How on earth to get toddler twins out of the car safely?

[BonfireBaby]

Hi every time I need to get my twin toddlers from the car to somewhere, it turns into a drama as whoever I get out first runs off by the time I've got the other one out!! Any advice on how to get from car to library/someones house/nursery etc without little boys running about oblivious to cars would be appreciated.

1 out, reins on, hook reins round your leg while you get second out?

or, if you are using buggy, get that out first, and strap #1 in before you get #2 out.

I know lots of people don't like them but could you use those reigns (either chest or wrist) until they're old enough to understand they have to wait?

Unstrap first twin but leave in car standing on floor or in car seat but not strapped in

close door & go round to second twin unstrap, grab first twin & second twin

It's not easy - buggy can be useful just to tie they down for a bit while you organise

how old are they? i don't have twins, but i do have 2 kids fairly close in age and have had similar issues!

I guess what I do is let the first one out and hold hand, then open other door, unclip child and hold onto that one with the other hand.

or usre a pushchair!

I used to either get one out, strap into buggy, get other out or get one out of seat, get that one to stand in the car while I got other one out then both were ready to get out holding hands. I also used zero tolerance in car parks. If we were somewhere fun and either of them was silly or didn't hold my hand we all went home!

Practice practice practice I'd have thought. I don't have twins, mine are now 5, 3 and 16 weeks. I have always got them out of the car, taken them straight to the pavement and told them to stay there. When they were smaller they had to stand on the pavement with one hand on the car. If they can't manage that then maybe keep a buggy in the boot and tell them if they can't stay still then they have to be put in the buggy while you get the other one out.

Or maybe take the one out of his seat but leave him in the car so you can get the other out, hold his hand and the first one can then hold your other hand and jump down.

Open car door, unstrap twin 1 and get him out of the car seat, shut car door.
Open the other car door unstrap twin 2, take them both out together.

When you park, un-clip both seats. They will wriggle out and stand in the footwells.

Open rear passenger door kerb side, allow children to exit using a vice like grip around the wrist of #1.

I did what KatyMac described. Still do by busy roads etc although mine are 5 now. They usually stay put but I'd rather be sure.

I get one out and thn stand them in the footwell of the second child while I lift the second child out. Keep hold of second child and then get first child to climb onto me from the foot well. Then I step backwards still holding both of them and push car door shut with my arse foot. Then walk well away from my filthy car before I put them down, otherwise they both trail their hands along the car and turn them black.

Life's fun, huh?!

For info, my DTs are 20 months. This routine has worked since about 18 months or so, once they could reliably walk from car park to building. Before that I used the buggy.

I don't have twins but my DC are a year apart so I had similar problems with getting out of the car, I just did what alpinepony said. I still do it now actually and they're 5 & 6.

I don't have twins, but I used to take DD's friend of the same age around quite a lot when they were about 2.
In my car, I could reach to undo both children from the same side, so I'd undo the furthest away child first and then the nearest one. Then the nearest child would get out and hold my hand while the second one came out. Shut the door with your bum, then tell the children to hold hands which usually gives you enough time to quickly turn the key in the lock (having remembered to put it in the lock beforehand) Mine was a three door car, the only time I had DH's four door, I put child one briefly in the front while I got child two out. It would be easier if you had central locking and just had to press a button to lock all the doors.

I get the road side twin out and bring around to the passenger twin's side. Open door and then restrict the mobile twin close to the car, wedged by the door and my legs as I do the other twin.

Thanks everyone! They are 20 months and i had been using the buggy until a while ago but it feels like too much effort to put it up to go a short distance now they're happy to walk. Just bought a 5 door car as have had 3 door until now so will try the footwell etc tips. Thanks all!

People without children would pee themselves at all of the thought required just to get a couple of kids out of the car.

Yeah, but "people without children" wouldn't even imagine the mischief a 20mo could get into in 3.5 seconds

Same as theotherboleyngirl. Put car keys in teeth and handbag diagonally across body. Unstrap Twin 1 and get them to stand in the footwell. Shut door and walk to other side of car. Unstrap Twin 2 and place him on the pavement trapped between the car and your legs. Get Twin 2 out of the car seat and hold their hand, and now Twin 1's hand as Twin 2 climbs out of the seat. Shut car door with foot / bottom. Then hold both twins' hand in one hand whilst you take keys from mouth to click lock and put in handbag one-handed. Then go back to holding one twin in each hand.

My DTs are now 7 and my friends are still impressed with what I can do one-handed !

Sorry, got my Twin 1s and Twin 2s mixed up but you get the picture!!