Preparing for baby #3

The arrival of baby 3 (and 4) was met with very little fanfare by my older children. They were more excited about the visit of my mother in law to help (who always bore gifts) than the impending arrival of a new sibling. My advice is to make sure their routines are not affected too much as that can cause jealousy and you are the one to supervise their personal hygiene rather than anyone else. They don't mind too much who plays with them, takes them to the park, etc. but they don't want someone else doing their personal stuff.

Cheryl, congratulation on your expected new addition! I, too, concentrated on getting my two older ones more independent with the arrival of #3. It was around this time that I purchased a set of plastic dishes (melamine), probably from Target, and stored them in a lower cabinet that they could reach. I also bought a one quart pitcher with lid, and would transfer milk from the gallon jug into this, so their little hands could handle it. My 6 and 7 year old could then get themselves a bowl of cereal for breakfast, with no help from me. (I was shocked years later to find parents of 10-11 year olds whose children still were not able to make their own breakfast.)

A bonus of this system was that they were then given the job of emptying "kid dishes" from the dishwasher, along with the silverware. I would announce that the dishwasher needed to be emptied, first one there got to choose: silverware or kid dishes. There would be a mad scramble! And as the kids got older, and #3 was old enough to be a part, I added the third category of "grown-up dishes," which were to be stacked on the counter for me. I believe I was the only parent on the block whose kids,for years, raced to empty the dishwasher.

Mother of 4 - Thanks for the tips. Yes, our son is also very excited to hang out with his grandparents after baby arrives.

Menlo Mom - What a great way to make emptying the dishwasher more enjoyable for everyone! Thanks for the tips.

I had no help from relatives or friends. And I mean no help. My husband was working crazy long hours, and I was angry about doing everything. I know everyone cannot do this, but I hired help once every other week for 2 hours. Just 2 hours of help once every 2 hours was an amazing relief. I got this tip from a friend who had twins.

Neighbor - After our daughter was born we hired a postpartum doula to help us twice a week for a couple of hours. I agree, it was wonderful to have the help.