As a Mum of two I’m always in awe of people who have more kids than me. The juggle with two is tiring, so I can’t really comprehend what it must be like to have more children with all their many needs and demands. Life with five kids is Becca’s experience and she has kindly penned a words to share what life with five is like for her. You can follow Becca on instagram here.
“Wow, you have five kids?” Is a response I often get when it comes up in conversation. Yes I have. I myself come from a big family with five siblings and actually having a big family myself was not in my plans! Life, as it often does had other ideas.
How it all started
Now…. don’t imagine me with all these children running round, their faces poking out from behind my apron as I whisk up a batch of chocolate cookies, pack a picnic and head off for a glorious day of fun and be back to have dinner on the table and all kids in bed by 9pm! It all started when I was a young wife and mum starting out, a homemaker as it is called. I had my firstborn, a beautiful boy followed by a second a couple of years after and that I thought, was my family complete. Two gorgeous boys and years filled with Lego pieces strewn over the carpet – the pain when you tread on those little pieces, right?
Street football; including a neighbours broken window and wash load after wash load of sweaty ice hockey kit!!
Curveballs
Remember I said life has other ideas? I have certainly been sent a few curveballs. Skip forward a few years and add a divorce and a remarriage. Then fast forward again to the most brutal and devastating chapter of all where I then found myself in the blink of an eye widowed and pregnant.
But that is another story in itself.
Blended Family
Moving forward, I never expected to marry again, but fate stepped in once more. When my now husband, who incidentally was also widowed, and I met, I now had the three boys and he, a daughter. That was plenty to deal with we said; blending our two families, as all who have been here know this is no mean feat! A span of ages meant different needs for each of them and we all had to adjust to a new life once again.
“No more babies” was a phrase everyone around me was to hear on repeat as I took on the role of wife again and now also a step mum! However, a few months after we were married, we were in the process of selling both our houses and buying a new one. I was packing up boxes when I noticed that oh so familiar feeling of tiredness and nausea…..Oh yes, baby number five!
Life with Five
So how is life with five? How do I manage? To be honest I don’t know any different. The fact they have all been so spaced out means on the plus side I’ve not encountered having to negotiate double buggies and more than one child in nappies at the same time. However, I have been doing the school run FOREVER!!
The moments of dealing with a hormonal teenagers outburst whilst trying to soothe a teething baby were not fun, although an outing with my eldest being mistaken for my partner when accompanying me to the shops, baby in tow; while filling him with undeniable horror, on the other hand, I found to be quite amusing much to his disgust!
They are of course all older now and although it’s a cliché, it does get easier. The older ones help the younger ones and having a live in babysitter is a winner!
Outside of being Mum
I am an NHS physiotherapist and work part time. Home décor is a hobby and a creative outlet for me outside of work. I love to change the whole look of a room and lockdown certainly ramped up the DIY, from stripping the bedroom wallpaper and repainting, to panelling the hallway. I get a lot of inspiration on Instagram, where I also share my projects on my account @beccas_home
I don’t claim to be a green-fingered goddess but I like to spend many a sunny day pottering and planting in the garden. These are the times when I can switch off a little from being ‘Mum’ and just have some time for me.
Things I have learned
While in an ideal world I would love my house to be show home ready 24/7, it’s not and never will be. But I do like things to have a place. This avoids, mostly my frantic searches and cries of “I can’t find the….”
I learned years ago not to sweat the small stuff! If teeth are not brushed before bed and my teenager falls asleep in his bed fully clothed – yes, that has happened! It is not worth stressing over!
I am not the maid! They all have to help around the house whether that’s loading the dishwasher or mowing the lawn and maybe, just maybe someday they will thank me when they take their first steps into those years of independent living, that they will know how to use a washing machine!
Final thoughts
All families are different but ours has been blended and woven together in a way that is unique to us. It can be noisy and chaotic. Tears and tantrums are just part and parcel.
There are arguments, differences of opinions and compromises to make, but all that aside…. A whole lot of fun and a whole lot of laughter!
You can find Becca over on instagram at @beccas_home.
