Big Kids

Oh twin kids, the moment we’ve dreamed of! The chapter that seemed endless books away! We have entered the reality of what once was a daydream our tired, weary, frazzled minds drifted into while we instantly, quietly scolded ourselves to not wish time away. We knew. We knew it’d be here fast, but no matter how many times someone longingly says, “The days are long, but the years are short,” it’s a challenging concept to grasp until one day, twin babies are twin kids. And we’re not sure whether we give a collective sigh of relief (nobody is touching me!), high five (we made it!), cry and hug it out (how did we get here so quickly?!) or put on our big girl boots and prove we can use the pointy end (you said what to my kid?!) – and chances are, the answer is E: All of the above. 

Twin kids are an absolute blast, and while the work is far from over, the work takes on a new, unfamiliar tone: productive. Gone are the days of desperately needing to not be needed or touched or surveying anything as a potential hazard and exhausting yourself with a myriad of repeat-tasks, and enter the days of playing, learning and focusing on specific interests, manners, interactions, and what each twin finds their unique identity in given their strengths, skillset and mindset. While most effort and work with twins is necessary and worthwhile, it can finally start to feel fruitful and rewarding in this phase. Like stages past, safety and development are still the at the forefront but with added social, sibling and school dynamics sprinkled into the mix. 

By now, we hope you recognize Tips for Twins as insightful and honest, so we don’t want to gloss over the serious stuff of twin kids. It’s there, and we’ll get to it. But twin kids really do learn in this phase they have a built-in best friend and ally. Tips for Twins reviews how to establish healthy boundaries, commaraderie and how to handle the inevitable comparisons that come flying their way (and yours) in a positive manner. This is a recipe for a honeymoon phase, where twin children are caught in the don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it space of innocent childhood mixed with just enough individuality and responsibility that they can entertain each other and the “built-in-playmate” myth becomes reality, they’ll have each other’s backs, and learning is amplified because they learn from (and compete with) each other. It’s not perfect; it never is. But it is so fun to observe. This recipe produces moments that are absolute magic. But along with the magic comes some tragic, and twin kids have added challenges with “twin dynamics” that add a layer of complexity to growing up. Competition, comparison, and exclusivity enter this phase like never before, with one twin hailing as a winner and one the inevitable loser. It can be heartbreaking. Who leads? Who follows? Who’s athletic? Who’s funny?  Tips for Twins has resources to help parents handle unique-to-twins situations with talking points and insights on how to let twins be uniquely themselves while being uniquely tied to someone else! We also review how to help establish their own interests (while supporting someone else’s), prioritize one on one time, and ask the right questions to get them talking to you from an early age! And of course, Tips for Twins talks personality traits, discipline, booster seats, health, snack hacks, fun hands-on learning activities, classrooms, and more. There’s always more, and Tips for Twins is here to help you along the way. 

While it’s not easy, it’s worth it, and the reward and joy you’ll feel as you see who your twins are becoming – both individually and as a team – is a special gift. The days are long, but the years are short – so how do we approach the days that collectively turn to years?  With love, laughter, strength and grins. The answer is E. All of the above!  We do it all; we’re parents of twins.

• 
  5 Super Simple Ways to help out a Twin Mom
  People are genuinely enamored with twins. And somewhere within the infatuation lies a little cocktail of mixed reactions towards a mama embarking on the twin journey – personal questions (“Are they natural? Was this planned?”), playful sarcasm (“Better you than… Read more: 5 Super Simple Ways to help out a Twin Mom
• 
  Twin Pregnancy 101: The BIG picture.
  Expecting twins? You may be feeling a myriad of emotions, from elated to overwhelmed to anxious to going into overdrive mom-mode. Whatever your case may be, the absolute best way to start caring for your twins is to take care… Read more: Twin Pregnancy 101: The BIG picture.