“How Do You Cope” – A guest post from Chantelle (Mama Mummy Mum)

Last Updated on 30 November 2020 by Colette

My next guest post comes from Chantelle of Mama Mummy Mum.  I am completely in awe of how this lovely lady manages her young family of four and this is exactly the subject of her guest post today.  As I adjust to life as a Mummy of three, Chantelle reassures me its all going to be fine!

How do you cope??

When people go on to have subsequent children after their first, I know a lot of parents in the back of their minds wonder whether having more than one child will be harder, not just financially but physically and mentally too. I think there is always certain worries like if you have had a really good first baby that the second child won’t be as good as their sibling, or if you have perhaps had a baby in the past the hasn’t slept well etc, will the next one be just as bad?

I find people ask me this question a lot, “just how do you cope with four children?”. My friends and family can’t believe how smiley I am in the mornings and for some reason find it strange that I manage to make it up to the school on time every day with all the children looking presentable, ok I might not look as fabulous as I used to but it works.

Honestly I had the same fears about not coping when I was pregnant with my second child. I was very lucky with my eldest in the sense that she slept through from a young age, she was very advanced in her learning and had always been quite happy to entertain herself. I worried how my second child would fit in to the life that we had going at that moment in time.

I think my main worry was how would I share my time between the two of them, I mean there is only one of me and two of them, I didn’t want one feeling like they weren’t getting the attention that they needed.

Looking back on it now, I realised there was very little to be scared of,
everything just seemed to slot into place along the way. Going from 2 to 3 to 4 children I found a lot easier than going from 1 to 2. You come to realise that you can’t control what will happen.  As your family grows, you all learn to adapt, it is a new situation for all of you and ultimately I think you need to do what works for you not what other people tell you to do.

The things that have worked for me as a mum of four young children include; having a routine, being organised (as much as I can) and just remembering that no child is the same, going in to it with no expectations somehow makes it easier for me. I don’t think everything would
run so smoothly for me if I didn’t have these things in mind. What have you found has worked for you as your family has grown?

If you want to read more from Chantelle you’ll find her in the following places: 

Blog: www.mamamummymum.co.uk

Twitter: @MamaMummyMum