Three is the magic number (From Echo)

Three is the magic number

7:00am Thursday 24th December 2009 in

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COPING with kids at Christmas is a headache, but coping with young triplets is a monumental migraine.

All parents feel stressed during the festive season, but spare a thought for mums and dads with three little ones to buy for, to clean up after, and keep happy and occupied at the most stressful time of year.

For Maxine Dauti, 33, there’s no let-up. She has been busy organising Christmas for three-year-old triplets Rocco, Marco and Greta.

“The cost is phenomenal. I think a lot of people think you can just buy triplets all the same stuff, but you can’t,” said Maxine, of Crouch Street, Noak Bridge.

“They are all little people with their own personalities, and they like different things. You’ve always got three times the expense on everything.

“I think one of the hardest things with having triplets is that you can’t easily get out to the shops to get your presents.

“Triplet trolleys are hard to come by and triplet pushchairs aren’t easy to manoeuvre when it comes to festive crowds.

“I remember coming out of Woolworths in Basildon last year and bursting into tears because people were pushing and shoving so much. People can be really rude when you’ve got triplets.”

Multiple births equals multiple stress for most parents of twins and triplets.

Vanessa Dalton, 35, of Great Hays, Leigh, is also feeling the strain of the season, coping with her three-year-old little ones – Jed, Emma and Katie.

“It’s not easy. You end up wishing you could just have even five minutes rest sometimes, but it’s just not an option,” said Vanessa.

“It’s a bit of a free-for-all when the presents start getting opened. As soon as the first present comes out there’s an almighty fight over it.

“The girls have got handbags and dolls and things like that, but then Jed will see the handbag and want it. Then when he gets his dinosaurs and boys stuff, the girls want that.

“Last year we couldn’t get them up the table to eat Christmas dinner, but this year we are going to really try. How well it will go is another matter though.”

Vanessa, whose fiance John quit his music career when the triplets were born for a more stable job in IT, has become a super sleuth when it comes to tracking down suitable stocking fillers and bargains.

“I hit the pound shops and discount stores in January and then put the stuff away. Luckily I have always been pretty organised, but I’ve found I have to make lists about everything at Christmas,” she said.

“It doesn’t help that their birthdays are a few weeks before Christmas, adding to the cost.”

Until the babies were born, Vanessa was working as a writer with a fairly carefree life.

Although she may be busy, tired and stressed, Vanessa has found time to write a book about her experiences – the Truth About Having Triplets – in the hope of helping other mums in her situation.

Tina Thomas, 38, also has her hands full over the festive season. Not only does she have Christmas to deal with, but also three birthdays – as her triplets were born on New Year’s Eve.

Tina and husband Mark had been trying for babies for years and suffered several miscarriages, but when their three little bundles were born through IVF, their lives got a lot brighter.

The couple’s triplets – Jay, Billy and Kieran – who will be four on December 31.

Tina, of Blyth Way, Benfleet, said: “It’s hard work, but I love this time of year. The kids are so excited.

“I find the biggest concern is the expense. It costs so much – you’ve got three lots of presents, three lots of cards to give to their friends, three lots of everything.

“This year the kids all want bikes, which isn’t cheap.”

Because the triplets were born prematurely, Jay has a heart condition and some kidney problems.

“He has to have an operation soon but he is doing well,” said Tina.

All the boys managed to churn out star performances in their Christmas nativity at playschool.

“I thought they’d be cast as the Three Wise Men, but one ended up being the king, another was a reindeer and one was a shepherd,” said Tina.

So what would Tina like for Christmas?

“To be able to put my feet up and watch a film would be heaven. Lazy days have become a thing of the past since the boys were born,” she said.

“Everyone wants peace at Christmas and that would be lovely – a little bit of peace and quiet.”