So you’re having twins? Cool! After you’re done flipping out, the first step is to assess the situation reasonably and wisely. This means you can’t do it while working out, or spelunking in caves with cool rock formations, or even in one day. You have to physically gather the necessary resources to decide upon what your household will look like a few months and two more kids on down the road.
Here is a quick list of logistical circumstances you have to prepare for before the babies and all of their goodies begin invading your hallway floor, garbage can and hearts.
Transportation:
*Nothing is more obvious to a parent of one kid who is about to have two more kids than a change in how you think about transportation might be a necessity. I am not referring to purchasing a new or used car by any means. business logistics
I am talking about the particulars regarding how transport will work from here on out because in a two parent/two vehicle home, you will now need FOUR, count ’em, FOUR bases in addition to the two car seats themselves. Because we have just one child now, we have ONE infant car seat.
Realistically that is 150-200 bucks spent on two new bases and a new car seat for your cars.
Choosing one vehicle for the transportation of just the twins would be cost prohibitive. The cost of the bases is a lot less than the annoyance of having only one alternative available for the transportation of the fresh pair of awesome.
Day care:
*Going without day care is not an option for two parents who work and are thriving in their occupations. Run through every potential outcome before making any verdicts on what to do about who is going to watch your babies while you work.
Does one of you resign and the other become the sole breadwinner? Realistically speaking, even if it costs more than one of you makes, the sanity earned as a result of paying for day care is worth every penny. Not only that, speaking from actual experience, kids who go to day care from when they are very young are 7,985% more socially comfortable than those who hold on to mom’s or dad’s legs all day.
The former mentioning of transportation is vital here because always relying on one parent to cart the twins around is unimaginable if your schedules are like ours and one leaves earlier and gets home later than the other.
Diet:
*Eating out isn’t totally out of the question with twins, but if you have one kid now, and he/she is a beast in public dining situations, take out is going to be your friend.
I am never ashamed of my son or afraid that he may act like a terror in some restaurants, but he’s a toddler and it’s what kids do. Rather than agonizing through meals in public, we abstain from most dining out experiences out of respect for other restaurant patrons trying to eat in peace.
The parents that get all high and mighty about “their right to eat in public too” aren’t seeing the bigger picture here: if your kids are disturbing YOU, imagine how the people sitting near you getting splashed with applesauce goop feels. Be the bigger person and admit when you should just stay home. Unless you’re with three extra staff members who can take them outside while you swallow in peace that is.
Clothing:
*Lord of the Handmedowns! You usually don’t take a baby out of the house very often during those first three months for evident health and safety reasons, so who would know if your little dudes are rockin’ faded onesies that belonged to your sister’s husband’s cousin’s manager’s dog’s masseuse you’ve never met before?
Goodwill, garage sales and local multiples organizations twinsalesrule , as do family handmedowns; take advantage of opportunities to fritter and waste money anywhere else, because you will spend cash anywhere else.
Necessary Equipment:
*If you ask ten parents to recommend one piece of equipment that they wouldn’t go a day without as a parent, you will get ten different answers, so start inquiring immediately.
As a parent of one rowdy and energetic toddler boy, my favorite piece of paraphernalia? The fruit snack.
Yes, I know infant twins can’t chew fruit snacks, but my toddler boy will, and if he isn’t happy, I’m pretty sure my twin babies won’t be happy. The fruit snack is my one piece of necessary equipment that I will never leave the house without.
Find out what you should always have, and ALWAYS HAVE IT.
Schedule:
*I hear this from every parent of multiples I have spoken with: schedule, schedule, schedule.
I cannot speak from experience with two new babies, but I know that when I diverge from a normal schedule even a teensy bit with a singleton, I pay for it.
Prepare for a life, where your entire way of life is ruled by a schedule, for the first four years at least.
Meal time, nap and bed time, changing time, shopping time, relaxing time , bathroom break time, babysitting help time, visitor time, doorbell ring time (my best friend has a no doorbell ringing policy for anyone who isn’t coming over to babysit at that particular moment), doctor visit time, play time, or any other time you can name without going insane – they must all be respectful of your schedule.
This is one area where nothing else matters. Make it known to family and other visitors that if they screw up your schedule for any reason, they will owe you a case of beer, a complimentary pizza delivery or free babysitting time, and stick to your guns. Respecting the schedule enough to interrupt people midsentence is a terrific way of training those around you to pay attention to the logistics of parenting twins without going absolutely and utterly loco. Make it easy.
‘So let me tell you about Bali. The beaches were delightful. You wouldn’t believe the Mai’ Tai’s we were served up on Buffy’s yach-‘
“That sounds delightful Betty, please leave, it’s time for A & B’s rocketsauce.”
See? Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!
Also, calling anything you are feeding to your twins “Rocketsauce” will immediately shush anyone who has anything to say about anything.
Ever.