is invaluable and our real bonding time.
- Plan Activities: I like to plan at least 3-4 activities a week of things I want to make the extra effort to do with the kids. Wether it’s an art project, playing bank, playing baseball, building forts, or movie night. I like to write down a list the Sunday before that week to have ideas of things we are going to do on hand. I try to pick things that we don’t do often and I know they are going to feel special. Let me know if you want me to do a post on some of the fun things we do.
- Take Time for yourself: This is crucial to being a good mom. Make sure you have your ducks in a row in your life so you can be the best mom possible! I notice that the times I’m stressed with work or with too much to do I’m snappy with my kids & it’s nothing they’ve done. I have control of my happiness and happiness is contagious. So when I take time for myself to recharge at some point I feel like I can then give my kids my all. I usually take this time late at night when the kids are asleep. I will watch a crappy reality show that lets me just relax and unwind. Or I love to take a nice hot bath! I would prefer to stay up later to get some “me time” in and then I feel ready for the kids in the morning.
I hoping you guys find this helpful and I would love to do more posts on things like this so let me know what you think! Overall we are all doing our best to “mom”! I love advice + tips to better my mom game! I have linked some of the fun activities we like to do as a family below also some great books for parents and kids! Have a wonder Wednesday! XO
Book List:
Activities List: