Co-Parenting and Dog-Sitting: Stuck With Three Dogs, Two Kids, and a Convertible

Co-parenting can be a chaotic mess on its own, but toss in three dogs, two kids, and the smallest car possible, and it’s a total circus. While he’s off on a business trip, I’m left not only with the kids but also his two dogs—and let’s be real, I love them. But my old dog? He’s my ride-or-die. He came before the kids, and no matter how much they whine about him being smelly and slow, he’s my baby.

Today was one of those days where I was running on pure survival mode. We kicked things off with the essential mum fuel—a Starbucks run. The girls are obsessed with their Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and of course, I’m roped into joining them. So there we were, crammed into my convertible (which, let’s be honest, is not built for this sh*t)—two kids, three dogs, and barely enough room for our overpriced drinks.

Next came the long walk. My brilliant idea to tire everyone out. Spoiler alert: the kids and two younger dogs? Still buzzing with energy. Meanwhile, my sweet old boy was dragging behind, but I’m totally fine with it. He’s earned his slow pace, and no one is telling me otherwise. The kids? Complaining about him the whole damn time, but honestly, they’ll deal—he’s been here longer than both of them combined, and he’s still got more patience than anyone else.

After what felt like forever on this walk, we piled back into the car for another round of “how the hell did I end up managing this zoo?” At this point, I’m convinced no one (except maybe me) is going to be tired enough by the end of this. The dogs? Still wired. The kids? Bouncing off the walls. Me? One more drive away from collapsing in a heap of fur and exhaustion.

But even though the chaos is real, and I could definitely do with a quieter day, I wouldn’t trade it. My old boy, his two new “siblings,” and the girls may drive me crazy, but this is life—messy, loud, and full of love (and dog hair). Here’s to surviving another day of co-parenting, dog-sitting, and trying to fit it all into a convertible.

A little chaotic, but full of love for the whole gang—dogs, kids, and all!