So, I spent the weekend playing “Mum” to not one, not two, but THREE preschoolers—a 5-year-old girl and twin 3-year-old boys. Yes, you read that right. THREE. At the same time.
😬
Did I hear you say, “What were you thinking?” Listen, I asked myself that very question… multiple times. 🤦🏾♀️
Here’s how I got myself into this situation: My dear friend, whose husband works away, had an important weekend training in another city. Since her nanny had recently left, I (in a moment of overconfidence) said, “Don’t worry, I got this!” 🤡
I mean, I’m a parenting coach. I have kids. Surely, I got this.
😂😂😂
Reality Check: I Did NOT Got This
I arrived bright and early before the kids woke up, thinking I’d enjoy a quiet moment before the chaos began. Cute, right? WRONG.
The moment their mum stepped out the door at 6:45 a.m., the house came alive. In minutes, it went from peaceful to party mode—like someone pressed the ON switch at full volume.
And I thought, Who wakes up this early on a Saturday? 😳
Oh, right. Preschoolers.
The Morning Routine: A Test of My Willpower
We started the day with cleaning up, getting dressed, and tidying their room before breakfast. Now, I wasn’t entirely sure how much they did on their own, but I figured this was the time for them to learn.
“Let’s make our beds before we go downstairs!” I said in my best parenting coach voice.
Spoiler alert: They actually did a good job! I was impressed. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all… 🤔
The Brilliant Park Plan (Or So I Thought)
The plan was simple: Take them to the big outdoor play park in my city. Let them run wild. Tire them out. Return home with calm, sleepy children.
Genius, right? WRONG AGAIN.
After three and a half years (okay, hours) at the park, I loaded them back into the car—with the exact same energy they arrived with.
Excuse me? HOW?! 🫠
I was done. But were they? Nope! They wanted MORE fun. And to make matters worse, two of their slightly older friends came home with us.
So now, I had five kids. 🫠🫠🫠
At this point, I was the only one exhausted. I had no choice but to power through.
The Final Stretch
Dinner? ✅
Kitchen tidied? ✅
Showers, story time, prayer time, bedtime? ✅✅✅
By 7:30 p.m., I was OUT. I slumped onto the sofa like I had just finished running a marathon.
And guess what?
I still had one more day of this madness. 😵💫
Will I survive Day 2?
Stay tuned for next week’s blog for the full survival story.
But if you can’t wait that long…
Join me LIVE on Instagram @keepingitrealwithoyin on Saturday, March 15th, at 3 PM GMT for the full gist (and some parenting lessons I picked up along the way)!
