One goal of this year is to find solutions to some of the challenges of having twins. So far a challenge will arise, I'll find one solution and then when that doesn't work I'll continue to try things but never really finding a true solution (just a temporary fix for that day).
The newest issue...what do I do with the girls when I need to take a shower or leave them for a few minutes (while they are awake). Now if you happen to have endless amounts of money and space-- maybe you have two of everything (two playpens, two walkers, two bouncer/entertainer seats, maybe even two mother helpers to entertain your adorable twins while you shower and then eat bonbons while watching tv). But for those of us in the real world, I have tried to purchase, register for, or borrow only what I need. So we do have two walkers (both borrowed), an entertainer seat (bought) and XL square playpen (registered for Joovy's Room 2- LOVE IT) but as it is all of THAT barely fits in our place!
So far I've tried-
-Wait until they are both sleeping to shower (but the problem there is that 1. I lose valuable nap time when I could get LOTS of other stuff done, 2. sometimes they don't want to nap at the same time, 3. they are in the stage where they don't really need a morning nap anymore so that would mean waiting until 1 or 2)
-Put them both in the playpen (sorry pack and play? I don't think there's anything wrong with calling it a playpen...oh well). This USED to work when they were little and didn't move. Great for first few months (even then I'd turn on the video monitor and check constantly as I tried to shower!). Now at 11 months (wow- where did my little infants go?!)...now at 11 months old (both walking), I'd find them wrestling and possibly pulling hair before I could even get to the bathroom.
-Put one in the walker (and bring her in the bathroom with me), and put other twin in playpen. Great for the one in the playpen (but she usually falls asleep) while her sister is busy zooming around the bathroom. The walker bound twin spends my super speed shower ramming the walker into the cabinets, opening the curtain to play peek a boo (watering the bathroom floor and herself), or going for the item containing the most germs in the room -- the toilet. Even if it is locked with child-safe locks, she can still touch it....gross.
(ALSO- Sydney can now climb into the walker...just waiting for her to learn to climb OUT of it...)
-So I'm still working on this one. Most recent solution was to put one in the entertainer, one in the playpen (turn on Sesame Street- hoping that no one tries to escape because they are so busy being entertained by Murray and Elmo! First try with this setup, resulted in the playpen bound twin getting a mini nap, while her entertainer bound sister (who isn't climbing as much yet) ended up slumped in her seat and unhappy.
Fortunately I can shower before bed (when the twins are sleeping or playing with Daddy)OR wait until nap time if I have to. We have turned our living room into Baby World safe and secure with a gate and relatively few opportunities for injury (allowing me to let them play safely for a few minutes if I have to leave the room). I'm grateful for this because otherwise I'd find one twin going after the kitty food and the other crawling down the hallway in the other direction.
For MOM (moms of multiples) I'd say having a space where you can leave your twins for a few minutes at a time (to say- run to the bathroom, change over your 15th load of laundry for the week, dispose of stinky diapers, or grab something to eat yourself) is necessary! I guess my best shower solution is the entertainer and playpen option for now?
Ok time to go...babies are done playing nicely.
The newest issue...what do I do with the girls when I need to take a shower or leave them for a few minutes (while they are awake). Now if you happen to have endless amounts of money and space-- maybe you have two of everything (two playpens, two walkers, two bouncer/entertainer seats, maybe even two mother helpers to entertain your adorable twins while you shower and then eat bonbons while watching tv). But for those of us in the real world, I have tried to purchase, register for, or borrow only what I need. So we do have two walkers (both borrowed), an entertainer seat (bought) and XL square playpen (registered for Joovy's Room 2- LOVE IT) but as it is all of THAT barely fits in our place!
So far I've tried-
-Wait until they are both sleeping to shower (but the problem there is that 1. I lose valuable nap time when I could get LOTS of other stuff done, 2. sometimes they don't want to nap at the same time, 3. they are in the stage where they don't really need a morning nap anymore so that would mean waiting until 1 or 2)
-Put them both in the playpen (sorry pack and play? I don't think there's anything wrong with calling it a playpen...oh well). This USED to work when they were little and didn't move. Great for first few months (even then I'd turn on the video monitor and check constantly as I tried to shower!). Now at 11 months (wow- where did my little infants go?!)...now at 11 months old (both walking), I'd find them wrestling and possibly pulling hair before I could even get to the bathroom.
-Put one in the walker (and bring her in the bathroom with me), and put other twin in playpen. Great for the one in the playpen (but she usually falls asleep) while her sister is busy zooming around the bathroom. The walker bound twin spends my super speed shower ramming the walker into the cabinets, opening the curtain to play peek a boo (watering the bathroom floor and herself), or going for the item containing the most germs in the room -- the toilet. Even if it is locked with child-safe locks, she can still touch it....gross.
(ALSO- Sydney can now climb into the walker...just waiting for her to learn to climb OUT of it...)
-So I'm still working on this one. Most recent solution was to put one in the entertainer, one in the playpen (turn on Sesame Street- hoping that no one tries to escape because they are so busy being entertained by Murray and Elmo! First try with this setup, resulted in the playpen bound twin getting a mini nap, while her entertainer bound sister (who isn't climbing as much yet) ended up slumped in her seat and unhappy.
Fortunately I can shower before bed (when the twins are sleeping or playing with Daddy)OR wait until nap time if I have to. We have turned our living room into Baby World safe and secure with a gate and relatively few opportunities for injury (allowing me to let them play safely for a few minutes if I have to leave the room). I'm grateful for this because otherwise I'd find one twin going after the kitty food and the other crawling down the hallway in the other direction.
For MOM (moms of multiples) I'd say having a space where you can leave your twins for a few minutes at a time (to say- run to the bathroom, change over your 15th load of laundry for the week, dispose of stinky diapers, or grab something to eat yourself) is necessary! I guess my best shower solution is the entertainer and playpen option for now?
Ok time to go...babies are done playing nicely.