Tips for Triplets

Because there is no manual for raising triplets most of us do a combination of figuring things out on your own and also being at our last straw and pleading with other parents of triplets for advice! Here are a few things I've figured on on my own that I'm sure you'd figure out too but let me save you the trouble : )

1) Tennis Courts: One cold but dry day last winter I loaded the boys up in the stroller and walked to the park. After a few minutes of swinging I could tell they were done with that. Since we had just gotten here I thought it was such a shame to head back home already. I longed to let them play on the jungle gym but they were new walkers and it was too dangerous to let them play on it with only myself looking after them (well actually it still is). Also at that age they went every which way and did not respond to 'stay close' like they do now. I noticed the sad empty tennis courts so I thought 'what the heck, lets give it a try.' I let them loose and used the stroller to block one of the two entrances so I'd only have to worry about one. It was the best idea ever. They ran and played with some left behind tennis balls to their hearts content! Now I also have a safe place to take them bike riding. You'll just have to figure out how to get both the babies and the bikes to the tennis courts on your own.

2) Reading to toddlers: Up until just a few weeks ago I could not read to all three boys at once. I could maybe get away with reading a very short book to one boy before they'd want to snatch it out of my hands and play with it. I think they've just arrived developmentally where they are highly entertained by being read to, this happened around 22months. But the challenge still remains, how do you read to ALL three at once with out it becoming a big fight over my lap or the book? I remembered I had this little wire book prop from my college days that I got after my neck hurt so bad from hanging my head down to read on a desk. I set the book on the table, and three chairs in front of it. I sit with one boy on my lap, there is no need to get the other two since they will quickly figure out what's going on and will plop them selves down right next to you. I keep the book at arms length and I only touch the book when I have to turn the page. As a rule the boys are not allowed to touch the book, you will have to remind them a lot, but so far they listen and do not get upset over it.

As a side note, the fact that I'm able to read to all three of my boys at once and have them enjoy it is absolutely fascinating! I can't hardly believe that we are onto this phase now. Is this for real, will the novelty wear out and I'll lose control again? I can't believe we can do something so structured now! I've said this many times before but it's the smallest changes that make the biggest differences to families with triplets!

I also highly recommend this book, especially if you are crazy about monsters like I am : )

3) Make your own veggie and/or fruit squeeze pouches: I'm sure you've seen these at the grocery store. What a wonderful idea, great for on the go, all organic, no sugar added and baby can feed themselves! If you are like me when you looked at the price it made you want to punch someone in the face and say "are you kidding me? you want me to pay how much for 3 stinking ounces of apple sauce!?!?!"

aside from being overpriced they contain so little, my boys literally finish them in 10 seconds or less!

I'm sure you will agree that the novelty makes for inflated prices. I'm sure it's just a matter of time until you can get these for 15cents a piece instead of the going rate of 75cents-$1.50 each, but by then my kids will be in elementary school and useless to us (on second thought they'd be great to throw into a lunch box, am I right?).

At home this is perfectly acceptable, but I certainly don't want to deal with this out in public!

I researched to see what was available as far as reusable squeeze pouches go. I found two options, the most expensive one was $16 and the other was $12 per pouch. I need at least three so this is way more than I want to pay or can afford. Further research leads me to these little beauties:

Is this Pintrest worthy or what?!

I guess bicyclists use these to eat something called energy gel (yum! sounds appetizing right?). They come in 5oz or 8oz sizes at only $8 per pouch. Score! They are still a little pricey so I only got three but would love another two sets. Oh well, I will have to make due with what I have. I got the 5oz pouches since I think it's the perfect amount for the boys at this age, maybe we'll do the 8oz later on : )

Fill em up with either your giant Costco vat of applesauce, or better yet make your own at home with any combination of fruits and veggies you like!

my happy customers : )

4) Restaurants: If you think I'm going to give you advice on how take your triplets to restaurants then you are wrong. If you can take your small children to restaurants consider yourself blessed and run with it. For the rest of us, Tina Fey couldn't have said it better. First a little back ground, she's twenty something and is at a restaurant interviewing for a waitressing job and is lying that she has had previous experience waiting tables.

"What was your favorite thing about waiting tables?"

My friend from home had not anticipated this question. "Um...the children. Waiting on cute kids...It was a family...restaurant." 

Game over. While "the children" may be a good nonsense answer for a Miss Universe contestant or a gubernatorial candidate, anyone who has ever waited tables - or simply gone to a restaurant with a child - knows that children are the soul-sucking worst. They take all the sugar packets out of the bowl, spill milk all over the place, and their wasted meals only cost five dollars... (Bossypants 2011)

Well said Tina! FYI if your triplets are normal children forget about eating at restaurants until a much older age. If you haven't guessed it by now my boys are the normal type and we rarely take them to restaurants. The evidence, if you could see it, was the terror in my moms eyes when I suggested we eat-in at Subway, the previous day we had taken the boys to the Black Bear Diner for breakfast. HA!