A Personal Account of My Life with Two Children

Motherhood is never easy. I thought I was struggling with just the one kid at first. I wasn’t very confident in my “mommy skills” and felt as if I was messing up constantly. I was a new parent, but I felt as if I should have been doing more.

Over time and with a little bit of help and encouraging words, I finally found my groove. Going out with my oldest was easier and I was able to keep him calm and happy. It was also easier to do work outs with him around. I felt great about effortlessly being able to take my oldest everywhere I went without getting lost or overwhelmed at a simple trip to the grocery store.

Now that I have two children, I had to relearn and re-find my way on how to get things done.

At first, I was terrified to leave the house with the boys. I was constantly on edge, thinking I would never be able to run weekday errands again without a struggle or without the help of my husband. Thankfully, I am accustomed to babywearing and getting up early.

My first personal test was grocery shopping.

I carefully planned my entire trip to the grocery store. I got up early so I could be one of the first customers in the store, so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed by a crowd and could get in and out easily. I wore my infant instead of keeping him in the baby car seat, so I could have the basket free for our items. My toddler could sit in the shopping cart seat.

It was a successful trip.

Since that day, I have grown more and more comfortable running errands during the week (early in the morning when the stores first open, of course) with my two children.

At home it’s a slightly different story.

My youngest wants to be held constantly, and my toddler still requires a bit of help and monitoring. To be able to give them both what they need, I must wear my baby around the house so I can have my hands free to tend to my toddler. Some days are easy, and some are not. The hard days are laundry days, but who actually likes laundry days?! My overly helpful toddler gets underfoot, and it is hard to fold and put away clothing while I’m wearing my baby. On top of that, basic household chores. Yes, babywearing keeps the baby calm and happy, but it limits me from moving around as quickly to complete my tasks before 5, so I can cook dinner and have some time to myself.

With each passing day it gets a little easier, but I still have a lot to learn about caring for two young boys during the day. I’m a little too ready for my 10-week-old to become a bit more independent and want to sit in his swing without getting upset from being away from me for more than five minutes so I can get more things done.

But,for now, it’s easier to wear him. I am very thankful that my 3 year old is fully potty trained, so I only have to change one person’s diaper. I also love how helpful (at times) my 3 year old is. He may not realize it yet, but the simple things he does, like picking up his toys, putting his dirty dishes in the sink, and behaving, helps me a lot.

By setting small personal goals I can complete daily or weekly, it helps make everything less stressful and less overwhelming. It makes my days easier to manage. Having two children instead of one is definitely a challenge, but it’s my personal goal to learn as much as I can so I can be the very best mom for them.