Someone once told me that having twins feels like chronic insanity… and they were right. My twins are 2.6 years old. I am happy to say that we are in a very good place at the current time; however, the road up to now has been filled with many moments of insanity.
Hindsight is a beautiful thing. I’m hoping that all of my new found wisdom will be of help to you.
Get out of the house every day.
It sounds so simple but when you have twins it is not always so easy to do. The fresh air will do everyone good. They most likely will fall asleep in their stroller allowing you to take a breath, get some exercise and hopefully clear your head for a moment or two.
Take a shower daily.
Lets face it, you are exhausted. You have a lot that needs to be done, from laundry to cleaning bottles. Taking a shower might not be a priority but I promise, you will feel so much better after you do and…you will smell so much better too!
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Put your twins on a schedule.
This is an absolute must. I encourage you to start this within the first few weeks of your twins being born. Having them on a schedule allows for some consistency and predictability in your otherwise inconsistent, unpredictable twin world.
Just say yes.
If family and friends are offering to help you, accept their help. You can always use a hand in making/cleaning bottles, running errands, folding laundry or even just having someone to hold one baby while you hold the other one.
Double feed.
I was a little wary about this after I had my twins. How could I possibly feed both at the same time? I promise you, it can and should be done. You can double feed if you are nursing or bottle feeding. By feeding both babies at the same time you once again are creating a few free moments for yourself. Remember, the goal is to stay sane.
Write it down.
I can’t stress enough the importance of this one. It is very hard to remember things when you are sleep-deprived. Instead of being annoyed with yourself that you forgot something that you need or had to do, write it down. Such a simple tip for keeping your sanity.
Speak with other twin parents.
Raising twins is a very unique experience. On a somewhat regular basis, your emotions
run the gamut from immense joy to being overwhelmed beyond belief. Who better to commiserate with than someone who is also going through it? I’m certain that this will make you feel better and a bit more sane. Maybe even get you to laugh a bit.
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It’s okay to say NO.
Family and friends are going to want to see your babies. You will be invited places with them and people will want to come over to visit. Some days you just can’t do it. It might be due to their feeding/sleep schedule or on that given day it might just be too hard to pack them up and take them out for the day. It’s okay to say “No”. I repeat, it’s okay to say “No”.
Me Time
Let’s face it, when you have twins, “me time” is almost nonexistent. We make sure to take care of our kids and our partners but what about us? Everyone needs a break at some point. Having “me time” whether it’s grabbing a cup of coffee or going for a walk alone will make you feel terrific. Try it.
You’ve gotta laugh.
Sometimes just laughing at the insanity of having twins is the only way to keep your sanity.
Happy Twinning!!!
Jennifer Genel is a renowned twin expert and licensed social worker. She is an associate at Twin Love Concierge, USA’s Premier Twin Specialists. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and twins, Jake and Rachel.
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The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.
