Twins with a 2 year old!!!

[ashmond27]

Hi all, I am after some tips on how to make my day to day life easy enough that I'm dealing with twins and a very demanding 2 year old! Any advice of how I can do it all. What have you done in regards to routines, spending enough time with all and having a happiest of households as possible?

Thank you in advance
Ashley

Hi OP, We're just giving this a bump for you.

Hi, I seem to have forgotten most of it now but I had twins and a 20 month old. It really was a case of one day at a time. I was lucky that the girls were very good to start with and slept lots. Some days I would stagger them so that one would be asleep upstairs, one in the carrier and the two year old and I could play together. It was kind of like only having one baby!! On other days it was easier to have the twins synchronised so they would sleep at the same time and I had time for my eldest. It was hard, I won't lie. Evenings were nearly impossible on my own for a while. It all improved at 6 monthish when the girls learnt to sit and play. Then it got harder as they moved, and easier again as they learnt to walk.

Forget about the house if you can. Eat ready meals. If anyone offers help, ask them to take the twins for a walk so you can spend an hour at the park with your eldest. The twins won't care but your eldest will. I snuck out of hospital on day 3 to see my little boy, he was so happy! Hope you find your routine.

Oh, this is probably obvious but involve your 2 year old in everything you do. Give him little tasks, let him help. They are so eager to please at that age. He might regress a bit, just be kind on him. Spend lots of time outside if you can - being at home all day drove me crazy. And see if you qualify for any funding for your 2 year old - him spending a day or two at nursery will make it all more doable.

Baby bottles of different colour
Play with two year old when babies are asleep
Get into talking and singing with 2 year old
Tell 2 year old these will be her babies and get her to help
My two year old was the only thing that kept me sane!
Cut all corners where possible!

Thank you for your advice :)

Twins and a 20 month old here too.
One day at a time.
My mother in law filled my freezer with good easy meals
My husband made up a lunch for us in the fridge each morning
My mother took all washing she could apart from immediate emergency
Both parents didn't live nearby
Try to enjoy the good times

I had twins when I had a two year old and a four year old and you will be fine.
Having low expectations helps. Not planning to do more than one thing in the day.
Really revelling the moments of joy having small children bring also works. There are so many wonderful moments - when they master going to the toilet on their own, or colour in the lines, or put their shoes on independently after only being asked once.
My now three year old said she wanted to slide down a rainbow the other day. Apropos of nothing. The world she lives in is amazing.
It makes the bits of never ending washing and toilet cleaning absolutely without question worth it.

Get out the house, my 2 yr old was on a scooter or walking alongside. Travel for as a playpen/downstairs sleeping area for twinnies depending on age routine etc. Kept a day childminders going for 2 urology so she had plenty of attention and her routine stayed the same. Twins became excellent at sleeping in the buggy, first baby was awful! Would put them to sleep in the buggy if we were going out later and then just wheel them out so I didn't have to worry about end of nap-timings etc. Twins were in a 3 sided cot next to me in the early days, mixed fed and bottle in middle of the night so hubby did one but then settled with BF if needed.