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Is anyone else over it?? My 16 month old twins are completely exhausting!

16 replies

EsmeWatson · 24/11/2008 06:20

Hi all I'm new and having a bit of a bad day. My twins are constantly grissling, clingy and crying (well screaming actually). It's really wearing me down - so much so I'm back to wishing I only had 1 baby! Totally unproductive I know but still .. How did other twin mums cope at times like this?? Thanks so much for your help.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
throckenholt · 24/11/2008 07:09

I think I probably resorted to teletubbies.

And made sure they were getting regular naps.

It is exhausting when they are like that.

Get a giant cardboard and a smaller one - they will have a great time climbing in and out of it until it disintegrates.

ScummyMummy · 24/11/2008 07:18

Hope your day gets better. Getting out of the house a lot was what saved my sanity on days like that- park if warm enough, toddler sessions, friend's house for coffee. Also early bed- thlough resporting to that at 7.15am is probably a bit too early... teletubbies sounds good!

AbricotsSecs · 24/11/2008 07:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

teasleepfood · 24/11/2008 07:41

Hello Esme,
mine are nearly a year and I had a monster day last week (tears on the bathroom floor - mine!). For the first time I got cross when they wouldn't sleep at morning nap time and kept winding each other up. Tried separating them but noe help. Ended up shouting and DD just laughed. Oh how that made it worse. Went to bathroom and shut door (see above). Calmly went back and settled them. Eventually slept. Mother came round and I left the house.
Up shot is that I needed to get away from them for a short time to realise how much I loved them. Try to get some you time, even for an hour.
Hoochie always has good advice, fresh air is good. Mine like the Night garden which I can do on virgin catch up TV. It;s the only thing I let them watch but then that's contraversial in itself .
Good luck!

Shiner · 24/11/2008 08:54

Hi Esme,
I remember being in the thick of this phase and having the feeling that it would never end. It does. Not soon enough, granted, but hang in there.

I agree with the earlier postings, that getting them OUT is the best solution. However, if you're penned in by snow/lack of energy, then here are the things I used to do:
Get a cardboard box and put a "letterbox" hole into it. Fold up two sheets of paper and get the twins to "post" them in turns, then take the "letters" out of the box, and re-post. Sometimes they would have to scribble an "address" on the paper first, which strung the game out a bit. Don't know if it will distract yours, but it did keep mine amused for a surprisingly long time.
Two cardboard boxes: put a cushion in, line with a blanket, and see if they want to sit in it and wrap themselves or their favourite toy in the blanket.
We used to take a mattress out of their cots and lay it on the floor with lots of cushions. They liked bouncing on the mattress. Now they bounce on our bed .
We also used to put up the travel cot (which had an opening at one end) for them to crawl in and out of (guess that's essentially the same as HMFG's suggestion of a tent).
Sometimes we hung a blanket between two chairs (two chairs with their backs to each other, blanket thrown over the backs, blanket didn't reach the floor), and got them to crawl/run through the curtain of blanket to the other side. It made them giggle.
Ours like watching the website poissonrouge dot com, it's for small children, and although you have to navigate the mouse for them, ours are entranced and blissfully quiet whilst it's up. We use it when we are at our wit's end (we've had to limit our usage ...) Both sit in their highchairs though, so I can keep them away from the keyboard (v.important for health of the keyboard).
When both of mine want to be cuddled, I sometimes found it worked to sit on the floor and put both on my stretched out legs, facing me. Then they got the bumps!
And yes to healthy snacks - mine liked cucumber sticks. They didn't actually eat it, just bit the sticks into pieces. Yellow pepper strips were also popular.

Hope that's some help, but even more, hope the phase passes soon and you get your smiley babies back.

EsmeWatson · 24/11/2008 11:31

Thanks so much everyone for your wonderful ideas and advice. It is so great to hear it from mums who really know! The girls are tucked up in bed now and I feel a lot better. Dh even gave them their tea and bath tonight so that was nice! I had to laugh at your story teasleepfood - I've been there done that too!! I tried getting cross too and it was totally pointless and I just felt mean. Am going to organise a nice outing with a girlfriend for tomorrow and perhaps check the TV guide for teletubbies! Thanks heaps again for all your help.

OP posts:
kathryn2804 · 25/11/2008 09:25

Just a quickie, but this age is def the worst! I think it's harder than new-born!!! At least they stay where you put them! Try to get as much reat as you can, things look a lot better after some sleep! It does get better. Sorry, off to work, got to dash!

squeezebox · 02/12/2008 13:49

Hi Esme

  • one of my twinnies is also an Esme, I guess you know it means much loved, which I have to remind myself when both are howling for attention!
Mine are 18 months and I thought it might help to hear they have been awful for the last 2-3 months but I have been seeing glimmers of hope in the last couple of weeks...I think... A friends twins seemed to do an awful lot of growing up in this period so hoping it's the same, some of it seems to be teething for my two and maybe some separation anxiety? Who knows, but it WILL pass (repeat this as mantra several times a day). What has helped me a little- CBeebies- we even bought a bigger telly which has kept them entranced! I am trying to ignore any guilty feeings re too much tv, I often watch it with them and frankly on a cold rainy day its a godsend. Also, getting out in the mornings before squawling erupts- tires them out and they have a longer lunchtime nap which I ADORE My mum put together a 'fiddle box' for them with little boxes,old necklaces, empty plastic bottles, silly gadgets from a pound shop etc etc. I keep it in the cupboard and get it out at those desperate times pre-lunch etc, often they still need me to play with the stuff at same time but it keeps us all quiet for 20 mins Hmm like the poisson website tip, may try that in their highchairs too! Hang in there, reckon they'll make big leaps next few months xx
BibiJesus · 07/12/2008 11:30

Full sympathies. My dts are almost 17m and are constant. They do not amuse themselves or each other, they want me, me, me. Which is wonderful but I do need to pee/make lunch occasionally.

DD (4) can entertain them like no one else, so if you can borrow a willing 4 yo girl for a couple of hours that might do the trick. On desperate days I've thought about keeing dd home from school but it hasn't got to that yet!

Also, CBeebies has been good to me, I live for Razzledazzle time (magic o'clock) where they will sit for 15 mins and not destroy antyhing or wail/grizzle for me.

You're not in it alone.

mariemarie · 07/12/2008 21:58

Hang in there. My twin daughters are 6 now and it really does get easier. I know this stage seems to last forever but trust me, it doesnt.

Agree with previous posts, getting out really does help. Go to mother and toddler groups, walks in park, walk up and down the street with dolls buggys.

Look on the bright side, your babies will always have a friend to play with. They will never get bored, they will have loads of fun together, and your life will get much easier.

Good luck.

lulururu · 08/12/2008 05:17

i've been reading this with interest - my b/g DTS are 13mths and on a rainy day especially i'm struggling for ideas on what to do with them.

shiner the sheet over 2 chairs idea and doll in box idea worked wonders.

i've been told by a kind of health visitor-y kind of person that i'm "not their 24-7 playmate but their play coordinator" but am struggling for fun ideas that will entertain them.

does anyone have any ideas for rainy days? what do other people do? tv is very enticing but i'm really really trying not to so any ideas welcome...

swanriver · 08/12/2008 09:58

Singing and dancing. Buy an elc cd or cassette action songs and sing along to all the songs/miming actions with them like Sandy Girl, Dingle Dangle Scarecrow, Grand Old Duke of York, This is the way we brush our teeth on a cold and frosty morning.
Then after a bit they will listen to it by themselves...
Mine loved pretending to be teletubbies too!
Toy kitchen with lots of pretend plastic pots and pans to bang and doors to open? (and no little accessories or you will be driven mad)
2 shopping baskets to fill with pretend shopping (just a few plastic objects)
Sleeping Bunnies (Wake up little bunnies. hop little bunnies hop hop hop, hop little bunnies hop and STOPPP. (they lie down and pretend to sleep, which turns into sleeping tigers rooaring and sleeping taxis crashing)

Its all coming back to me, how I miss those sweet little (sometimes tiresome)toddlers, now six years old and into high school musical unfortunately.

lulururu · 08/12/2008 18:18

thank you swanriver i'll begin my day with those tools to hand today! it only takes a few games to go successfully in a day to make the day feel like a success rather than one to just get through doesn't it. thanks again!

sandyballs · 08/12/2008 21:49

This takes me back . Like mariemarie, my twin girls are older (7) and get on very well most of the time, a constant play mate. But I do remember how awful and exhausting those young years were. A particular memory at around the age yours are at (16 months?) is them standing on a book case together throwing CDs and books over their shoulders and laughing, while I was on the 'phone to my brother almost in tears saying 'this really can't be normal'.

twisha · 11/12/2008 21:58

hi,its just the same at 15yrs old, just grizzling about boys!!!!!!!!
i think i found actually it no more tiring than just having 1 at a time, (ive got 6) they were in the middle, i think i "fenced "off half the room and got wind up type toys to get a break for 1/2 hr.
stick in there girl, it does get better.
all the best, trisha

kristatwin · 18/12/2008 17:27

My twins are 16 months and exactly the same, although DS seems to be a lot worse than DD, he seems to screeh and scream all day long, and hates change, also in the last week they will not sharing anything and seem to be fighting over every toy !!

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