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I can tell you it is very difficult to juggle the different age groups unless you have help. I do newborn to 3 years. Although I have a 3 year old right now who is in preschool 2 days a week and will be going all week next fall. His mother is pregnant and due in July. So I will have a newborn coming in September-ish and just found out that another mother is pregnant and that baby will be coming in December/January-ish.
It's been a lot to plan for, that is for sure but with my age groups I have a second one going to preschool full-time next fall as well so I will be able to make this work at least. I just replaced older ones with two with 2 two month olds. It seems ever evolving. I feel like I am always destined to have two newborns at once but if my other ones are younger I can manage it.
I started out with 4 and 5 year olds along with the newborns and I just felt like I couldn't give them the educational, outdoors and craft aspect as much because I was so engrossed in feeding, unpredictable pooping & wetting schedules, cooking for the older ones, cleaning up, and getting them all to nap at once...
You can't predict the newborns. They can eat every three hours and then turn around one day and want to eat an hour after they ate, be gassy, have acid reflux...colicky or just plain have separation issues. These two I have now don't cry... they scream, no tears. It is dry like dessert. They aren't crying...they want to be held. The more they hold them at home the harder it makes it for them here.
It's normal to a degree for newborns to be this way. There is always going to be an adjustment but I have one that does not give it a rest unless he is held which tells me that his parents hold him non-stop. I've mentioned to them that he definitely lets me know he wants to be held all day. I am hopeful that they will start working with this a little bit. It comes down to they will expect me to hold him all day or they will have to pay more for one on one care somewhere else. If that is what they expect here then I cannot provide that because I have to be able to safely cook and do things with the other kids. I don't have the energy to run around with a child strapped to me all day.
It's a big decision. I would just let them know your concerns up front and let them decide. Tell them to let you know what to plan for.
It's been a lot to plan for, that is for sure but with my age groups I have a second one going to preschool full-time next fall as well so I will be able to make this work at least. I just replaced older ones with two with 2 two month olds. It seems ever evolving. I feel like I am always destined to have two newborns at once but if my other ones are younger I can manage it.
I started out with 4 and 5 year olds along with the newborns and I just felt like I couldn't give them the educational, outdoors and craft aspect as much because I was so engrossed in feeding, unpredictable pooping & wetting schedules, cooking for the older ones, cleaning up, and getting them all to nap at once...
You can't predict the newborns. They can eat every three hours and then turn around one day and want to eat an hour after they ate, be gassy, have acid reflux...colicky or just plain have separation issues. These two I have now don't cry... they scream, no tears. It is dry like dessert. They aren't crying...they want to be held. The more they hold them at home the harder it makes it for them here.
It's normal to a degree for newborns to be this way. There is always going to be an adjustment but I have one that does not give it a rest unless he is held which tells me that his parents hold him non-stop. I've mentioned to them that he definitely lets me know he wants to be held all day. I am hopeful that they will start working with this a little bit. It comes down to they will expect me to hold him all day or they will have to pay more for one on one care somewhere else. If that is what they expect here then I cannot provide that because I have to be able to safely cook and do things with the other kids. I don't have the energy to run around with a child strapped to me all day.
It's a big decision. I would just let them know your concerns up front and let them decide. Tell them to let you know what to plan for.
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