Hello! I am new to forum but I am so glad I found it. I need desperately advise on what can I do with my children during this summer vacation. I have a five year old boy and 17 GBG triplets! I am going crazy because I feel i am homebound with them. My five year old is going crazy being at home all day or just going for drives during the day. He wants to get out and go to places. I have a double and a single stroller so I can't put them on and take them somewhere. I have friends that offer their help but when I ask them to help me or to go with me, they always have something else to do, so I can't depend on them. I work outside the home but I am on summer vacation. I have been for the past three weeks and I feel desperate now. I don't want to go back to work feeling I didn't do anything good with my children. Please give me some advice!! Thank you

Claudia(34), Cesar(34)
married since 1998
Mother of Cesar 5 year old
GBG 17 month old triplets: Mara, Diego, Salma.

Hi~ do you have the option to get another stroller or wagon? I don't know if you've seen the choochoo wagon but the kids love it. Here is the link http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1836. Atleast with this you could take them on walks, mall, zoo, aquarium or take them to parks.
Do you have any family or a friend that could take the 5 year old on a play date 1 or 2 times a week and that way you can take the triplets out alone? Or have someone come over when the triplets are napping and you can take your son out of the house?

When my husband was gone for a week I put the babies in the car everyday and drove to the starbuck drive thru. It was better then buying a new pair of shoes.

Nail those friends and family members down!!!!!!

Hang in there!

Jen

You can use the double stroller and get a back carrier and carry one! Then you can go to the park at least and let them all run around and wear themselfs out. When mine were this little and my older son was bored at home we did lots of fun things at home....
Art Day...paint, chalk, crayons, all outside
Water Day..pool, sprinkler, balloons,car wash, lemonaide stand
Playdough/clay day...
Cooking day...
Game Day
Relay Day/Scavenger hunt day...

If you are stuck at home there are a ton of things you can do to entertain the 5 yr old , so he feels like he is getting special treatment too, just use your imagination! Antoher thought is to have your 5 yr old push the single stroller when you do go somewhere. Iam sure he woudl love to help if it got him to go somewhere as well. Good Luck with this, I know who CRAZY a mom can feel being at home!!

Zayn 3/6/04
Pari 8/30/06
Trevor 8/30/06
Larkin 8/30/06

Live for today, dream of tomarrow, remember all your yesterdays

Thank you for your advice!! I do have the choo-choo wagon, I started taking them for walks in the afternoon and my oldest girl, Mara, already hates being in it! But all your ideas are wonderful, I will start using them. I guess I need to get some self-confidence that I can do it by myself. I am just scared that they will throw a tamtrum and I am not going to be able to handle it by myself!

Claudia(34), Cesar(34)
married since 1998
Mother of Cesar 5 year old
GBG 17 month old triplets: Mara, Diego, Salma.

---my oldest girl, Mara, already hates being in it!---

That must be a typing mistake. Perhaps she was born just before midnight and the other two the next day, officially.

Rick

BBG - 2 years and counting

No mistake, in order for people to, sometimes, understand who is who, I call Mara my oldest girl because she is a minute older than my other girl, Salma. That's why I need to refer to her like that. Sorry if I confused you

Claudia(34), Cesar(34)
married since 1998
Mother of Cesar 5 year old
GBG 17 month old triplets: Mara, Diego, Salma.

My BBB Trio are 14 months, It is hard to get out, but you just have to bite the bullet!

the hardest part (since you have the strollers and wagon, won't be getting them places it will be changing them/feeding etc when you get there! *at least that is my experience!

My husband works off shore and is gone for 3 weeks at a time, then home then gone etc etc... so I know how difficult it can be managing with four children on your own!

Good luck! Get out there and have some FUN! They will thank you for it later!

I have the same issue. I have a 3 1/2 yr old and BBG triplets that will be 2 on the 21st. I have friend who also have children offer to meet me at a park or other 'fun' places, but with their children plus my 4- it's impossible. We ended up putting a swing set in our backyard so that we all don't go crazy being stuck in the house!

Nanin

I have the same feeling that ours (2 1/4 years old) do not get out of the house much. Our 6 year old would prefer doing more things too.
I feel like they are all stir crazy. I completely understand how you feel.
I noticed that they love going walks where they are actually walking. But I cannot do that without my husband and it is always so hot here in Vegas after work time. So that limits us to weekends. That makes for a very long 5 day week. So I decided to try out those backpack harness things. I'll let you know how it goes.

Exercise that wears them out makes the day much better in the house.



Best of luck - let me know what you come up with.

Colleen

Colleen