'I have 5 kids under 9. Here's what a real day in my life actually looks like.'

Leah McArthur might just be one of the busiest people we know. 

She's a content creator and mum of five to nine-year-old son Harper, seven-year-old daughter Lenni, five-year-old son Cassidy, three-year-old son Sonny and one-year-old son Ziggy. 

Each day feels different even when following the exact same routine, Leah tells Mamamia. 

"I wouldn't say I get a lot of downtime at the moment," she says. "I'm deep in mum life and so when I do get time away from the kids, I'm still usually doing life admin for them all."

Leah McArthur, husband Jake and her family. Image: Instagram @leahs_littleloves.

But that doesn't mean she doesn't indulge in something for herself when she can. 

"When I can do something for myself, I do love to go out for dinner or drinks or with my friends. Or if Jake and I can manage a babysitter, then it's lovely to do that with my husband, but that doesn't happen very often," she explains. Usually one of us still has to be at home with the kids. Any other downtime, I do love to go for walks and I've started running.

"Other than that, I love to go down and just take one child down to my local cafe to have brunch or lunch and a coffee just with one child. And for me, that is really nice downtime. But again, it doesn't happen very often with five kids!"

On a normal school day, Leah hauls her two eldest kids, Harper and Lenni, off to school. Then it's a day of kindergarten for Cassidy, plus all the various activities the content creator can squeeze in for her two youngest, Sonny and Ziggy. 

"The little ones will either go to swimming or gymnastics or more sports but I always start with a coffee because that's essential for the morning when you're a mom of five," she explains. "And then from there, in the middle of the day, you'll go home for a rest with the little boys because they sleep in the middle of the day.  

"Then it is school pick-up, school sports, dinner, bed and then THAT is when I get to sit by myself!"

Leah feels fortunate, because she doesn't have a "traditional" job that requires her to be away from home during the day. 

"Generally, I don't venture out for work," she explains. "The things that I do, I usually get done in the middle of the day at home, when baby Ziggy is asleep and Sonny has some chill time. I don't necessarily head off to work away from the house, which I'm lucky enough to not have to do at the moment."

Leah McArthur with her son Ziggy. Image: Instagram @leahs_littleloves.

It's not lost on Leah that five kids under the age of nine are... a full-time, mostly thankless, but "incredibly fulfilling job". In short, it's no easy task, so when she can, she will try to squeeze in a few pockets of peace throughout her day.

"Self-care for me at the moment isn't easy, I am taking those moments when I can," she says. "Even if I just have one child or two children for a moment, that really does feel like quality and really fun as opposed to having all five. So I use that to fill my cup."

"And to just know that I'm really connecting with my children makes me really, really happy," Leah continues. "If I do get to socialise with friends, that's amazing. And if Jake and I get to have a date night (which we've only had one of this year so far), then that's a major bonus, because logistically it's really hard with five kids!" 

"In 2020, I'd just had my fourth baby and was online, just scrolling and looking at all these smiles on Instagram," she explains. After five babies, she felt like she wanted to do something for herself, and have the smile she had always "aspired to have".

"I didn't love my teeth so when I would see them in a photo, I'd feel down," Leah tells Mamamia. "Anyone that had a bigger smile than me, I would obviously feel like that's something I was missing out on having.

"I thought it was a worthy investment to do for myself, by improving my smile with veneers that still look and feel authentic."

After a consultation with Melbourne-based dentist Dr Shawn Rama of The Dental Room, Leah instantly felt at ease. 

"His vibe was really approachable," she says. "I felt really comfortable and after multiple consultations, I automatically knew Dr Rama, and ceramist Chloe Park, who handcrafts the actual veneers, were going to approach this process with care.

"Veneers are a pretty expensive decision and that was something I weighed up a lot before taking the plunge. But I felt reassured in Dr Rama's decades of experience, and trusting in the expertise of Shawn and Chloe. They are such a collaborative team, which was really reassuring to know that they take on every patient as with a tailored approach.

"It was such a personable experience, and I think my smile has a natural-looking result. My smile is really important to me," she explains. "With such a chaotic, busy family life, it's something I'm proud to have done for myself when my focus and resources are always on the kids."

Image: Instagram @leahs_littleloves.

She recommends to other mums who are considering changing their smile, to research and be sure it's the next step they want to take. 

"It's a big decision to make, of course, as it's a permanent one. What surprised me the most was just how sure I felt with my decision," she recalls. "I can't recommend The Dental Room enough for their time and level of detail, for that I am so glad. Really, really happy."

Explore the bespoke and personalised approach to porcelain veneers with Melbourne clinic, The Dental Room. Learn more about Dr Shawn Rama's work here.

Leah McArthur is a paid ambassador of The Dental Room, with comments supplied on behalf of The Dental Room.

Always seek advice from a qualified health care practitioner.

Feature Image: Instagram/@leahs_littleloves