Tip for the Week
The 'Out 'n' About Nipper 360' double buggy. Ours has travelled several miles daily since my girls were just a few months old (they needed motion to sleep during the day and still do!) They are now approaching three and it's still going strong. I know many families who work their way through a good few buggies. At under £300 it isn't hugely expensive like some models, it's light, easy to manoeuvre and it's robust. From my experience, a good investment!
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Thought for the Week
Get out there and enjoy the fine weather while you can. Motherhood is so much easier in the sunshine - make the most of it!
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Tip for the Week
Take as much footage of your babies as you possibly can. I watch old clips now in disbelief that my little girls ever sounded, looked and acted like that. I'm lucky that my partner took care of filming them and am now so grateful that I have these timeless reminders. Most parents of multiples I speak to agree that the first year is so intense at the time it'll probably become a bit of a blur.....all the more reason to capture it while you can!
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Best Things About Twins
I've talked about the hard work, this time I want to focus on all things good about twins. There are some fabulous benefits that are exclusive to us parents of multiples. Think about this long list of wonderful things about twins when times get tough.
- Being exactly the same age it is truly fascinating to watch them develop alongside each other and compare their personalities and strengths. You would never have this in the same way with siblings because you just wouldn't remember exactly what they were doing at a particular age. My two couldn't be more different and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't marvel at how well they are developing but how incredibly differently. You too will get to enjoy what they like and dislike, what they are good at and haven't yet mastered, the people they are drawn to - it's fascinating.
- They can help each other with their learning. My twins were around 12 months before they crawled properly, but within days of one mastering it, the other quickly followed. As 2-year-olds now, I hear them in their bedroom practising what they've learnt like going through the colours and if I'm asking questions about what they can see within a book, they'll correct each other!
- When one child is winding you up, you can take solace in the other one!
- They have a bond that very few of us get to enjoy. From the moment of conception, they're sharing! They are sensitive to each others' moods and will comfort each other when upset. They kiss, they hug - there will be moments that will tug at your heartstrings.
- From around 20 months they can entertain each other and have a constant playmate which can take the pressure off you as a parent/ carer. My two will happily chat across the cots for at least half an hour when they wake. I can't imagine a single baby would be so content.
- One baby is cute, two are good enough to eat! You can have fun with their clothes, mixing and matching.
- Most people want more than one child, we need never go through morning sickness again! Those difficult early stages need never be re-visited. Certainly for the first few years, it really does get progressively easier.
- The birth of one baby is amazing, two feels like a miracle. If you're fortunate enough that everything goes smoothly, you'll be on 'cloud nine' for weeks. Those first few months are truly amazing and while it's exhausting too, it's fleeting, so enjoy every minute. You may have another baby one day, but you're unlikely ever to have twins again. Drink in this incredible experience with your multiple babies.
Now I would love to hear some of your 'best things about twins.' When expecting, the prospect can be really quite daunting, so for those who've 'been there, done that' please share what you love about being a parent of multiples and help join me in celebrating all things twins. Please click on the link below or e-mail share@kikiandbree.com.
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Time-saving tips
I could never have prepared myself for the unrelenting hard work required to raise two babies at once. Never did I fully consider that a whole hour to indulge myself in a bath or a book would be a rare luxury. There is always a job to be done. Never could I have understood the logistical nightmare of preparing to go out for the day with two babies. And neither did I consider that all jobs would be carried out with an underlying degree of stress.....the food takes forever to heat with crying babies in the backround and you just can't make it around Sainsbury's quick enough with babies in tow (and even if they're not crying, there's always the threat!)
In my child-free days a colleague with children was once telling me she'd had a whole hour the previous day to lose herself in her book which pleased her immensely. I remember finding this so depressing - I mean, what's an hour - and she was grateful for this?!? Now the closest I'll get to this will almost certainly involve making animal sounds or lifting flaps! So my request to you are your best time-saving tips to get through the changing, the sterilising, the feeding, the weaning, the entertaining, the cooking and the cleaning. Tips, short and sweet please, to share@kikiandbree.com or click on the link below. While we wait to hear from those who've mastered the art, here are some of my top tips:
- Try combining bottle and breast feeding. While Mum is feeding one, Dad (or whoever can help) can feed too. It doesn't work for everyone, but it worked a treat for us.
- Synchronise your babies as best you can.
- When on solids, cook food in large batches and freeze in trays. Vegetable and meat stews work wonders.
- Have a changing station upstairs and another downstairs.
- Be as ready as you possibly can. You don't want to be fiddling around reading manuals once they're here!
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