Now that my kids are well into the toddler stage, I have been able to manage more and more outings {with help of course}. And thanks to a handy dandy Fall Bucket List, our calendar has been busy and full of fun! But, as I have learned, whenever we are out and about, we draw attention. And with that attention comes comments and questions and stares and strangers asking to take pictures of my kids {I ALWAYS say no}. But what I’ve noticed is that the comments and questions are often times negative. Things like “I thought I had it bad”, “I’ll never complain again”, “You sure have your hands full”, “Glad it’s you and not me”, and “Bless your heart”. {I’m from the South, I know what “Bless your heart” means.}
And, honestly, I get it. I know we’re an unusual sight and people are curious and I would likely have the same exact reactions if it wasn’t me {except the picture taking thing, it weirds me out}. This is why I try to answer all of the questions and respond to the comments. And, yes, having sextuplets can be overwhelming, chaotic, and expensive, but that’s not all there is to it. Because another thing I’ve learned is that your attitude can change everything. Rather than getting caught up in the stress of daily life, focusing on the good is so much more beneficial. And there are plenty of good things about having sextuplets.
Schedules and Structure
I’m a big fan of schedules and structured routines when dealing with kids. For me, a schedule just seems to make the day flow more easily. From comparing notes with my singleton mom friends, I believe that setting a schedule is actually EASIER with high order multiples. Mainly because there is no choice. Without a schedule and structure, it would be chaos all of the time. I found this to be true with sleep training. I HAD to get my babies on a consistent sleep schedule because if they didn’t sleep at the same time, I’d go crazy. Although sleep training was a lot of work, I think letting them cry it out and sticking with it was easier than with one baby. I couldn’t comfort all of them at once, so there wasn’t much I could do except let them cry it out.
Entertainment
Built in friends. All the same age. All into the same stuff. From running circles around the kitchen island to crashing Hot Wheels to rolling balls down the slide or hallway, they really do entertain each other. Of course, this doesn’t happen all of the time. There are plenty of fights and typical sibling issues. But when they are all laughing and having fun and I get a minute to get something done in peace, it’s pretty great. Especially when they giggle and talk after naps and stay in their rooms an extra 30 minutes!
Relationships
It’s a unique situation and a unique bond. These kids have shared and will share so much together. I love watching all of the different personalities develop and how they relate to each other as they grow. It’s hard to imagine what life would be like without my independent strong-willed child, my sensitive bully, my music loving free spirit, my sweet hard worker, my rule following know-it-all, or my praise loving rough and tumble kid. I pray their bond will only grow stronger as they age. These relationships are just too special not to. When I asked other parents of high order multiples what the good things are, the most popular response was the bond and the relationships.
Life with sextuplets IS exhausting and chaotic, but it is so fun and so rewarding too.
