How do you manage twin toddlers walking in the park AND the buggy

[Abena]

Does anyone out there have a tip on how to control 20 month old walking twins in the park and also manage the twin buggy? When I let them out for a run around one goes in one direction and the other etc etc Now they are getting better and faster at walking and will soon be running. I have short reins but it is very difficult to wheel the buggy and hold onto the reins. I bet there is a supermum out there who has the solution. Please advise!!! Thanks!

must have been a REALLY silly question then!!!

Abena my boys are 15months and I would love to know how you do it - my other problema is those soft play centres where one is trying to get up the slide and the other is trying to clamber out

Yes I've only ever done the slides with another person: one to follow them up the ladder and one to meet them coming down the slide!

I haven't posted on here before but I have 18month old twins. I have the twin reins which are more like dog leads!! They have a longer handle and have both a loop which you can hook over your wrist or which clips onto your belt. Which in theory leaves your hands free to push the buggy! However like all theories the reality with twins is sometimes (always) very different! Mine run off and then can't get any further so kind of bungee back onto their bums! Trial and error. I find life a lot less stressful on the days when I just accept things take as long as they take!

Thanks Sammyjayne. Where did you get your twin reins? My reins are very short and pretty much useless especially when one twin is lying on the floor having a tantrum because they want to go in the other direction!

No advice on this one I'm afraid. Once the DTs were walking, I tended to wait for the weekend when DH was around for park trips, as I just found it too difficult and stressful, particularly at the playground. But this phase didn't last too long for me, once they hit 2, they became much easier to 'herd' .

I jsut got very laid back. If one headed east and the other headed west, I'd chase the one who was least likely to come back first. I take them to parks where there wasn't any busy roads and after a while stopped panicking if I couldn't see them both every second of the time.

We never managed to get them to stick to holding hands all of the time, but they have learned to stop at roads and wait now they are 3, and I'm jsut starting to venture out on walks near roads without a buggy.

I've also spent a lot of time at farms or legoland, simply because there aren't any cars for them to run under, and if I do lose one they don't get very far.

I've only ever once took them to feed the ducks on my own because I spent the whole trip having palpitations and cold sweats!

these are the sort of thing you can get for twins. I jsut used normal ones, though I have tied one to the buggy before now.

Thanks for the advice and the link!

its also a relief to find that its not only me who finds twins on the loose a bit nerve wracking.

abena, I tend to go to parks which are, shall we say enclosed.....I would drive there, park and get them out the car thus negating the need for the buggy full stop.

Like chops we go to places that are suited for kids, that have only one way in and out so can let them roam free once in the gate.

A trial would be, let one or both of them go out of sight and see how long it is before they yell because they can't see you! once you know how far they will happily go without you following you will relax about them running off. Oh and keep to the familiar places - in new places its harder to find a hiding toddler!

Hi,

My twins are just two & I did wonder how I would so this but it's been easy so far! Mine do go in different directions sometimes but as long as I can see them, also our play area at the park has gates so I always go in there! I have taught mine to stay with me & hold my hands, I do choose a quieter area so they don't get distracted! I have only used reins once, I much prefer to hold their hands I find it much easier or they hold the pushchair.
Lisa

They sound lovely Lisa!! Unfortunately one of mine is still at the stage of lying down and screaming when I try to get him to come back. So its a case of dragging him with the reins along the ground or threatening to leave him there. Mmmm...we've had some very relaxing outings to the park! I think its because he only started walking a month ago and the sense of independence is still a novelty. Our park has a huge river running through it which you are never far from. Beautiful but scary. There aren't any fences or gates.

Isn't it sooooo frustrating when they lay on the ground. My twins have discovered this is the best way of annoying me.

One thing I would suggest is to always walk the same way. There are a few things in our local park that get my girls excited (ducks, goats, weird patch of bobbly stones, etc). I let them out of the buggy just before and say "let's walk to the ducks" - they are keen to get there so generally follow me. I've gradually let them go further and further and all these areas join up - we can now make it quite a long way around the park. It's taken a few months now, they have just turned two. Hang in there, it will get easier!

Would also add - for me it's either reins or the buggy. Both are just crazy, like controlling a pair of loopy dogs .

I agree with glamourbadger, I try and "steer" their progress through the park by distracting them into looking at things...it does get slightly easier!

My girls are now 2.8 but I do remember your stage well - it drove me mad! I think I only did it at 20 months if I had my husband or friends with me to help.

I tend to stick to the same places - we have lots of national trust properties near us which have wide open spaces and no rivers and we go there pratically every week!

I also used to drive to the park or leave the buggy where I could see it and wander after them.

What also helped was letting them take dolls prams or something they could push or pull - it slowed them down and kept us all steadily moving around - they could do this for ages..

Yes when they are in bed asleep (like now) it can be quite funny to think of their antics in the park . But at the time it can be a bloody nightmare! Today I did that thing in a very enthusiastic voice:'Wow look at the flowers/the tree/the stick/the doggy (that was a mistake as they rushed off towards the doggy who came at them barking) and tried to entice them away from the river/steep dip/cyclists path. You are right I think they are at that stage where walking and exploring cannot coincide with listening to mummy or following in mummy's footsteps. We live in the centre of Milan and the park is our saviour from urban sprawl but there isn't much choice as they are too young for alot of the playgrounds.

My twins are nearly 3 and I remember one of the few outings I used reins well when they were about 18 months - I was literally being pulled in two opposite directions and had to abandon a 5 minute walk to shops 50 yards into it!
I actually found it easier without reins (they are good at holding my hands) and generally speaking, if they did run off at same time,I knew I could rely on my daughter to be more sensible and stop when I shouted than her bonkers brother so would rubgy tackle him to the ground 1st! In my experience, that nightmare phase doesnt actually last that long once the novelty of freedom has worn off - you have to be prepared to give them a right telling off if they put themselves in danger (eg car parks) - its the only way they learn I think

I had the double reins that go round your waist leaving your hands free. Used to best effect when i was travelling to france on my own to control them in the airport when they were 2.5yrs. I ditched the pram early, drove everywhere and tended to stick to indoor small playzone where, they couldnt escape or fall off things if i was busy with the other one.