What do y’all do when your wife is away on a business trip and you’ve got all three kids 24/7?

[takerraj]

@ajewelinhiscrown Get a baby sitter.

It may sound really weird to have someone looking after your kids while your at home. But honestly, my kids fucking LOVE someone new. They’re well behaved and they enjoy the new games.

I get a stress free period to cook, clean, wash, and then feed them dinner as I socialise with the baby sitter.

Baby sitter helps with bathtime, she’s looking after the kids in the water while I’m drying the other and getting them dressed.

She’ll brush hair and get the other one ready for bed while I’m getting our youngest all steroid creamed up (she has bad eczema), and then she puts one down while I get the other.

Honestly, with the way the kids behave for a baby sitter, it’s a more smoothly run household than when it’s both parents.

You need that time too.

 

[deardoris]

@ajewelinhiscrown The wife leaves a lot, but I only have two (aged 4 and 5) and no family around to help. I try to stick to their schedule best I can. But honestly just surviving is all you can do sometimes. The house may be a mess, but whatevs. I’ll take them to a local museum some days or to the grocery store just for something different. Or PJ day at home in front of the tv if I’m feeling lazy.

 

[apocolyptica]

@ajewelinhiscrown Video games for the older ones. Put them to bed youngest to oldest, 20 min each. They only get to play video games when mom works overnight or is out of town.

 

[promiwo]

@ajewelinhiscrown

1. Survive. Do your best to keep things as happy and fun and loving.
2. Soak it all up. I have four kids (8, 6, 4, 2) and it isn’t easy, but I have made some great memories with the kids when my has had to go out of town.
3. God bless.

 

[saintscruiser]

@ajewelinhiscrown I only got two. I work from home and my wife travels a lot. Both kids are under 7. It’s rough man, it really is and it is usually for a week at a time.

Managing work and kids by yourself is really really difficult and you don’t get to be the kind of parent you should be as you are stressed the fuck out!

 

[mkingsmileshapi]

@ajewelinhiscrown 1.5 weeks into a 2 week stretch. I am tired.

 

[123443215]

@ajewelinhiscrown Routine. Prep everything for the next day after the kids are in bed. Keep main areas clean.

 

[gubi]

@ajewelinhiscrown I try to keep everything as normal and "typical" as possible. Kids need routines to feel loved and safe, so do your best to keep the status quo. You are, however, one parent who does things differently, and your kids will enjoy that for the time mom is gone. You can still maintain the same routines while parenting the way you, as their dad, do.

 

[nicole61]

@ajewelinhiscrown We play. There is peace. Video games. Hide and seek. Playgrounds.

 

[katrina2017]

@ajewelinhiscrown Benadryl

 

[sheep7]

@ajewelinhiscrown Get ready to drop a lot of flying elbows and throw down tons of body slams

 

[thinkbig2010]

@ajewelinhiscrown you bribe the 7 year old to help with some cleanup and convincing the kids to go to bed.

You definitely make their favorite foods.

Find a good movie to watch.

Always keep something on the list for tomorrow so they can be excited for that (even if it’s just simple as picking up pizza, etc).

Focus on fun should be easier because it’s temporary, but it’s also not bad in general to be looking forward to tomorrow.

 

[lords_servant_02]

@ajewelinhiscrown Have four kids (5/9/12/15 now) and a wife who works a lot of evenings and nights. So yeah, am used to wrangling them by myself. It's getting progressively easier now as they're becoming more autonomous, mind you; at this point only the two youngest even need any assistance around bedtime. Wasn't always like that...

Routine is key. Who does what in which order should be well-defined. Also with each kid I did extensive babywearing, so when they were little I'd just strap them in there while putting the bigger ones through the routine; at some point the baby would usually fall asleep, then after a while it could be gingerly transferred to the crib.

 

[mgnrose]

@ajewelinhiscrown Just make it a game. Somehow some way. If it’s a game, they won’t notice they’re doing all their responsibilities. That or…. Bribe them. Those 2 always work for me

 

[poorinspirit]

@ajewelinhiscrown Recruit the 7 year old. “Pay” them somehow (gift, prize, privilege) and they will likely step in and help. Mine would help with chores, bossing the younger ones, etc.

 

[alesiahamlin]

@ajewelinhiscrown in general i am the traveller, but when i am home with my 7 and 9, i find giving them responsibilities really helps. Like they make their own breakfast and it both keeps them occupied and helps them feel empowered. Also, there are things that we only do when its "dudes time" that helps them be REALLY engaged with them (right now it is wood kits)

 

[quinn32]

@ajewelinhiscrown Keep the routine, but combine what you can.

I only have two kids, but when I'm on my own I'll get them to do as much together as I can. Getting changed in the same room, combined bedtime story, that sort of thing (they normally share a bath, so that's already done). Duplication is what eats the time.

 

[miriame]

@ajewelinhiscrown This is why I don’t get why people move far away from family and grandparents. You need the help for your own mental health.

 

[althechristian]

@ajewelinhiscrown Hiking. Including drive to and from the trail head, it is often a half day activity minimum. Plus fun to do and they eat well afterwards and are generally tired

 

[faithandholyspiritarethek]

@ajewelinhiscrown I only have one, so I don’t fully know your pain. But my wife used to travel about 1w a month until my daughter was 7. Activities outside the house were clutch. I guess my ultimate advice is to keep grinding, everything ends.