TwinParenthood.com

Our twin experiment is now in its seventh year! We’ve had a wonderful Christmas season, and are moving quickly towards the new year. Although I should expect the chaos that comes with Christmas and two sets of twins, I find that I am always amazed at how busy this season plays out.  But through it all, we’ve tried to stay focused on “The Reason for the Season”, and that makes all the chaos bearable.

With the New Year just around the corner, I am thinking about my New Year’s resolutions.  I haven’t finalized my list yet, but here’s the informal list:

1. Simplify.  This has two elements.  First, I really need to de-clutter the house.  I know that will makes things easier for me, but there is work to make it happen. Second, I need to try not to take on too much. This is a common problem of mine.  When I see something that needs to be done, I volunteer to help (or take the whole darn project on myself!).
2. Get Fit.  It’s been seven years since the birth of my 2nd set of twins and it is about time that I spend a little time and effort on myself.  I plan to start eating right and to make time for exercise.
3. Schedule.  I plan to sort through all the things I want to get done on a weekly basis (like blogging at least 3 times a week!), simplify, and then fit it into a schedule that I’ll have a reasonable expectation of maintaining.

Have you set your New Year’s Resolutions yet?  Please share!

Bed rest in a multiples pregnancy is very common. Don’t be alarmed.

When you are on bed rest, it is very important to follow your doctor’s instructions. You’ll want to do everything possible to keep those babies in utero as long as possible.

In most cases, your doctor will want you to stop many “normal, everyday” activities.  Some things you’ll want to ask about:

• Picking up older children
• Driving
• Walking
• Stairs
• Shower (or Bath)
• Cooking
• Sitting upright
• Light Chores
• Sexual Intercourse
• Exercise

Make “Bed Rest Buddies”

After gaining an understanding from your doctor about what you can or should not do, you’ll want to connect with other multiples moms also on bed rest. There are some great website communities for women on bed rest. A fantastic resource is sidelines.org. Connecting with others on bed rest can be an emotional lifesaver. Also, often times these bed rest buddies develop into lasting friendships as you and your pals raise your multiples.

Prepare for Bed rest

Set up a bed rest station in your main living area.  Some things you’ll want within arms reach:

• laptop with internet connection
• snacks
• water and other drinks
• pencil / paper
• books and magazines
• TV remotes

What else can you do? 

• Reconnect with friends
• Get Ready for Babies (Pick names, update your financial records – wills, etc.)
• Read Parenting Books
• Craft Projects
• Work (discuss with your employer options for working from home using your laptop or a telephone)

Being on bed rest can be challenging, but it can also be fun. Like many things in life — it is what you make of it. So take a sunny approach and see what you can get accomplished.

Copyright 2009 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com

Getting kids to bed on time can be a challenge. My kids have always been very early risers no matter what time they went to bed. So, we quickly learned that an earlier bedtime meant a little respite for us. If you have twins, triplets, or more, getting kids to bed on time can be even more of a challenge because of “twin escalation syndrome” — that is, misbehavior tends to escalate exponentially.  So, here are my top 5 tricks to make it happen more often than not (bedtime on time, that is!).

Top 5 tricks for getting kids to bed on time

Start early.  Our bedtime routine starts a full hour before we intend to have our kids actually in bed.

Schedule. Our bedtime routine is the same every night. We honor our schedule. We rarely plan evening events that will disrupt it.

Read. We read at least 20 minutes to our kids every night. It helps with developing literacy and has a calming effect. We snuggle up on the couch with a blanket, read, and talk about our books.

Reward. Be sure to take the time to tell them they are doing a great job. Pick out something they are doing well and tell them.  “I like how you…”

Ritual. Build in rituals that you perform consistently every night.  For us, it is tucking in the stuffies a certain way, and saying the same words as we leave their room, “Good Night, Sleep Tight, See you in the Morning Light”.

I have to give a special thanks to Twittermoms and www.dramau.net. Because of illness (mine and my kids), I’ve really been off my blogging routine. They inspired me to get back on my routine.  Just a quick little post to break the ice… and now I feel invigorated to begin anew. Thanks, guys!