How I Survive a Day With 3 Kids Under 4

Schoolwork, schedules, meal prep, workouts, and the everyday chaos in between

Some days I look around and genuinely wonder how we made it to bedtime. 😂

I’m a stay-at-home mom to three little boys under four—my preschooler and identical twin babies. On top of taking care of them, I’m also going to school, trying to stay active, cooking for my family, creating content, keeping track of appointments and schedules, and attempting to keep our house from looking like a toy store exploded in it.

I definitely don’t have some magical routine that makes everything run perfectly. What I do have is a system that helps me keep the important things moving forward—even when the day doesn’t go according to plan.

I Plan Before the Chaos Starts

My planner has become one of my biggest mom-life essentials. Between school drop-offs, assignments, workouts, meals, appointments, content, and everything the kids need, there is absolutely no way I’m remembering all of it in my head.

I usually look at the week as a whole first. Then each morning, I make a realistic list of what actually needs to happen that day. And realistic is the important word. I don’t write down 25 things and then feel defeated when I only accomplish six. I decide what’s most important and start there.

The Kids’ Schedule Comes First

With three little kids, I’ve learned that trying to force them into my schedule usually doesn’t work. Instead, I build my day around theirs.

Preschool drop-off, naps, meals, snacks, playtime, and bedtime give my day its basic structure. Then I figure out where everything else can fit. Some days that means doing homework during naps. Other days I’m answering a discussion post while someone is eating a snack next to me. Is it glamorous? No. 😂 Does it get done? Usually.

I Use Nap Time Like It’s Gold

When the twins go down for a nap, the clock starts. 😂 But I’ve stopped expecting myself to accomplish everything during that window. Before nap time, I decide what that block is for.

If I have an assignment due, it’s schoolwork. If the house desperately needs attention, I clean. If I need a workout, I move my body. And occasionally? I sit down and drink my coffee while it’s still somewhat close to the temperature it was supposed to be. That counts too.

I Fit My Workouts Into Motherhood

Working out is something I want to keep in my life, but this season doesn’t always allow for long, perfectly planned workouts. So I take the opportunities I have.

Sometimes that’s Mom Fit Club. Sometimes it’s a quick workout while the twins nap. Sometimes the kids are literally right there while I’m exercising. I’ve had to stop thinking that a workout only “counts” if everything lines up perfectly. Twenty or thirty minutes is still movement.

Food Prep Saves Me

Three hungry little boys do not care that I have an assignment due. 😂 Having easy food ready makes a huge difference.

I try to keep breakfasts, snacks, and lunches simple and predictable. Things like egg bites, fruit, sandwiches, yogurt, easy toddler lunches, and prepped ingredients mean I’m not starting from zero every time someone says they’re hungry. For dinner, I try to decide what we’re having before 5 p.m. Because 5 p.m. with three tired kids is not the time I want to start asking, “What should I make for dinner?”

I Combine Things Whenever I Can

This has probably been one of the biggest changes for me. I stopped treating everything like it needed its own separate block of time.

A toddler activity can also become content. A family walk can be my movement for the day. Meal prep can become tomorrow’s lunch. An outing can give the kids something fun to do while giving me something to write about later. I’m already living the mom life I’m sharing online. I don’t need to create an entirely separate life just to create content.

I Don’t Try to Keep the House Perfect

This one took some adjusting. There are five people living here, and three of them are very small humans who apparently believe toys look better on the floor.

I do little resets throughout the day when I can. Dishes get done. Laundry gets moved. Toys eventually make their way back into baskets. But I’ve stopped expecting the house to look untouched while we’re actively living in it. Sometimes being productive means finishing an assignment instead of folding the laundry. The laundry will survive.

I Give Myself Three Priorities

When everything feels important, I choose three things. For example: finish my school assignment, get some movement in, and prep dinner before the evening craziness starts. Everything else I accomplish is a bonus. This keeps me from ending a very busy day feeling like I somehow accomplished nothing.

And Sometimes the Routine Completely Falls Apart

Someone skips a nap. Someone gets sick. We’re late getting out the door. The twins need me at the exact moment my preschooler needs me. Dinner doesn’t happen when I planned. My assignment takes twice as long as I expected. That’s life with three kids under four.

I’ve learned that a good routine isn’t one that works perfectly every day. It’s one that gives us something to come back to when the day gets chaotic.

What “Getting It All Done” Actually Looks Like

I don’t actually get it all done. And I think that’s the secret. I get the important things done.

My kids are taken care of. We eat. I keep working toward my degree. I move my body when I can. I work on things that are important to me. I reset the house. And eventually, everyone goes to bed.

Then I look at my planner, move the three things I didn’t finish to tomorrow’s list, and we do it all again. There is a lot of chaos in this season of life—but there’s also a lot of really good stuff happening right in the middle of it.

Three boys. A thousand things to do. A whole lot of coffee. And somehow, we’re making it work. 🤎