Leaving the house with many?

[transformed]

I am 7 mo pregnant with a 21 month old and a 4 year old and I think we are not leaving the house alone again until after the new baby is born.

The store, library, etc are all pretty stressful-the 21 month old is all over the place, I am slow and also pretty tired from chasing her. My 4 yr old is usually fine, sometimes goes running off, but he is another person to look after.

Did you do much at this stage of pregnancy/parenthood?

I don't feel guilty about it! Nope! :P
I often feel like they are in danger because I cant get to them fast enough to save them in public anymore!

[Yooper]

I don't think you should feel guilty at all! Just reading your post makes my blood pressure rise. I only have one very "well-behaved" 4 yo and there are lots of places I choose to avoid when I am on my own with her. I know my limits. I cannot imagine going anywhere with my "well-behaved" 4 yo AND a toddler AND while pg. No way. I probably would never leave the house. And that is OK.

[lilyka]

its not going to harm your kids to be homebodies for a few weeks. we regularly go several weeks without activities. without really leaving the house. and I am not even pregnant.

[momto l&a]

I have a 7yo,5yo, 2.5yo and a 4 month old.

They know I wont take them places if they don't behave.

Needless to say they behave very well and get many complements of their behavior while out and about.

Having 4 live wires is interesting

I must say being preggo makes everything hard

[tangozulu]

It is very hard keeping up with little ones while pregnant. Hang out at home and save your energy - you need it!

[RachelSerena]

I only just recently started venturing out with both DDs, and then I only walk to the library or around the neighborhood.

I don't think I would want to have TWO mobile kids, plus be pregnant, and go out anywhere.

Feel good about staying in, I know I do, and would, if I were in your place

[flapjack]

[homeschoolingmama]

I am in the same situation lately.
We have an almost 5yo, 3.5yo, 22 month old and 1 month old. We tried to go to a store as a family and boy WAS THAT HARD! I feel kind of sad about it because we can't go anywhere together. We were fine before we had our daughter because my husband had our 22 month old son and I would have the girls. Now we each have a baby and the girls. I don't know the next time we will go out like that. I don't want to be the family that everyone gawks at and thinks..they should have stayed home. I feel for you!

[Girlsmama]

Sorry Mama,

I have five girls and I purposely plan to go grocery shopping or run errands while one or two of the girls are at dance or soccer or gymnastics, i also make sure that my DH is home and able to watch a couple kids too, that way i only have to keep up with one or two.

I will NEVER go out with all the DDs ever again I tried that a few weeks after my dd#5 was born and it was a nightmare! I lost a kid, had two that cried the entire time in the store, it was really bad, i went home and cried to DH i felt to helpless and embarrassed, we then talked it over and made sure that niether one of us would go out with all five of them again.

It'll get better you just have to figure out what works for you.

[BabyBugsMom]

There are seasons when it is just much better on everyone to spend more time at home.

I would encourage you, though, to make certain that your dh spends some time with your little ones while you get out for some time outside your four walls, so you don't get too cabin fevered.

Do you have a fenced yard? Take advantage of it. If not, have time at the park when your dh can be in charge of kid containment. Can you push your younger one in the stroller while taking a short daily walk? Even 20 minutes outside daily will really, really help while otherwise staying at home.

[StormySar]

Well I've had no choice but to always leave the house alone, so I've left the house till the day I delivered, and then went back out again two days postpartum (with dh, Iddn't leave alone with them until after 2 weeks pp). I have a 3.5 year old, two year old and a 7 week old.

When at the library, I always keep my two year old in a stroller. He is into everything, so I pick out some books he'd like to look at and let him look at them while dd1 and I check out books.

Anywhere else, dd2 is always in a sling, ds is in a shopping cart, and dd1 walks on her own or sits in the back of the cart. It's been a LOT easier than I thoguht it would be.

When dd2 outgrows her sling (or at least when my back does, lol) an she can sit on her own, we'll just always have to use one of the doubler seater strollers, or ds will just have to ride in the back of the cart while dd1 walks.

When I was pg things were really easy - I had one hand for each kid. one would walk and the other would ride in the cart. Not a problem. OUt and about, ds would ride on my hip while I held dd1s hand. They were always contained and in easy reach.

[cedoreilly]

I have 4 year old twins, an almost 3 year old and a 5 month old. Everyone carries their own load (aka carry your own library books, toys, cups, school bags...). If you can not carry it, it does not go. Once you are out of the car, you must be holding someones hand (I have the youngest in the sling or the Baby Bjorn). If everyone is not holding each others hands, I go back to the car!

I kept away from the playground for about a month after the youngest was born because I had a section and knew I could not run if someone decided to be superman but other than that, I was full force after I week!

[phathui5]

I'm another one who uses a stroller for the two year old when we go out, unless it's the grocery store, where he can be in a cart. I let him out briefly to play with the toys at the library, but he goes back in if we're walking around. I've also put a lot of time into teaching my four year old that when we're out, she holds the stroller handle unless she's asked for permission to go elsewhere. She has as much free reign as ds#1 does at our small library, but there are places we go where she has to stay close.

[transformed]

how do you get a 2 year old to *sit*? Mine screams and tries to pull herself out of the straps. Even when we are moving! : (I think I am the proud parent of 2 very spirited children. )