Tell us: Family insight with Lisa from habundgood

Dear Lisa! Your third child, Constantin, was born five months ago. How did the initial period go and have you settled into a good groove yet?

Yes - of course it is challenging, but overall I am enjoying the time very much! Constantin was born in July and as my husband is a teacher and was on holiday, the postpartum period was really lovely and I was able to concentrate fully on our little man. The girls were at home too, so everyone got used to each other quickly. It was a great gift that the whole family experienced the first few months so intensely.

You are not only a mother of three children but also a successful blogger/influencer and PR consultant. What does a normal day look like for you?

I don't have much time to work at the moment. But the plan was that I would scale back a bit in the first year and focus primarily on Constantin. I still have a few projects on the side and I have to say that in principle it is a nice balance to everyday life with a baby. However, I always do everything that has to do with work quickly on the side, without fixed working hours. That stresses me out sometimes - but in a few months things will be different. The plan is that when Constantin is a year old, I will set aside a few fixed hours a week for work again. My husband and sometimes the grandparents will take over.

We haven't really had many "normal" days so far due to homeschooling our two daughters and lockdown. The last few weeks, when everyone is learning or teaching from home, have been a bit stressful. The best thing about it is that my husband does the cooking every day. To be honest, that's my biggest challenge: always cooking for four people in addition to an active baby.

You gave birth to Constantin in the middle of the Corona pandemic. How do you feel about life with a baby in such an exceptional situation?

To be honest, I don't feel very restricted. The first few months with a newborn are usually spent at home or in the fresh air anyway. Luckily, I see my closest family members several times a week. But I do miss meeting friends or going out to eat. And unfortunately we can't go to a baby swimming course either. Hopefully we'll catch up on that very soon.

How do you explain this time to your older children? How do you take away their fears and worries?

My husband and I follow all the rules and take the experts' recommendations very seriously. We talk a lot with the girls about the situation and I have the feeling that they are coping well with it. Emmi is happy that she will at least see her friends again at school soon and Leona doesn't think homeschooling is so bad. At 16, she obviously misses social contacts and going out. But our children know exactly why there are restrictive measures and what would happen if we all didn't follow them and just carried on living "normally". That's why washing and disinfecting hands and wearing a mask are a matter of course and unavoidable for them.

Your house is so beautiful. How do you keep it from getting overwhelmed by toys?

Thank you! That's not so easy! I always planned to only buy attractive and understated toys that fit well into our interior, but I quickly realized that that doesn't work. (My) children just love colorful things! I still make sure that there are as few toys lying around in the living area as possible. But of course the children can play and build whatever they want in the living room. Then everything is simply put back in the children's room. As far as baby toys are concerned, my tip is to get large, attractive baskets where everything can be stored quickly and conveniently - that way you always have the toys to hand in the living area too.

What are your moments to recharge your batteries? Where do you get your strength for your everyday life as a mom?

The most important thing for me is sleep. If I haven't had a good night, I try to make up for at least an hour in the morning or afternoon. Otherwise, I really, really enjoy going for walks, whatever the weather. There are no excuses. And even if I don't feel like it, I pull myself together and go for a walk with the stroller - preferably in the woods. I love the peace, the fresh air and the exercise. My husband and I usually go together. That's also a bit of couple time.

Today, after having three children, what advice would you give to your younger self when you became a mother for the first time?

Hmm, difficult. When I became a mother for the first time at the age of 20, I approached the whole thing with no preconceptions. Which was a good thing, because I wasn't worried that much. Things are a little different now. But I think I now perceive "the miracle of a baby" even more intensely and enjoy each moment very consciously. So I can't really give my younger self any advice, because I always experienced each pregnancy and baby time eight years apart as very unique and different - but always wonderful (if you ignore the lack of sleep).

Thank you very much, dear Lisa, for your time and your insight into your family life!

If you want to see and read more from Lisa, you can find her on her Instagram: @habundgood