Stuff vs. Sanity: How to Cope As Your Family Grows

It is all cute and lovely when it’s just you, your spouse and your first child in the house. There is very little to be worried about and everything moves on smoothly. As the numbers continue to swell though and new additions are made to the family, things quickly change. You will find yourself struggling with even the simplest of tasks. Many parents are stretched to the limits during this period. How do you cope?

Coping with meals

Yes, this is where the strain begins. As your family grows, you will notice increased pressure on you to cook and take care of the feeding needs of everyone.

Many younger mums are left scratching their head each day when they think of what to cook. It shouldn’t be that difficult. In fact, it isn’t. Get a properly arranged timetable and stick to it. Do all major shopping during the weekend and cook a little more food for the freezer when you can. And it doesn’t have to be bulk and boring: you can cook some really interesting food with minimal effort.

Thankfully, families don’t grow overnight so as the new children come in and as toddlers turn to adults, you can make the minute changes to shopping costs to cover for swelling appetite.

Keeping everyone entertained

When you only have one child to play with, it is easy to keep him or her entertained as all your attention is fixed on him/her. As the numbers swell, it becomes almost impossible to give attention to everyone equally. So what do you do? Split responsibility. When possible, your spouse should play with some of the kids while you play with others. Switch camps once in a while for effect. Get as much toys as you can and get everyone out to the playground when possible. You don’t want grumpy kids adding to your problems!

Welcoming friends

As your children come of age and as they interact with people from your neighbourhood, they will make friends. It is in your best interest to ensure that when they visit, you welcome them. Give them those few hours to play and catch up with each other as it will give you a better view of your children’s behaviour. Swing into action if you notice anything untoward.

Living on a budget

All of us have to bother about finances. The situation is even more pronounced when your family is growing. To ensure the walls don’t come closing in on you, you must be frugal with expenses. Take advantage of bonuses, sweepstakes and grab any opportunity to save money. Some schools offer some discounts for siblings in one school, find such opportunities. Shop in bulk always and with a list, you will always save more money than someone who buys on impulse.

If you’re stuck for ideas, you’ll find this article really helpful!

Don’t ignore your spouse

In all of these, it is relatively easy for spouses to start drifting apart. Don’t let this happen! Talk to each other, take out those hours when both of you are alone to home to reignite the passion, bring in help to take care of the kids while you get away for a weekend, etc.

If all else fails, move

No amount of organisation, decluttering and tidying will defer the inevitable. Any house, unless you happen to live in a palace, has its limits. There will come a time when it’s no longer possible to stay where you are.

In that case:

1. Use this as an opportunity to seriously declutter. Cull what you do not need or have not used. Give it away to someone who needs it. It’ll free up space, make your life easier, and it’s rewarding.

2. Plan for the future. You don’t want to move to a new house and then realise that, actually, it isn’t big enough either once all your stuff is moved in. Get as much house for your money as you can.

3. Speaking of which, lock in a good rate. Our historically rock-bottom interest rates aren’t going to last forever, so if you need to move, now is probably the time. The Bank of England have already signalled that rates will go up. If you are reading this and rates have already gone up to something more ‘normal’, this is why you should use a mortgage broker when buying a house.

4. It is worth it. When you’re packing and unpacking boxes, it might not seem like it. But imagine what it will be like when the kids have their own playroom, a separate bedroom each and you can all sit around the same table without chairs bashing into walls. Bliss!

Family growth shouldn’t be a challenge with proper planning!

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