If you have 6 or more kids how do you manage all the things

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Forum -> Household Management

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amother

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 3:21 pm

you need to do? How often and who goes: grocery shopping, produce shopping, kid's doctors appointments, household products shopping (cleaning supplies, disposables, and miscellaneous), dry cleaners, and all the other appointments, stores, etc that you need to go to? What are your time saving tips?
Do you do some shopping online if you live in Brooklyn- where? is it expensive? do you end up with the right things?
If you do online shopping for groceries, how do you get eggs, milk, meat and things that could spoil?
How does everyone manage? even with less kids?

amother

Blush

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 3:50 pm

Grocery deliveries and orders for pickup. I do the ordering, DH does pickups when we can't get deliveries. I buy from The Marketplace (kosherfamily.com) and although some things are a little more expensive there are sales, plus I can see exactly what I'm getting and what it will cost. I make very large orders (often $500+) and they rarely make any mistakes.

Household products shopping with groceries or online.

Doctor's appointments - we skip many routine well visits so not many, I take usually for acute issues, sometimes DH does.

Dentist - DH usually takes.

Dry cleaners - only very rarely dry clean things, DH will do it. We have the Woolite cloths for home dry cleaning.

We don't do many other errands. If I can't get it online or with Walmart grocery delivery, we usually do without.

Newsflash: We don't all manage. We find techniques that work for us for the things we consider important, and we let everything else slide.

I make a weekly menu and make a grocery order based on that. We don't run out to the store to get something I forgot, we do without.

amother

Floralwhite

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 3:53 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I dont live in Brooklyn.
I have a big grocery order delivered once a week. The perishables are kept in a refrigerated truck. It's not a problem at all. I order enough milk, eggs, etc that I never need to go out for that. I over buy non perishables and store in the garage. We always have tissues, TP, paper plates, etc. I hate having to run out to a store for something like that. My grocery order contains cleaning supplies, feminine hygiene products, etc.

I do have to replenish fruits and vegetables every few days.
If I want to make something for supper and I'm missing one ingredient, I stop at a small makolet type store and run in.
On Thursday I make a menu for shabbas and buy chicken, meat and whatever else we need. It's not a big shopping trip because my online order contains all the staples.

I work from home with flexible hours. Appointments and chauffeuring, etc all get done in between work. I drive kids around a lot.
I order clothing online, as much as possible.
Dry cleaning goes straight into the car so that I can do a drop off after I take kids to school, usually on Monday. then pickup on thursday or Friday.

amother

Goldenrod

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 3:56 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I call 845-774-7771 (Shlomies) and order everything over the phone including groceries and disposables, usually at night. It is delivered in the morning. Fish, chicken, meat are ordered from their respective stores. Eggs do not spoil so that's not an issue. Fish and meat can be picked up or delivered and then usually with ice on top (ask for extra).

Dry cleaners is dropped off, some have delivery service.

Apts are during the day. Babysitting help from family.

Try to do kids doctor apts early morning so that way they can still go to school or cheder after.

amother

Firebrick

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 3:58 pm

All I know is Im busy all day ! Bh I dont work and I have cleaning help 2 half days a week.

I go grocery shopping twice a week.
Sunday- monday and wed- thurs.p
I do go out every day- shop- errands- fresh air,
I also have a 1 yr old home with me who needs to be entertained..

I schedule appointments for all my kids at once.
Dr, dentist , eye Dr.

amother

Firebrick

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 4:03 pm

Also my husband works a ton so doesn't help with any of the above..

And most of my relatives dont live near me..

mha3484

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 4:05 pm

Household products either amazon, target drive up or I get with the grocery shopping. I go to the grocery store once a week, we get the school food box once a week and DH goes to whole foods for a small list of stuff that we would rather get there sometimes its weekly or every other week. If I run out of an item I will sometimes run in after work but I really really hate that so I try to make do with what I have at home and adapt my menu if I need to.

Dr Apts, DH does most of them unless I have a specific concern I want to discuss with the Dr. Dentist is the same. Our Dr is open 7 days a week with morning and evening appointments so we can figure it out pretty easily.

Dry cleaners is open on Sundays so that is a pretty easy errand to do after school drop off. Stuff like shatnez or alterations is 90% DH's clothing so he takes care of that himself.

I have two kids with school on Sunday so I often use those hours to do errands that they would not want to come with and then Sunday afternoon is stuff like the library, cleaning their rooms that I make them do a lot of the effort, hair cuts.

Anything else that comes up we take it as it goes.

amother

Silver

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 4:34 pm

I def have less than 6, and while most things I think are easy to manage with planning .... ex: order food shopping online , use Instacart, use Amazon & plan meals well... I have an issue w/ keeping up with doctor appointments... especially during Covid .
Anyone have any tips ?
Bh my kids are all healthy, but ex require a lot of dental visits . And now my current dentist only allows one kid @ time .
So I am always running to dentists & specialist ... and pulling kids out of school to do it .
Or making Friday appointments . No to menthion Covid testing & runs for strep test.
Anyone any tips ?
Husband works a lot isn’t around
Also hard time managing all the Hw . Not getting it just done, but finding time when child needs extra help tutoring or studying for tests.
Any tips ?

amother

Firebrick

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 4:44 pm

amother [ Firebrick ] wrote:

Also my husband works a ton so doesn't help with any of the above..

And
most of my relatives dont live near me..

I also want to add that bli ayin hara, I havent given any of my children prescription medicine in a few years bh. So we really dont have a lot of Dr apps.

Although I did just take my 1 yr old in for his 4 month check up.
Bec of covid and insurance ..

SingALong

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 5:01 pm

1. Cleaning help if you can
2. Groceries email and delivered, household essentials like pampers, wipes, shampoo, soap, detergent, toilet paper, cleaning supplies etc all online/amazon
3. Appointments are tough, especially since we’re playing catchup with COVID . Dentist also has a 1 kid at a time rule, I told them I’m not coming back and forth with 4 kids. They said I can make their appointments 2 at a time, then the next 2 right afterwards, we’ll be the only family at the office then.
Other dr appt I take a kid out of school to do. I can’t go after hours when everyone is home and needs me there giving supper, etc.
4. I hired a sem girl to do hw with my kids. Every night. I bath baby and toddler during hw, as each kid is done they come up for a bath one by one. Then I can put them to bed.
Dh travels for work, I usually fly solo morning rush and evening mayhem. He’ll do the occasional far specialist appointment when needed.

amother

Burlywood

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 6:53 pm

My friend has 6 and one day I asked her how she does it all. She took me to her kitchen and opened her freezer: there were chalot, cakes, so much frozen stuff! She said she makes triple batches of everything she cooks and freezes. Also, her 6 kids are very well behaved, even the little ones, so I suppose that helps!

flowerpower

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 6:59 pm

The key is to be organized. To have a system for the week. I make a big grocery order once a week. Then I wash the fridge and organize it along with the pantry when I unpack the order. Laundry is done 2 times a week- all clothes get washed, dried, and folded that day. I order the detergents and many small items online. Have a system What gets done each day and stick to it.

amother

Lime

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 7:14 pm

It’s not only the amount of kids....
One child with ADHD is like raising ten kids.
I know because I did both. (Oldest with adhd)

Practically speaking:
I email groceries and produce
I have a CL for laundry and cleaning.

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 7:24 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I do grocery shopping. Used to go once a week, now way less often and a lot online. I do produce with grocery shopping...

Dr appts I do except the boys. We do well visits only and sick visits only if deemed necessary (we wait things out of it seems ok...I have strep test kit at home) and we use urgent care for that as it seems to be on Sundays or evenings for emergencies! Eye Dr either me or my husband, do a few at once. Dentist has been my husband but I might start taking some kids depending on his schedule (I did when they were younger and I had a Sunday dentist)

Almost all other shopping is online. Occasionally a Target run or something quickly in the evening. Sundays for more planned out errands.

Dry cleaners not frequently, but that's my husband's department.

yksraya

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 7:40 pm

amother [ Goldenrod ] wrote:

You should specify you're not in Brooklyn...

amother

Papaya

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 7:43 pm

My real question is, how do you shower?
I have 2 little kids. I wake up at 7:30, get them and myself ready for the day, drive them to school, drive to work, pick up the kids, come home, sometimes shop on the way home. Cook supper, clean up, baths, bedtime, pack bags, clean some more, and then it’s 10/10:30, and I’m completely exhausted and spent. I don’t have time to eat besides for the granola bars that I keep in my car. I can barely push myself into the shower.

amother

Lime

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 7:45 pm

amother [ Papaya ] wrote:

Exactly.
Believe it or not with ten kids it is easier

amother

Papaya

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 7:48 pm

amother [ Lime ] wrote:

Exactly.
Believe it or not with ten kids it is easier

Maybe because then there are helpers, I guess. I don’t plan on having 6, but I do plan on having more than 2. And I’m not sure how to keep this all up. I’m very good with time management, and I’m organized and quick. But there’s zero minutes and zero seconds for anything self-care related. I don’t even eat normal meals. Mikvah night is murder because I have to wake up crazy early for my bath and most of my prep.

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 7:48 pm

Haha. Shower. I find it hardest when I have a little baby but otherwise basically if I can do it at night, great, otherwise a quick one in the morning and hope my older kids keep the little ones safe for an extra 5 minutes. Or I only get dressed after my husband brings them to school on really pressured mornings and shower then. But again, with a little baby, hard to rely on that.

yksraya

Wed, Dec 02 2020, 7:50 pm

I bh have 6 kids, but my older ones are teens/ pre-teens. My youngest is 3 and already goes to cheder. So I do have time in mornings, to go shopping. I do some orders online from local grocery, and some in person. I buy most household needs in grocery. My local grocery sends the order as soon as completed, so things stay fresh.

I do a lots of shopping online, that saves me time and money.
I wash mostly everything myself, so those few times a year when dry cleaners are needed, dh takes care of it.

I live close by to our dr center, so emergency appointment are easy. Otherwise I try to have appointments in after school hours, while dh or dd stays with the rest of kids.

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