There are not many times I venture out with all three kids by myself for extended periods of time. And, usually if I do it is to a kid friendly place where I know that bathrooms are easily accessible and large enough for all of us and a stroller. Occasionally, though, I find myself in a situation that really stresses me out, and I generally think I am pretty laid back as far as all that comes with juggling 3 little balls of toddler energy.
The very worst is being in a restaurant with all three when one or both of the older ones decide they have to go to the bathroom. They are not old enough to do it themselves, and that means I have to get all my stuff – 3 kids and purse/diaper bag and leave the dinner table to make a bathroom run. I have to clean up the baby, wipe hands and then somehow let someone know that we are not ‘dining and dashing’. Then we trek to the bathroom where I have to put the baby on the floor and help everyone go potty. Usually only one has to go and so I ask the other one to try as well so that we don’t sit down and have to repeat the procedure in 10 minutes. More often than not that starts a small tantrum because that one supposedly doesn’t have to go. I usually win, and sometimes have to threaten no dessert or something like that to make it happen. Then I round the herd back to the table to finish dinner and hope everyone maintains composure until we can finish and pay the bill. Going potty before going anywhere is a requirement in this house for this reason, but it certainly doesn’t always work.
The next worst is grocery shopping when the bathroom break needs to happen. Usually I’ve asked if anyone has to go when we enter the store, have no groceries and are near the bathroom. It’s such a pain to take all 3 in there that I don’t force it if they say no. But, of course, one of them has to pee when we are in the aisle farthest from the bathroom and are near the end of the trip. And try as I might, they just can’t wait 5 minutes until we are either closer to the bathroom or finished shopping. When you gotta pee, you gotta pee I guess.
And lastly, the after school hours. No matter what time we get home in the afternoon the kids are hungry. Even if I actually witnessed them having snack less than 20 minutes ago, they are hungry and want food 5 minutes ago. Hungry kids mean whiny kids, and whiny kids mean loud kids and a kitchen full of loud kids means a Mom low on patience. And so I am usually unable to escape the confines of the kitchen for a couple hours after we get home. Everyone’s telling me what they want and the baby cries until she gets something. Then once snack is over I have to make dinner, clean dishes, make tomorrow’s lunch, entertain the kids, prevent injury to the crawling/walking baby and occasionally I have to escape the kitchen to use the bathroom (gasp! Mom has to pee?? How dare her!!!).
Being outnumbered is hard, but there’s hardly a dull moment in my life!
The very worst is being in a restaurant with all three when one or both of the older ones decide they have to go to the bathroom. They are not old enough to do it themselves, and that means I have to get all my stuff – 3 kids and purse/diaper bag and leave the dinner table to make a bathroom run. I have to clean up the baby, wipe hands and then somehow let someone know that we are not ‘dining and dashing’. Then we trek to the bathroom where I have to put the baby on the floor and help everyone go potty. Usually only one has to go and so I ask the other one to try as well so that we don’t sit down and have to repeat the procedure in 10 minutes. More often than not that starts a small tantrum because that one supposedly doesn’t have to go. I usually win, and sometimes have to threaten no dessert or something like that to make it happen. Then I round the herd back to the table to finish dinner and hope everyone maintains composure until we can finish and pay the bill. Going potty before going anywhere is a requirement in this house for this reason, but it certainly doesn’t always work.
The next worst is grocery shopping when the bathroom break needs to happen. Usually I’ve asked if anyone has to go when we enter the store, have no groceries and are near the bathroom. It’s such a pain to take all 3 in there that I don’t force it if they say no. But, of course, one of them has to pee when we are in the aisle farthest from the bathroom and are near the end of the trip. And try as I might, they just can’t wait 5 minutes until we are either closer to the bathroom or finished shopping. When you gotta pee, you gotta pee I guess.
And lastly, the after school hours. No matter what time we get home in the afternoon the kids are hungry. Even if I actually witnessed them having snack less than 20 minutes ago, they are hungry and want food 5 minutes ago. Hungry kids mean whiny kids, and whiny kids mean loud kids and a kitchen full of loud kids means a Mom low on patience. And so I am usually unable to escape the confines of the kitchen for a couple hours after we get home. Everyone’s telling me what they want and the baby cries until she gets something. Then once snack is over I have to make dinner, clean dishes, make tomorrow’s lunch, entertain the kids, prevent injury to the crawling/walking baby and occasionally I have to escape the kitchen to use the bathroom (gasp! Mom has to pee?? How dare her!!!).
Being outnumbered is hard, but there’s hardly a dull moment in my life!
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