When you’ve got a large family, it can often be difficult trying to keep all of your children happy and occupied. You’re a busy parent with your own work schedule and social life to figure out and this can make it hard to cater to all of your children’s needs.
Things in your house likely turn into a hectic mess each morning when your kids are getting ready for school. Everybody is fighting for the bathroom, you’ve got several hungry tummies to feed, and you’ve got bags to pack before heading out the door to do the school run.
You’re not alone if you find things difficult as a parent to more than one child. It can be tough delegating enough of your time and energy to each one of your kids. Sometimes, you end up spreading yourself too thin and feeling drained by the end of the week.
So, how can you continue being an amazing parent while also finding time for yourself? How can you keep your kids happy and occupied without feeling overwhelmed yourself?
Here are some top tips for any parents out there who have large families.
Get a Large Family Car
As a parent, you probably do the daily school run and you may be responsible for driving your children to their weekly dance classes or sports games.
If you only have a small car, it becomes almost impossible to keep up with your kids’ hobbies each week. Plus, if you’re planning a long road trip with the whole family, some kids are going to get left behind because your car is too small for everyone to squeeze into.
When there are only four seats in your car, you are limited to just you and three children. The obvious solution to this problem is to get a larger car.
Whether it’s a Land Rover Dealer in AZ or another large SUV, find a vehicle that has enough seats to comfortably fit your whole family. You’ll never have to worry about having enough space in your car ever again!
Find Easy Ways to Cook for the Whole Family in One
Meal planning is key when you have a lot of mouths to feed. Finding ways to streamline the cooking process will save you time and energy, and will keep your children satisfied.
There are lots of great recipes that you can cook in bulk to feed the whole family in one. Each week, take a look at some online recipes that you and all of your children will enjoy.
Crowd-pleasing meal ideas include pasta bake, stir fry, soup, and stew. Your kids are bound to love these dishes and they can be easily prepared and cooked in bulk.
One of the best pieces of kitchen equipment you can invest in when you’ve got a large family is a slow cooker. You can make several portions in one go and there is minimal preparation or cooking time involved. Simply throw the ingredients into the slow cooker and leave it to do the work for you while you continue with your day.
Keep Healthy Snacks to Hand at All Times
The last thing you want as a busy parent is for your kids to get irritable and agitated because they are hungry. Stocking up on lots of healthy and delicious snacks will ensure your kids don’t go hungry in between meals.
Great healthy snacks include fruit, crackers, yogurt, homemade granola bars, and sandwiches. Of course, you can also keep a few sweet treats in the cupboards to give to your children every now and then!
Stop the Bickering as Early as Possible
Bickering is inevitable when you’ve got more than one child. It’s pretty much impossible for them to all get along every second of the day.
That being said, there are things that you can do to reduce the bickering and keep everyone happy. A great tactic to stop your kids fighting is to keep them occupied.
Give them jobs to do around the house, such as washing the dishes or tidying a room. When they’re busy doing their own thing, they won’t be worried about what their siblings are doing.
Another way to minimize bickering is to provide fun group activities that they can do together. This will keep them engaged and encourage teamwork and collaboration. Set up an arts and crafts station in your home or buy a new console game that has a multi-player option.
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