I have two singletons and one set of twins
and I’ve discovered a few life-saving tricks to multiple mommying. I hope these will help you out, too:

 

 

 

Magnetic notepad on the fridge

Let me tell you, this $1 item has saved my sanity many times. The trick is to run to the fridge immediately after realizing what the needed item/errand is. Write it down, quick, before another request comes in for strawberry milk, juice, animal crackers, first-aid, bathroom assistance, to break up a fight, fix a toy and on and on and on.

 

Extra laundry baskets

I have a laundry basket that doubles as a “stuff” transporter. It is used to carry items to and from day care, preschool, friends’ houses, beach day, playgrounds, etc. With so many little ones and all of their little stuff, trying to keep track of it all is mind boggling at times. After losing the best blanket on planet earth and the hysterics that followed, I had to come up with something.

I know some people think it is strange and it became kind of a joke at preschool. I sometimes walk in the door and hear, “Mrs. Mitchell is here with her laundry basket!” but I (almost) always leave with everyone’s lunch boxes, sippy cups, blankets, school work, art projects, home work, rewards from the treasure chest and dirty clothes it seems to help the kids, too. They know if they want it to come home, it better be in the basket. When we walk into the house, the basket comes with us.  Everyone’s shoes come off the feet and go into the basket. Lunchboxes cleaned out and into the basket. Take home folders emptied and back into the basket. The basket has its assigned place in laundry room and there it stays, until the next day.

 

Patience/a sense of humor

I remember one evening I was feeding the twins in their high chairs. One was happy with a glob of food dribbling all over the place while the other one was crying for more. I fed the crying one. Now that one was happy but by then the other one had swallowed his glob and was crying for more. Scoop food, shovel in mouth, scoop food, shovel in mouth. One happy, one crying. One happy, one crying.  Back and forth and back and forth.  I took a deep breath and hollered to my husband (who was in the kitchen making dinner for the rest of us), “Get the camera out, honey. Someday this will be funny!” During the photo shoot, something happened. Things settled down again. We all found some patience to get us through to the next event. Somehow, we all managed, and continue to do so every day.

 

Heather Mitchell is a sleep-deprived, yet loving, wife, mother of 4, healthcare professional
and writer. She spends her spare time playing at the local parks and playgrounds.

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