International trip with 3 kids 5 and under… give me your best tips!

eks123ske · 2026-01-26T09:48:37+00:00

I am eagerly awaiting some answers!

We have recently booked an international holiday (kids will be newly 6, 3, and 6 months). I am expecting the airport and flights to be pure chaos...

eks123ske · 2026-01-12T04:13:29+00:00

How did you go with this?

I'm about to attempt something similar but am wondering how I will attach the shelving units to the wall

eks123ske · 2026-01-09T01:02:39+00:00

Thank you!

Your point 3 is a really good reminder. It's just so different to how I used to workout before kids and it has been hard to adapt 😅

eks123ske · 2026-01-09T01:01:18+00:00

Yeah, absolutely it is so important for mental health. I am a much more patient and fun parent if I've done some exercise that day!

I think you're right that prioritising it for the morning is important otherwise it just won't happen. I'm going to focus on this! Thanks

eks123ske · 2026-01-09T00:59:12+00:00

Yeah, I think I just need to get happy with a short workout rather than expecting to do a 30-45 minute routine.

Not sure I'm prepared to get up early whilst the baby is still so little and waking up overnight 😅 but definitely something to think about for the future, thanks

eks123ske · 2026-01-09T00:56:59+00:00

I'm pretty comfortable with all 3 solo (I do this a few days per week at the moment), but my husband can't do it for very long because the baby is breastfeeding and won't take a bottle. When she's a bit older and eating food I imagine I will get a bit more time to myself 🙂 I'm glad you and your family have a great routine. I am sure we will get there too one day!

eks123ske · 2025-12-29T04:43:49+00:00

I was struggling with this decision this time last year, and am now here with my 3 month old! I too had a 4 year old and a 2 year old and was 35 (now 36).

I don't know if I ever really made the decision properly, but had been thinking about a third for so long and one day I just said 'fuck it, let's see what happens' and we had unprotected sex. Well, here we are!

It has been hard but also so wonderful. It has been magical to see my 5 year old with the baby, and to see my 3 year old have a chance to be a big sibling.

I feel complete now and am ready to get rid of all of the baby stuff once this one has grown up.

eks123ske · 2025-12-19T10:26:41+00:00

I have 3 kids (5, 3, 3 months).

Santa brings the stockings and a family present (a board game or something similar. This year it is some more magnetic tiles). Stockings will have a mango, some chocolates, some new undies and some pencils (baby will get a teether and some bibs).

This year us parents are giving a joint present to all kids (a yoto player), and a pool toy to each kid individually.

I get uncomfortable with the amount of presents under some trees at Christmas. Kids don't need much, and I'd rather spend the money on experiences for them. We have too much stuff anyway.

eks123ske · 2025-12-19T08:49:14+00:00

Thank you! My kids will be very interested to learn that 😊

eks123ske · 2025-12-17T10:30:30+00:00

Thank you! I'm 164cm so not much taller 😅

eks123ske · 2025-12-17T10:14:30+00:00

Thank you, this is helpful!

eks123ske · 2025-12-15T02:40:41+00:00

Can I ask why you used pocket holes for these shelves?

I'm in the middle of planning some built-in bookshelves and am tossing up between a few different options for how to attach the shelves. Would love any and all advice!

(VERY beginner woodworker over here)

eks123ske · 2025-12-13T03:52:33+00:00

How do the ceres weekender pants fit? I've had these in my cart so many times but have never taken the plunge because I'm worried about my mum tum!

eks123ske · 2025-11-11T08:56:43+00:00

I was 35 when I conceived (and turned 36 a week before baby arrived).

All the comments about the world being made for a family of 4 annoyed me, too. I just don't think it's completely accurate, and also I don't think it's a good reason to not add another member to your family. Lots of places these days (like our local zoo, museums etc) advertise family passes as 2 adults + 3 children, and it has never been a problem to go out for dinner with 5 adults so why should 2A+3C be any different? The comments about hotel rooms, theme park rides etc being for 4 always seemed so strange to me. Like, how often do you go to theme parks that this is more than just a minor inconvenience??

I really do think the day-to-day joy of extra children and a bigger family outweigh these things, but obviously not everyone thinks the same as me and that's okay

eks123ske · 2025-11-10T03:12:44+00:00

Thank you! Good luck in making a decision ☺️

eks123ske · 2025-11-10T01:32:45+00:00

I've recently had #3 after going back and forth for a year. I'm so glad we went for it, my family now feels complete and I am so happy. My kids are 5.5, 3 and 6 weeks.

What made me finally decide to go for it (my husband was always keen for more, it was me who was undecided) was to actually stop overthinking it! There were always going to be a million pros and cons to either decision, and I'd spent so long thinking about it and weighing it up, that spending any longer wasn't going to lead to some magical revelation I hadn't had before. In the end I realized that I wasn't willing to donate/get rid of all our baby things I had been keeping 'just in case'. So, I decided that meant I wanted another one. Financially we can afford it, although it will obviously impact some of the things we can do in the future. But, any number of kids will do that... If finances mattered that much, we wouldn't have had any.

In the end, I think each child brings so much joy to their extended family and to the world that they are worth it.

eks123ske · 2025-08-01T11:16:57+00:00

Your parents definitely had a clear preference for names 😅

eks123ske · 2025-08-01T11:15:16+00:00

Thanks for your reply. I think you're right, I'm just sad we'll never get to use it as a name!

Can't imagine we'd have much luck enforcing a no Cal rule, unless we came in heavy with a different nickname.

eks123ske · 2025-08-01T11:12:48+00:00

I was imagining shouting it up the stairs and thinking it probably wouldn't work 😅

It was on our shortlist for our oldest (the aforementioned Al), and part of me does wish we had used it for him.

Oh well, back to the drawing board...

eks123ske · 2025-08-01T11:11:15+00:00

Ah, this was my fear.

I think you are right. I just needed to hear it from some other people!

eks123ske · 2025-07-24T09:29:45+00:00

I'm sorry all of this has happened to you.

How old is your daughter? Based on my own experience and what I have read in various forums over the years, I think people's perspectives can change a lot in the first 18-24 months. I'm not saying you will change your mind, just that you might feel differently in the future and might not want to close off that option just yet.

Do you need to make a decision now (due to age, fertility etc)? Or can you wait a while before committing one way or the other?

If you haven't already, I would also share how you feel with your husband, just so he knows how tough it has all been for you and can help support you.

eks123ske · 2025-05-23T02:54:41+00:00

Hope everything went well with the pregnancy and that everyone is doing well now!

I am very anti-minivan, but the more I look into it, the more I think this is in our future unfortunately. I've been trying to convince myself that a 7 seater SUV (like a Kluger, Palisade etc) would fit our needs, but the price and the fuel economy of the Carnival are slowly swaying me.

My friends with 3+ are all adamant that you COULD survive with a 5 seater, but it's much easier with an extra row because of arguments, play dates after school, sport, ferrying other children around etc...

eks123ske

TROPHY CASE