Raising Twins – Top Parenting Advice
By Kath / January 10, 2017 / No Comments / Parenting
“There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins.” – Josh Billings
Having a baby is the greatest thing that can happen to you. Having two babies is twice as better, but also, twice as complicated. Even the most stable, experienced and prepared parents are often puzzled about raising twins. There will be days when you will be struggling to remain sane. There will be days when the trouble will be double. But most of the days, the happiness and love will be double. You need to equip yourself with patience, patience, and did we mentioned, patience. Now, let us talk about this super difficult and supper exciting life role – being a parent of twins.
Listen to Your Inner Voice
It doesn’t matter how many books do you read or how many classes you attend, you can never rely on those too much. You already brought these two lovely kids to the world, so you must know something about them. Everything is more complicated with twins, not because they are generally puckish, but because they always have a partner-in-crime – that is something no book will tell you.
Have a Schedule
You have two hands, two babies – how difficult can it b e? Well, actually very much, unless you are a professional bodybuilder, who, by the way, has incredibly stable nerves. It doesn’t get easier when you become toddlers neither. You can hear “Mommy, mommy” from each side. Establishing a schedule early on (bedtime routine, nursing time, meals, etc.) will last years after, and the kids will learn to have patience.
Crying Isn’t All Bad
Don’t feel guilty that you can’t give each baby your 100 percent. Here’s an example: it’s the middle of the night, and both of your twins woke up. You can’t run to two sides. Letting your babies cry actually isn’t that bad as it feels to you. In fact, a new study proved that letting babies cry out doesn’t raise their stress level, and that over time, that can contribute to their overall sleep quality. We know it’s hard not to jump out of bed on the very first sign of awaking, but try to be strong.
Organize Their Room
Stepping on one Lego is hard as it is, but stepping on two can be quite a painful experience. As a parent, one of the top priorities is organizing your kids’ room, and after comfortable beds, providing adequate storage for toys becomes essential. It’s important to remember that even twins have their individual preferences and belongings. To keep their toys and items neatly organized, consider investing in functional kids furniture, such as colorful bins, shelves, and a kids bookcase, to ensure everything has its designated place. This way, your little ones can easily access their toys and learn to keep their space tidy. In addition to this, dividing their room with different paint colors, themes, and area rugs to mark play zones can be a great idea. Even Manufacturers of kids rugs in Australia, USA and other countries usually offer collections of similar area rugs that can fit into the same design, while having different shapes, colors or patterns.
Ask for Help
Being busy parents, it can be challenging to take care of your twins while managing work commitments, and having a helping hand can make a significant difference. Nowadays, finding help as a parent is made easier with the availability of babysitters, and platforms like sosgarde can help you find the babysitter, which can ensure that your kids will get the best care while you are out for work.
Have Some “Me Time”
And if you have help, you can have some “me time” to recharge the batteries. Going for a walk with your high school friend, attending a grownups-only dinner, visiting a spa, or simply lying with a bowl of popcorn and binge watching a Netflix show can have a positive impact on you. That doesn’t make you a worse parent. On the contrary, you are gathering strength to be a better one.
One final thing to remember is that not all babies are the same, which also means that not all twins are the same. As they are growing up, your twins will develop their own personalities that can be very different. Try to respect that and approach them accordingly.