These tips are provided by Double Blessings members.
Tips & Hints – Mom’s Lunchbox Cheat Sheet
Place a frozen juice box in your kids’ lunchbox. – it’ll keep the food chilled and will be thawed by lunchtime.
Go for variety. Make sandwiches using whole grain tortillas, bagels or pitas.
Pack antibacterial wet wipes so your kids can clean their hands before and after eating.
Add grated veggies to sandwiches and wraps for crunch – your kids won’t notice they’re eating something that’s good for them!
Use small resealable bags to pack dressings. Kids can open one corner and simply squeeze onto salad, then discard.
Get dipping! Pack salsa, hummus, yogurt or salad dressing for your little ones to dunk their sandwich, veggies or fruit into.
Make bite-sized and mini versions of regular foods like sandwiches. They work well for small appetites and are more likely to be eaten.
Add a quick note to say good luck on a test or “I love you” – it will brighten your child’s day.
Tips & Hints – Newborns and Infants
Hire a mother’s helper to come in after school to help with the babies.
Get kids on the same schedule – if one eats, feed both. If one needs changing, change both.
Get a cleaning lady!
Gratefully take all the help that you are offered.
Get a sitter once a month and go out with your husband. You know, that guy that lives with you… you remember him, right?
Sleep when your kids sleep!
Put a changing table on your first floor to avoid having to go upstairs over and over and over.
I used self-feeding bottles by Podee. You can feed twins at the same time – was a lifesaver for us, especially when they were newborn.
Bathtime Tips:
Tip #1 – Tag Team & Taking Turns What do you do when there’s only one of you… and two (or more!) of them? Handling them both in the tub at the same time can be too tricky. That’s when it’s best to take a tag team approach. A bouncy seat, infant carrier, or other accessory will come in handy. They provide a portable, but secure, wait station for the baby who is not in the tub. You can get by with one, but you may find it easier to have two within easy access so that each baby has a resting place.
First, assemble all of your necessary supplies and have them within arm’s reach. Then, fill the tub. Have the babies prepared and secured in a bouncy seat or infant carrier. While you are bathing one, the other rests comfortably nearby in the seat. Even though your hands are busy with one twin, you remain within earshot and eyesight of the other, providing reassurance and comfort.
Wash, dry and dress Baby #1, then arrange him or her in the seat. Now it’s Baby #2′s turn!
Tip #2 – Detachable Shower Head A detachable, handheld shower head with a long hose makes shampooing and rinsing much easier in the tub, allowing you to focus the water stream directly on your children. Look for one with a pause button or switch, so that you can turn off the water without having to reach the spout.
If your twins are old enough (and trustworthy!), they can use the shower head on themselves or on each other.
Tip #3 – Laundry Baskets Keep Twins Secure In The Tub Trying to manage two babies in a tub when you only have two hands is tricky. They’re as slippery as little fish in that watery environment. To help keep them secure, plastic laundry baskets make a great bath seats for older babies and young toddlers. They are the right size to contain their little bodies and keep them upright so they don’t slide around in the tub. Use them with only a small amount of water in the tub. Use them only with babies who are old enough to sit up.
Tip #4 – Wear Swim Goggles Some children don’t like the feeling of water in their eyes, making bathtime an exercise in frustration for both parent and child. Ease your twins’ or multiples’ discomfort by giving them a pair of swim goggles to wear while you wash and rinse their hair. It will keep the soap and water out of their eyes and make bath time quicker and more fun.
Find more tips like these at About.com’s Household Hints for Parents of Multiples.
Tips & Hints – Toddlers and Older
Have twins wear red hats when they are out in public – they will be easy to pick out in a crowd.
Going to McDonald’s? Go through the drive through first – order and get your food. Then, when you go into the restaurant, you can sit down and eat right away, avoiding the whole ordering inside fiasco.
Try to maintain their own identity. Avoid referring to them collectively as “the twins”. Use their names to promote individualism.
Who’s day is it? To halt fights and arguments between my twins over who will choose an activity, movie, lunch, TV show, etc., I assign one child all odd numbered days on the calendar, and the other gets all even days. I’ve been able to halt bickering in midstream by interjecting “Who’s day is it?” One look at the calendar instantly lets us know who will make the decision. It works every time!
Take time for yourself and have your husband watch the kids. It will be good for him, the kids, and you!