Two VS Three

What did I learn from my six days in charge of the two boys? I learned that two toddlers are A LOT less work than three toddlers. And it's not because Viva was the absent toddler. In most ways she's the easiest toddler in the house. She's the least demanding and the most independent (this is good and bad). Generally she doesn't have a strong preference as to food or toys or activities. She's a good sport. Viva is definitely the lowest maintenance child of the three.

So why was it so much easier with two rather than three? You save a lot of energy and time only having two toddlers to care for throughout the day. There's only two toddlers to help get dressed (or encourage to get themselves dressed); there's only two toddlers to help in the bathroom; there's only two toddlers to feed and clean up at breakfast, lunch, and dinner; there's only two toddlers to get in and out of car seats and to keep track of while out of the house; there's only two toddlers to get settled down at nap time; there's only two toddlers to read books to and to play games with; there's only two toddlers to listen to and answer 50+ questions from; there's only two toddlers to tend the owies of; and there's only two toddlers to get ready for bed. By the end of the day you've expanded a lot less energy caring for two toddlers than if you'd been caring for three toddlers. (If the children are more spread out in age, it would be different, but with three little ones there's a lot of hands on care needed throughout the day.)

Nonetheless we have three toddlers and we would not trade in one of them for all the time and energy we'd save. Bentley, Jake and Viva are worth every bit of time and energy that they cost us. I cannot think of anything I'd rather be doing than helping them enjoy and learn each day.