Having Twins Now: Logistics 101 ? Increasing Kids from ONE to THREE

Having Twins Now: Logistics 101 – Increasing Kids from ONE to THREE
So you’re having twins? Great! Soon after you’re done freaking out, the first step is to evaluate the situation realistically and rationally. This means you can’t do it while shaving, or painting the dining room, or even in a week. You have to physically compile the necessary documentation to determine what your life will look like a few months and two more kids down the path.

Here is a quick list of logistical circumstances you have to plan for prior to the kids and all of their goodies begin invading your living room, waste basket and hearts.

Transportation:
*Nothing is more evident 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 in order. I am not referring to buying a new or used car by any means.
I am talking about the details 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 dollars 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 foolish. The price of the bases is a lot less than the irritation at having only one choice available for the transportation of the fresh pair of awesome.

Day care:
*Going without day care is not an possibility for two parents who work and are thriving in their occupations. Consider every probable outcome prior to making any decisions on what to do about who is going to watch your kids 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 awarded to you or your spouse as a result of paying for day care is worth every dollar. 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 meal scenarios, take out is going to be your friend.
I am never embarrassed of my kid or fearful that he may act like a terror in some restaurants, but he’s a kid and it’s what kids do. Rather than agonizing through meals in public, we forgo most dining out experiences out of respect for other people trying to eat in peace.

The folks that get all high and mighty about “their right to eat in public too” aren’t paying attention to the bigger picture here: if your kids are distracting to YOU, imagine how the couple sitting near you getting splashed with baby carrot 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 at all during those first three months for apparent health and safety issues, 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 twinsales rock, as do family handmedowns; take advantage of opportunities to fritter and waste dough anywhere else, because you will spend money elsewhere,.

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 asking questions immediately.

As a parent of one boisterous and energetic toddler boy, my preferred piece of equipment? The fruit snack.

Yes, I know infant twins can’t eat 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 paraphernalia that I will never leave the homestead without.
Find out what you should always have, and ALWAYS HAVE IT.

Schedule:
*I hear this from every parent of multiples I have conferred with: schedule, schedule, schedule.

I cannot speak from experience with two new babies, but I know that when I diverge from a standard schedule even a little bit with a singleton, I pay for it.
Get ready for a life, where your entire reality is determined 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 devoted to 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 cut off people midsentence is a terrific way of training those around you to pay attention to the logistics of raising twins without going absolutely and utterly loco. Make it easy.

‘So let me tell you about Bali. The summer help was to die for. 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.

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