WORK EXPERIENCE: Nanny to triplets

NOT having children myself, the thought of being a full time nanny seemed pretty easy – laying on the sofa and watching TV while the children entertained themselves.

But spending a day in the busy Gilbert household has taught me that watching TV is not on the agenda.

Welcoming me into their Pontypool home were parents Ian and Karen Gilbert who introduced me to their one-year-old identical triplets, Ffion, Madison and Paige.

I joined them at 10am when I was assured that they would be wide awake and raring to go. They did not disappoint and were quick to make their way over to me- showing me their toys, waving hello and blowing kisses.

They were soon crawling onto my lap and taking an interest in my scarf, which I learnt was not ideal attire for looking after children as it soon became a game to try and strangle me with it.

Mrs Gilbert explained that her day had started at 7am, having got dressed, she had to prepare the babies’ milk, before getting her four year old daughter Faye ready for school.

While Faye is eating breakfast, she gets the triplets ready, one after the other, a task which can take up to an hour.

They sit in their own high chairs and are given spoonfuls of breakfast, one after the other, then they don their outer wear, are placed in their three seat pram and it’s off on the school run.

“We live by the order”, she added.

To demonstrate how the triplets are fed, I was asked to take over snack time.

Opening the kitchen door, the three girls seemed to recognise what this signified and began crawling towards it.

Lifting one baby up, I was made aware that they always sit in the same order, but they really were identical.

Mr Gilbert showed me how the couple have painted their toenails a different colour so that they never forget who is who.

I thought I had it sussed, Madison hadn’t seemed as happy to see me as the other two, but with the three of them now beaming at me, I was lost.

“You always think that you have found something different, a little behaviour or an action they do differently, but then it changes, and you can’t tell again,” Mr Gilbert laughed.

“We dress them differently so that it’s easier to tell, so when I get home from work the first thing I ask is whose wearing what colour.”

The girls were very patient, waiting to receive their chunk of banana. This was good, seeing as I seemed to be incapable of getting banana on to a fork.

But the smiles soon faded when it was time to get them dressed – one at a time.

Mrs Gilbert demonstrated on Paige and the whole task was complete in a couple of minutes.

Madison was my chosen victim; scared of hurting her I carefully lifted her onto the changing mat.

She sat quietly, distracted by a soft toy, so getting her out of her baby grow was simple.

But going at my slow pace, she soon lost interest and kept turning over and crawling away.

How was I meant to do this without another pair of hands?

But now, poor Ffion who remained in her high chair waiting to be changed, was getting bored and began crying.

I didn’t even know where Paige was.

I failed and ushered in their mum, who, with her lightning speed, had the three dressed and waiting in the lounge in no time.

We decided to give the girls some fresh air and replicate Mrs Gilbert’s school run.

The three seat pram is kept in a special shed in the garage as it is too big to bring into the house.

Mr Gilbert slid this out, while I dressed the three in their coats.

Strapping them in, Mr Gilbert, had to slide this sideways out of the garden, as it was too big to wheel out front ways.

On the road, the pram was presented to me.

I pushed.

Nothing.

I pushed as hard as I could but my feet were sliding and the pram remained still.

Mum and dad stood their laughing. It was so heavy. Mrs Gilbert deserves a medal for pushing this every day.

She explained that usually, as well as the weight of the pram, she would have to carry supplies.

Their day bag includes 12 nappies, six bottles, six pints of milk in a flask, three bottles of drinking water, snacks, a full pack of wet wipes, a change of clothes, Calpol, Bonjela, nappy rash cream, toys and rain covers for the pram.

I don’t think the triplets were impressed with the shortest walk they had ever been on, but I decided that I would be safer in the house.

Inside, they were happy to play with their toys and it was nice to sit back and watch them.

“We have found them working together to reach items by climbing on top of each other,” Mr Gilbert laughed, “So you always need to keep watching them.”

A welcome break for Mrs Gilbert is the group Mums Matter held in Cwmbran Library every Monday morning.

“It’s nice to sit with other mums and just talk, moan and share some tips”, she said.

While the triplets nap this is when the household chores are completed – not quite the relaxing afternoon in front of the TV that I had planned.

“It really is non-stop,” Mrs Gilbert said, “Every task takes three times as long, and going out takes a lot of pre-planning and effort, so I quite often find myself going on the supermarket shop at 10pm when the girls are asleep and Ian is home, and it’s nice to just be me again.”

She explained that when she does take the triplets out to the supermarket, she is stopped continually by strangers wanting to ask her questions.

“It’s nice that people are interested, but when you’re being stopped for the 20th time and you’re in a rush to get the shop done, it can get frustrating”, she added.

“But having triplets is three times as fun and we had three lots of first steps and first words and when they are happy and playing it makes it all worthwhile.”

As the family’s expenses have tripled since the arrival of the girls, Mr Gilbert admits that saving for their future will be difficult.

So the couple decided to save earnings made through appearances on TV’s Casualty and drama Stella for them to spend when they are older.

“Hopefully they will get more on-screen appearances or modelling opportunities so when they are older and want an expensive item like a car then they will have money to put towards it,” Mr Gilbert added.

Because they are identical, Ffion, Maddison and Paige play the same baby on screen, and are rotated within scenes to avoid a single baby getting too tired.

The trio have even had fan mail from as far as Australia and China, and mum and dad have received helpful advice from other triplet parents from across the UK.

With Mrs Gilbert getting ready for the afternoon school run, I decided to make my exit.

I didn’t provide much of a break for the couple who say that they have a very short list of willing babysitters as it takes a lot of confidence to look after the trio.

I really enjoyed my day but as for being added to their list of willing babysitters, I think I will pass.