TTC #4 or more

[jen&james]

I would love to talk with other moms who are TTC # 4 or more.  I have 2 boys and a girl  all 7 and under and we are working on completing our family with one more.  I am hoping for a girl for balance but of course would be just as in love with another little boy.  I would love to discuss balancing home life and work and stuff with other moms with alot of little ones.  How do you keep everyone organizd, handle all the noise and chaos and of course laundry :)

[dayiscoming2006]

I would fit in this camp. I have 2 little boys and a girl. I also would love another little girl (equally happy with a boy, but love balance as well.) :)

I have a heart open at the moment to however many God wills for our family. I've gone back and forth on that for years, but as soon as I'm done breastfeeding the last one, I start being open to more once again. Hubby is fine with whatever I want, but tends to want as many as God wants for our family.

I am still learning to manage my home. I think I handle the kids fairly well, though at times it does get a bit crazy.

[JoyfamMama]

Not sure if I can chime in here or not, since all my kids aren't bio... Kick me out if not I guess... Lol

We have 2 bio sons (3 and 18 months) and 2 foster kiddos (4 and 2), but we've had them so long I can't remember what it's like not to have four kids! Lol We've also lost 6 babies now, and I'm struggling with the possibility of 20 more years of fertility (not the fertility, but the possibility of 20 years of miscarriages). We both want a lot of kids, but I never dreamed it would be like this, and since we want to grow our family through adoption also, I don't know where we let go of having (or trying to have) another baby and just let God bring children to us who so desperately need to be loved... None of you have answers for me, lol... Just thinking out loud :-)

With all of mine so little, I manage both myself and my children, as well as my house very well by sticking as closely as possible to a routine that I have worked out for us. Even with the nearly 1500 miles/month I drive for our foster kids, the laundry gets done every week, the house gets cleaned and stays clean, and we spend time together everyday.

No, I'm not perfect, and YES, I'm totally hyper and OCD! Rofl!

[dayiscoming2006]

JoyFamMama - I'm impressed. I'm still working on the routine and house cleaning/organizing. I do alright, but could do better. But, it's more breaking old habits then not being able to do it. I'm what you call, lazy OCD. :P I want everything nice and perfect, but am working on the motivation factor.

[JoyfamMama]

Lol, dayiscoming... Love the lazy OCD. I think its divided about 50/50 personality and upbringing when it comes to a lot of this stuff. Of course, lots and lots of work and effort (and prayer and help from God) can change what needs to be changed in our lives, but it will always be with us to some degree. I was raised extremely organized, and was running my family's household by 12 years old (5 kids, mom & dad). I will never be able to say how grateful I am for that. Actually, I feel like I live in a pig sty and run a chucky cheese madhouse sometimes compared to how I was raised! I've had to learn to let some of it go.

Who here has your Littles do little jobs around the house to be helpful?

[dayiscoming2006]

Originally Posted by JoyfamMama 

Lol, dayiscoming... Love the lazy OCD. I think its divided about 50/50 personality and upbringing when it comes to a lot of this stuff. Of course, lots and lots of work and effort (and prayer and help from God) can change what needs to be changed in our lives, but it will always be with us to some degree. I was raised extremely organized, and was running my family's household by 12 years old (5 kids, mom & dad). I will never be able to say how grateful I am for that. Actually, I feel like I live in a pig sty and run a chucky cheese madhouse sometimes compared to how I was raised! I've had to learn to let some of it go.
Who here has your Littles do little jobs around the house to be helpful?

Yeah, I was raised that it was all my mom's and dad's thing and only did some chores on occasion when my parents would specifically ask. I let my room be a mess, so yeah. I had bad habits coming in and it's been really hard breaking them.

I do try to have my kids help me, though  it takes patience because part of me just wants it to get done. I know the pay off is going to be good though if I train them to do it from the time they are young. I really want to turn things around. God help me!(please.) :)

[JoyfamMama]

Originally Posted by dayiscoming2006 

I do try to have my kids help me, though  it takes patience because part of me just wants it to get done. I know the pay off is going to be good though if I train them to do it from the time they are young. I really want to turn things around. God help me!(please.) :)

Trying to turn things around meaning for you now? Or give your kids a better starting place for parenthood than you felt you had?

And I hear you about the frustration of just being able to do it faster myself...but with a lot of training and patience, my 2, 3, and 4 year olds have become very helpful. I can send them to do just about anything that they can handle doing (getting something for me, helping another child, folding washcloths/nose rags, emptying non-glass dishes in the dishwasher, etc), and they not only comprehend WHAT I'm saying, but go and do it properly. With all my littles, even that is SO helpful :)  

[dayiscoming2006]

JoyFamMama: I'm not doing the best job of keeping up with the house and keeping up with letting them help me out. That's what I want to turn around (important goals of the near future) and of course I want them to know these skills so they learn responsibility and important skills for one day when they are on their own.

[JoyfamMama]

I think that's the single MOST important reason for teaching them responsibility. Of course, I'm not saying saying that children should be slaves or that they shouldn't have a childhood!! But it is foolish, if we stop and think about it, not to be slowly and age appropriately preparing our little ones to be adults.

[mirpmama]

We are ttc #4.  We also have 2 boys and a girl, and would also love a girl for balance.  AF showed up last night  on our third cycle of trying.  4 has always been my lucky number...,maybe the 4th month of trying for number 4 will be lucky!!

[yoma2468]

We're working on #7! Yae!!! Teaching kids to be responsible definitely makes things easier. We all work together, DH also, but keeping in mind that they're just kids and they should have the time to enjoy childhood while they can. We have 5 boys and 1 girl who desperately wants a sister and prays to God regularly for one! DH and I want as much as God allows, hoping #7 will be a girl.

[Peony]

We ended up with 4, 2 girls followed by 2 boys. It is complete and utter chaos but we've got 3 with varying SNs. I have to meal plan for the entire week or else I get thrown off and never quite get back on track. Laundry at least gets washed and dried right away, folding and putting away occurs in other stages or days. My girls are almost 10 and 6 so they can help some. I mostly limit it to their own events, assisting in packing lunches for school, packing up gear for sports, keeping track of their own jackets/backpacks. There are the times they need to help me unload the car after a grocery run and because I have to drive them to school every day, they alternate going out and starting the car in the mornings. I offer the option to do regular house chores for money. 25 cents for unloading the dishwasher for example. That works well for DD1 who often likes fancy snacks after school that I won't always buy, she earns the money to buy them herself. 

[JoyfamMama]

Peony-are you ttc again?