Club 3 or more Kids

[Kabby]

i3mum:

Wonder if anyone has managed to work part time with 3 kids? If you do, can share the working hours & job ?

Not sure what kind of job you would like. I am just sharing this cos it happened to me recently.

I went to McDs with my sis. Both of us had our kids with us, total 5, without hubbies or other adults.

It has been a long long while since I dined in at McDs. If I feel like it, I usually order the breakfast. So I was very very surprised when we walked in and there was a long queue for lunch, but this lady who looked like the manager (from the uniform) came up to us and offered us a nice table, ushered her staff to get 3 high chairs for the 3 younger ones, and then asked us not to queue up, she will order for us!

Besides that, she further surprised me when we were waiting for the food, by asking the kids to choose what balloon sculpture they wanted! Usually they give out normal balloons, I know, and have seen other kids walking around with those. But they sculptured stuff like poodles, and a beautiful flower with more than 1 long coloured balloon for my niece!

I was so impressed so I asked the manager if she already knew how to sculpture all these balloon animals and flowers, or she learnt after joining McDs. She said all the McDs staff go through the balloon sculpturing course!

I say, wow, then I also want to learn, half in jest, but then she said I should really consider PT work with McDs. Cos she started doing only 4h each morning last time when her kids were younger and in school for the mornings only!

After that incident, I went home and told Dh perhaps I should not return to my previous job in future when kids are older and do something more fun/ relaxing like working at Bakerzin or McDs, learn to make some things...

I am considering early childhood too... Or maybe set up some business... haha, a lot of dreams yah?

What are you thinking of? :love:

[SAHM_TAN]

Which branch did you go to? I was the one at Bugis Parco with my bb. It was very crowded and I was thinkiing of leaving my bag on the seat to get a drink when a staff and offered to get my order for me. I only paid for it after I rec my drink. McDs seem to be improving its service.


When the kids are older, I was thinking of taking up some courses in NIE

[SAHM_TAN]

Diesel:

Hello ...

I think I can qualify here.

I am a FTWM with 4 kids, aged 4-9 yrs.
I am soon will be doing without a maid. As it is more pain than of a gain to have them.

Have / Still thinking about SAHM option. Among them is to get PT / Flexi work. Havent conclude yet.
We have a OPC car.

You are thinking about the SAHM because you will be without a maid or even before you decide to not have a maid?

[MummyThreeStreams]

Luvkid:

The pros is always there to start a family when u r young. At what age did u hv a DS1? I had DS1 when i was 28,4 years later with DS2 coming along...Thot no more...yet 5 years later So having my this 3rd one is really fated. As i was already over 35, i chose to do anmio test, i dun dare to face the risk. Initially, i was like to keep or not to keep the bb-Let's leave it to fate. Firstly-heartbeat detected;ok not much worry-KEEP. Secondly-anmio test;ok not much worry-KEEP. Lastly-detailed scan;ok-MUST KEEP.

Continue to enjoy the way u r now with your bundle of joy!! :celebrate:

And you must be enjoying your new baby now?

I had my first child at 28 too! Slightly over a year after marriage. Then the next two were born at three year intervals. So now I've attained my KPI by 34. :celebrate:

No more. Each pregnancy is harder and harder.

I find handling three kids ok, but I don't have a helper. My mum or in-laws will help me during the week. they can handle at most two each time. So, while DH and I used to be able to go to concerts for date nights before, now cannot coz grandparents cannot handle. We still go on dates, but gotta bring DS3 along. Anyway, he's breastfed, so he's easy to manage when we go out.

[Luvkid]

Diesel:

Hello ...

I think I can qualify here.

I am a FTWM with 4 kids, aged 4-9 yrs.
I am soon will be doing without a maid. As it is more pain than of a gain to have them.

Have / Still thinking about SAHM option. Among them is to get PT / Flexi work. Havent conclude yet.
We have a OPC car.

Disel,welcome to this club. :celebrate:

From the age of your 4 kids, they r juz a year apart :!: Kudos to u...

The maid part as u said \"more pain than of a gain to have them.\"-i agree with u. I heard from neighbour and sister how their helper \"help\" them,sounds so scary. Especially when this neighbour and sister are both SAHM, they can see how the helper \"help\".From daily groceries to the amount/type of food they eat. My initial plan was to get a helper since i am having 3 (earning not enough to cover cost to infant,childcare & student care), but in the end still gave up the thot as we can't entrust our little one to the helper.

MummyThreeStreams:

And you must be enjoying your new baby now?

I had my first child at 28 too! Slightly over a year after marriage. Then the next two were born at three year intervals. So now I've attained my KPI by 34.

No more. Each pregnancy is harder and harder.

I find handling three kids ok, but I don't have a helper. My mum or in-laws will help me during the week. they can handle at most two each time. So, while DH and I used to be able to go to concerts for date nights before, now cannot coz grandparents cannot handle. We still go on dates, but gotta bring DS3 along. Anyway, he's breastfed, so he's easy to manage when we go out.

Mummythreestreams,both DS3 and i juz passed our full month :lol: Well, so far so good. My life did not really go back to normal as in i have not started to coach DS1(P3) with his school work,which i used to do so previously. I really \"let go\" of him during my confinement. Now after confinement, i yet to bring myself back to the normal schedule of doing work with him.... :?: SA1 coming, real worried for him....I juz let him practise on past year paper from various school and mark his paper. Correction yet to go thru... :?:

Having yr DS1 at 28 is not really that young. But it's great that u mananged to hv all of them by 34. :celebrate:

For my case, 3 pregnancies considered smooth sailing,but of cos get more tired as age catches up

I dun like to leave kids to own parents or in laws. My dad has his own life,my mum too, has her own life,and i am not closed to her, so never get help from her to look after my boys. FIL-passed on....MIL has her own life too and i dun ask her help too,too much conflict. So after having kids, both our life are forever focusing on them,except we applied leave from work,we will be able to spend time alone.

It's good that u hv help from yr mum and in laws. In another 2-3 years when DS3 is older, you can resume the \"pa toh' lifewith DH again by handing 3 boys to grandparents,by then DS1 also 9yo,dun really have to take care. Continue to enjoy the way of life u r having now! :celebrate:

[Diesel]

SAHM_TAN:

Diesel:

Hello ...

I think I can qualify here.

I am a FTWM with 4 kids, aged 4-9 yrs.
I am soon will be doing without a maid. As it is more pain than of a gain to have them.

Have / Still thinking about SAHM option. Among them is to get PT / Flexi work. Havent conclude yet.
We have a OPC car.

You are thinking about the SAHM because you will be without a maid or even before you decide to not have a maid?

Hello dear,
Yes ... partly considering SAHM since will be without maid....

I am giving her up .. anyone wants???????

[MummyThreeStreams]

i3mum:

Wonder if anyone has managed to work part time with 3 kids? If you do, can share the working hours & job ?

Hi i3mum,
I was working part-time and partially from home before I went on maternity leave. It worked out very well for me.

I'm a civil servant. My bosses were very supportive. I think there was also a lot of trust involved, which they could afford to place on me because I had built up a solid reputation over the years. They didn't worry so much about the actual hours worked, as long as I delivered quality output in a timely manner.

In return, I was careful not to abuse that trust, since I realized that such a working arrangement was a privilege and not an entitlement. I would always keep them posted on my whereabouts - when I would be working, whether I would be working from home or the office, or at a meeting etc. etc.

The hours were erratic, sometimes major OT, but my bosses were happy to give me time off for those extra hours. So overall, the hours balanced out.

Of course, I tried to coordinate my schedule with the kid's - not work when they were home, and off to work when they were at school. But not always possible. So it was helpful to have my mum and in-law's help for those times I had to work OT etc.

as PT staff, my career has taken a big hit. But it's worth it. I don't think I could be happy working full-time when all I want is to be home with the kids. Although, on many days, I did think that working part-time was more stressful than working full-time because I still had to worry about both home and office and I was running around all the time with no break in between (morning crazy busy dealing with kids, then when they go to school, crazy busy dealing with work, then when they get back, crazy busy dealing with kids, then when they sleep, crazy busy doing household chores, and maybe more work) I guess it depends on the job.

[Diesel]

Hi MummyThreeStreams


Then all I can say is you are lucky
Enjoy the balance of work & family ...
I think in Singapore there is very limited such arrangements for work.
In Europe and America, families survive without a maid and it is affordable to put their kids up at daycare , etc.
Its ironic, in Sg, per kid, daycare is 300 at least.
Standard of living is getting higher.

[i3mum]

Hi MummyThreeStreams,


You are really very lucky & blessed! :love:

I guess for my job is not possible.

MummyThreeStreams:

Hi i3mum,
I was working part-time and partially from home before I went on maternity leave. It worked out very well for me.

I'm a civil servant. My bosses were very supportive. I think there was also a lot of trust involved, which they could afford to place on me because I had built up a solid reputation over the years. They didn't worry so much about the actual hours worked, as long as I delivered quality output in a timely manner.

In return, I was careful not to abuse that trust, since I realized that such a working arrangement was a privilege and not an entitlement. I would always keep them posted on my whereabouts - when I would be working, whether I would be working from home or the office, or at a meeting etc. etc.

The hours were erratic, sometimes major OT, but my bosses were happy to give me time off for those extra hours. So overall, the hours balanced out.

Of course, I tried to coordinate my schedule with the kid's - not work when they were home, and off to work when they were at school. But not always possible. So it was helpful to have my mum and in-law's help for those times I had to work OT etc.

as PT staff, my career has taken a big hit. But it's worth it. I don't think I could be happy working full-time when all I want is to be home with the kids. Although, on many days, I did think that working part-time was more stressful than working full-time because I still had to worry about both home and office and I was running around all the time with no break in between (morning crazy busy dealing with kids, then when they go to school, crazy busy dealing with work, then when they get back, crazy busy dealing with kids, then when they sleep, crazy busy doing household chores, and maybe more work) I guess it depends on the job.

[lostbunny]

i3mum:

Wonder if anyone has managed to work part time with 3 kids? If you do, can share the working hours & job ?

I consider myself lucky to have a very pro-family superior. Come July, I will be switching to part time. I will be working 4 hrs every day after DS1 goes to school. From next month onwards, my mum will not be able to help me with the kids. I discussed with my superior and she agree to let me work from home for May and June. But we spent some efforts to convince my biG boss that my work will not be affected (as big boss was concerned that I could not work since the kids are at home. But actually my DS2 and DD are in full day child care). So basically, I only have DS1 at home for 2 to 3 hrs in the morning. Big boss eventually agreed.