Mother of 3, my advice for surviving the chaos

Whatever your parenting style, however many children you have: being a parent means working 24 hours a day.

You work constantly.

You’re not allowed to get sick or take a break.

Not to mention sleeping in on weekends!

That’s all over now, because you work non-stop, even when you’re asleep.

And if you’re a mother of several children – three in my case – you should know that you’re going to have to turn a blind eye to a lot of things.

And that can be a challenge for many women.

One day, you’re living a well-ordered life, your house is clean and tidy and you regularly go out for happy hour with your colleagues.

Then, all of a sudden, your home is a battlefield, your hair is a mess, you smell of vomit and your work becomes your sanctuary of rest.

Today, we’re going to tackle the few things that hurt.

1. Laundry

Just thinking about the pile of dirty laundry in my bathroom makes me want to sleep.

But I’ve got two other piles: clean laundry to iron and clean laundry to put away.

So I’ve stopped!

No, I haven’t stopped washing the clothes.

But I’ve stopped ironing, and I’ve stopped worrying about tidying up.

Which means I have a basket for each of my children.

I don’t sort their socks.

When the laundry is clean and dry, I throw the underwear in the basket and fold the other clothes.

It’s up to my children to sort their socks and underwear.

And it’s up to them to put them away.

If they don’t, don’t worry, they stay in the basket.

So, every day, each of them chooses what to wear.

And as long as the clothes aren’t stained or smelly, they don’t go in the wash.

I used to say things like, “Paul wore these pants, there’s no stain, but I can’t put them back in the closet either. I’ll wash them.

I really think I was crazy before!

2. Bath time

The famous time of crisis, as it was called just a few months ago.

Like all mothers, as soon as my children were born, I started giving them baths.

Every night!

Yes, every night!

When we had our first child, my husband was at work all day, doing odd jobs around the house.

So every night, I’d call him to come and help me give Sophie a bath.

After a few months, he said, “But why do you bathe her every night? She doesn’t spend all day on a building site!

Honestly, I was shocked.

I continued to bathe my three children every night, until the last one turned two.

Then I lost it.

My husband’s right: they don’t spend their time in the mud.

So, as long as my kids aren’t sweaty or full of mud, I rotate.

One evening, I bathe the first, then the second, then the third, and on the fourth, we take a break.

Of course, I wash their faces, hands and private parts every day.

Thanks to the bidet!

3. When the noise becomes unbearable.

Do you know how many questions three children ask a day?

I don’t know either, but I’d say it’s close to a million.

Seriously!

How can such tiny creatures talk so much?

I used to be very careful to answer every one of their questions.

I even let them interrupt me.

I used to settle their quarrels.

Now, I’ve learned to ignore them.

I can’t hear the shouting anymore!

I’ve developed this magical power!

Of course, I pay attention to questions.

If they need help or clarification, I give it.

But I don’t get involved in quarrels, fights and so on.

4. Asking for help shouldn’t be taboo!

So, I’m not a big fan of guests.

I work, I have three kids and the constant chaos doesn’t make me want to open my doors to other people who will come and talk, ask questions and criticize.

But I don’t mind a little help.

Sometimes I envy people who live with their parents.

After all, they have free babysitters!

Admittedly, it’s not something I could put up with.

But I’ve learned to trust certain friends and family members to lend a hand.

In fact, I call on them when I have to work from home, run errands or simply drink a coffee in silence.

I ask them to intervene for two hours, no more!

But it does me a world of good.

5. The food fight

To put it simply, until the age of three, my children ate extremely well.

In fact, I only fed them organic fruit/vegetables/meat.

They didn’t eat junk food like McDonald’s or sweets.

By the time they were three, they had all gone through a rebellious phase with regard to food.

They no longer wanted to eat vegetables, sitting them at the table became an exorcist scene and they often asked for chips.

At first, this frustrated me and I fought with them to get them to respect my rules.

But now?

I don’t give a damn!

They’re healthy and they don’t lack anything.

If they want to eat in front of the TV, they eat in front of the TV.

If, instead of soup, they prefer a packet of potato chips, I give it to them.

Some battles aren’t worth the stress.

This period lasted a year for each of my children.

Now they eat everything.

And we alternate healthy meals with less healthy ones.

Even my husband and I opt for evenings in front of the television with them.

6. Mom’s working hours

My children go to bed at eight o’clock.

But Mom doesn’t work past five.

Which means that after dinner, Mom doesn’t answer questions, brush teeth or put the kids to bed.

And no, she doesn’t read stories.

My eldest is eight and she’s in charge of reading stories to her brothers.

She loves reading and it gives me a break.

They don’t question me.

At first, they found it hard to separate from me and understand why I ignored them.

Now they love it, because it makes them feel independent, grown-up and responsible.

There’s always an easier way, and if you want to stay normal, you have to find it.

Stop trying to look perfect!

A single walk in the woods with your five-year-old means a lot more to him than putting away his laundry for three years.