The ABCs of Raising Twins

As a mother of two sets of fraternal boy/girl twins, I am often asked, "How do you do it?" I do not have an answer. I am just a regular 27 year old who has never known it any other way. Most people come home from the hospital with one baby. I , however, always seem to come out with a pair. Through my experiences, I feel that there is no such answer. Each child is a unique gift with their own personality, likes, dislikes, and own sense of self. I have no master plan. I deal with each moment as it comes and try to remember that these are the best days of my life. There are moments, I must admit, that I feel like my day will never end and my own personal identity is withering away. A smile or hug from my children washes this feeling away. I am a mother chosen for this great adventure and I press on.

For your reading pleasure, I have listed my ABC's of Twin Motherhood. Enjoy!

A ? Advice. Upon egg fertilization, you have become a target of every woman who has given birth. Remember that all these bits of information come with good intentions. You may be surprised at what you'll learn.

B ? Bottles. Give your baby a bottle, and in minutes, you will find a baby and no bottle. Bottles have an invisibility power that only weakens as milk starts to clabber.

C ? Carpet. Remember it like it was. Tell all of your friends that having a recliner in the middle of your living room floor is "in" this season.

D ? Diapers. This one's a no-brainer. Clip those coupons and buy in bulk.

E ? Energy. Your little bundles of joy come heavily equipped. You, on the other hand, will question your ability to breathe.

F ? Fingerprints. You will have twenty on every wall, window and mirror around. Good news! They're a fast and easy cleanup.

G ? Grandma. She's the ultimate spoiler. Did she really raise you?

H ? Housecleaning. Accept that while raising twins, your house cannot stay clean for intervals exceeding ten minutes.

I - Ice packs. Paired up with a kiss, it's just what the mommy ordered.

J - Jumbo. If it comes in jumbo size, that's the way we mothers of twins buy it.

K ? Kisses. There's nothing better than kisses from your little ones. They even come in a variety of flavors. Chocolate and dirt are two of the most common.

L ? Laughter. Try to laugh at your daily mishaps. Will your children really remember the time you tried to feed them cheerios in a bottle?

M ? Mother. You are no longer your mother's daughter. You are now her clone.

N ? Nights. You will experience many sleepless nights the first few months of your twins' arrival. Weren't sleepless nights much more fun in college?

O ? Offerings. Offer your significant other the opportunity to spend quality time with the little darlings. Run to the nearest spa! (Keep cell phone handy)

P - Potty Training. Good Luck!

Q - Quiet. In the rare instance that children are simultaneously sleeping, savor the quiet.

R - Remember. Remember these days. You will one day wonder how it happened so fast.

S - Sacrifice. Who wanted to go out for a night on the town anyway?

T ? Terrible Two's. Be brave and remember these are your children and you love them. Their behavior is a force of nature and uncontrollable.

U ? Utility Room. Now you know why they make Super Capacity Plus machines.

V - Voices. No, you're not crazy. There really are little people saying your name over and over again.

W - Whisper. Teach everyone in the house this technique for keeping babies asleep.

X - Xtras. Two extra people to love and love you back.

Y - Young. Keep smiling. Your babies are keeping you young at heart.

Z - Zzz's - Try to catch some. Tomorrow starts early.

Michelle Marsh is the mother of two sets of boy/girl twins. She is the proud owner of Twin Gifts & Invitations. Subscribe to her free online newsletter at http://www.twingiftsandinvitations.com

---

Diaper Bags for Dads - Papas Got a Brand New Bag

Today's dads are more hands-on than ever before and their involvement is being rewarded with parenting gear designed with men in mind. Many items that have typically been designed for the maternal side... Read More

Clean Kid Syndrome - Does Your Child Suffer from it?

The learning and development of Australian kids is under threat because they're not playing outdoors, engaging in constructive, creative play.A nationwide Newspoll survey revealed that the average kid is spending at most, just... Read More

Parental Internet Control Tips

The Internet is one of the greatest inventions of all time. Parental Internet Control will protect our loved ones from internet filth like pornography and hate material just a click away. The fact... Read More

Guide Your Kids! This 3-D Map Leads to Character

A tall, weary-looking mother with glasses, walked into my counseling office with her 10-year-old-daughter. The mother frowned at me and sat down. "Oh-oh!" I thought. "Why are you here?" I inquired."Jessica's been shoplifting.... Read More

Your Kids Career - Whose Choice?

A strange thing happened to me today. Or more precisely, a strange thought occurred. You see, my eldest son helped me install a new kitchen. He was the expert handyman. Me? Well, I... Read More

Meeting The True Needs of Children Diagnosed As ADHD

How should one look upon Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and what is the effective way to aid those who are given this diagnosis? There has been considerable debate as to whether or... Read More

Dads - What Family Legacy Are You Passing On to Your Children?

Do you want to create a deeper, more loving relationship with your child?To begin, you can learn from your own father:Whether you consider him to have been a good father or not, you... Read More

My Husband Prioritizes Making Money Above Family Time

"Money is tight, and my husband's obsessed with doing everything he can to make more of it. It's gotten so bad that he's lost interest in our daughter. He hardly spends any time... Read More

How Do Campers Protect Their Children?

Oh yes you have! Suddenly, "Where's Bobby?" You instantly realize that he is not where he is supposed to be-where you told him to stay! Little kids, and even older ones, just don't... Read More

The Child Chef

If you really want to get your children to eat better, and have a better understanding of healthy foods, let them help in the picking and cooking of those foods. When you go... Read More

The Top 10 Tips on Hiring a Babysitter

1. Encourage your babysitter by keeping their favorite foods/snacks on hand.Write a thank you card to your babysitters a couple of times a year. Experienced parents always say, "When you find a good... Read More

Bad Company

Here we will come to know who are the most responsible person to make your child an addicted person & failure.In general we see kids who are addicted of tobacco , drinking, smoking,... Read More

Lead with Love:How Mothers Can Use Their Greatest Strength to Manage Around Their Technical Weakness

My wife and I have been working on a video scrapbook for our son now for about a year. The project originally started out as a movie of all of our video clips... Read More

The Family Guy - Parenting From a Single Dads Perspective

It was a hot summer day in august and The courthouse was without cold air. I wiped my brow as I entered the crowded courtroom. Several times I had appeared in family court,... Read More

Potty Dolls to Accelerate Potty Training Success

Sometime the most effective training tool in rapidly accelerating the rate of your child's training is a potty doll. This is drink-and-wet a doll with the internal plumbing that simulates the potty process... Read More

Are Parents Trying Too Hard?

One of the implications of the current trend toward smaller families is that we now have a generation of parents who are willing to go to enormous lengths to give their children a... Read More

Minimizing Homework Hassles

John Bishop's Goal Setting for Students.comParents ? Minimize Homework Hassles?It's 6:30 at night and you just got home from a long day at work, but the day's not over yet. First, there's dinner,... Read More

Building Self Confidence

Several similar terms describe the central attribute of a character that decides on the strength of personality and the degree of inner freedom:- "self assurance" describes mostly the behaviour. Counterparts are insecure behaviour... Read More

The Classic ADHD Child Reminds Me of Tigger

ADHD comes in differenty forms, or types. What has become known as "classic ADHD" is characterized by Inattention, Impulsivity, Hyperactivity, Restlessness, and Disorganization. This type of ADHD reminds us of Tigger... Read More

Signs of Child Sexual Abuse

Many families do not want to believe their child is being sexually abused even if the signs of child sexual abuse are staring them straight in the face. Unfortunately many families are in... Read More

Raising Happy Diabetic Kids Part III Help Your Child Develop Self-Control

This is the third and final article in a series I wrote about raising happy diabetic kids. While Juvenile Diabetes makes this job tougher the information in these articles applies to raising any... Read More

Would You Know if Your Child Were Being Bullied? 4 Tips to Keep Them From Becoming a Victim

The 21st Century Problem in Schools: Bullying, and How to Keep Your Kid From Being a VictimChildren bullying other children has been an issue since there were children, and though it has often... Read More

Teenagers and What Parents Should Do About Them

Chiladult? Whatever you call them, teenagers are a changin' and parents need to know what to do.Wow... What Happened?That's what most parents find themselves asking about the time their kids hit twelve or... Read More

Unilateral Disarmament - The First Step to Improving Communications with Your Teenagers

Many times, we are so conditioned in how we speak that we do not realize whether or not we are effectively communicating with our teens. This is especially true when they upset us.To... Read More

3 Rules to Making TeensTechnology Work For You

Isn't the technology of today is amazing?! Between the speed of Instant Messengers~ or IM'ing, the convince of cell phones, parenting has come a long way from when parents had to make three... Read More

Selecting and Hiring Childcare Employees

In today's fast-paced society, many families depend on some form of childcare arrangements to help meet the demands of family and work. The majority of parents in America work outside the home, creating... Read More

So You Want to Adopt?

Many reasons will cause some people to feel the need to adopt a child. Sometimes it is because they have exhausted every other means of having children. Some people just feel the need... Read More

The Value of Play

Isn't it ironic that a country whose constitution allows for the pursuit of happiness now feels a collective guilt about the very idea of anything fun? How did this happen? When did we... Read More

Ritalin (Methylphenidate) in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Ritalin is a good medication with a bad reputation. Its name causes more fear in the hearts of parents than any other medication. It is the topic of radio talk shows, protests by... Read More