I’m mum to 3 under 4 – they’re feral but haven’t killed our sex life, my husband says I’m like a ‘dog in heat’
JUGGLING your newborn and other responsibilities can be a lot without having two other tots under four to take care of.
Mum-of-three Poppy Hollins shared an insight into her life five months after giving birth to her son Reggie.
Speaking on the NewlyWeds podcast, the influencer was joined by husband Jay Porter to discuss their lives, including what it’s like raising three young children.
Poppy, 29, joked about how she and Jay, her childhood sweetheart, are now outnumbered by their kids.
“So many people said: ‘The third will just slot in, you won’t even know he’s there’ well, they’re lying,” she told hosts Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo.
“When there’s two, there’s one each, now we don’t have enough hands.”
Jay agreed, explaining that they had been struggling to “balance normal life” on top of parenting, explaining “that it’s a lot harder than we thought.”
He also credited the “good team” they have helping them keep on top of everything, including their editors, PA, and cleaner who also “helps with a bit of nannying.”
“We’ve got a good team behind us and we still really struggle to find time to do anything,” he said.
And while both parents said four-year-old Rosa is “quite a good age,” they described Frankie, two, as “feral.”
They explained that Rosa is “such a good girl” who “just gets on with things” and understands that her baby brother is “delicate.”
On the other hand, they revealed that their middle child has been known to drag the five-month old “by his feet” around the house as he sits on his play mat.
“Going off that, the perfect gap with children is four years, we find,” Jay said.
“This sounds really horrible but if we didn’t have Feral Frankie then everything would sort of work.”
And while the couple said this current period has been “the hardest” of their lives, they still admitted that it hasn’t effected their sex lives.
Discussing what it was like to be intimate after giving birth, Poppy revealed that is can be quite sore down there.
She added that doctors advised her to wait and that she hadn’t been in the mood anyway.
Different parenting techniques
Here are some widely recognised methods:
Authoritative Parenting
This technique will often foster independence, self-discipline, and high self-esteem in children.
It is often considered the most effective, this technique is where parents set clear expectations – enforcing rules – whilst also showing warmth and support.
Authoritarian Parenting
This is opposite to authoritative parenting, as it is where the parent sets high demands but is low on responsiveness.
It involves ensuring the child is obedient and often employ punitive measures. While this can lead to disciplined behaviour, it may also result in lower self-esteem and social skills in children.
Permissive Parenting
Permissive parents tend to be indulgent and lenient, often taking on a role more akin to a friend than an authority figure. They are highly responsive but lack demandingness, granting children a lot of freedom. This method can nurture creativity and a free-spirited nature but may also result in poor self-regulation and difficulties with authority.
Uninvolved Parenting
Uninvolved or neglectful parenting is marked by low responsiveness and low demands. Parents in this category offer minimal guidance, nurturing, or attention. This often leaves children feeling neglected, which can have significant negative effects on their emotional and social development.
Helicopter Parenting
Helicopter parents are extremely involved and overprotective, frequently micromanaging their children’s lives. Although their goal is to protect and support, this approach can hinder a child’s ability to develop independence and problem-solving skills.
Free-Range Parenting
Free-range parenting encourages children to explore and learn from their surroundings with minimal parental interference. This method promotes independence and resilience but requires a safe and supportive environment to be successful.
Attachment Parenting
According to Marriage.com, Attachment parenting focuses on physical closeness and emotional bonding, often through practices such as co-sleeping and baby-wearing. This approach aims to create secure attachments and emotional well-being, but demands significant time and emotional commitment from parents.
Each of these parenting techniques has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. The key is to find a balanced approach that aligns with the family’s values and meets the child’s needs for a healthy, happy upbringing.
However, her husband disputed the timeline of events post-partum.
“Six weeks in and you were like a flipping dog in heat,” Jay told his wife.
“Yeah but that’s hormones and all sorts going on,” Poppy explained, revealing that baby Reggie came out weighing 10 pounds.
“I think you dip in and out of that, it’s still there.”
She also shared that she had an “all natural” home-birth for her third child.