Sunday, July 6, 2008

8 Reasons why raising twins is NOT easier than....

Earlier this week I came across a post online 8 Reasons why raising twins is easier than raising two closely spaced siblings ....

In response, I have come up with
8 reasons why raising twins is NOT EASIER than raising two closely spaced siblings!

1. Sharing food. They share the same floor that they drop the food on, they share the same delight in making a soupy mess on their high chair trays, they share the same joy of rubbing mushed up bananas in their hair. Twice as much to clean up is not easier. They also don't share the same tastes. If one likes squash, you can count on the other not liking squash. Thus, sharing leftovers or having them share a jar isn't happening too often.

2. 1 bath/1 bedtime. Have you tried washing two babies, getting one out of the tub and wrangled and diapered and dressed while the other either almost drowns in the tub or freezes to death in the meantime? By the time the first one is done you are exhausted and you have one more to go! And while you are doing the next one, the first one is opening all of your dresser drawers and throwing your clothes wildly into the air!

One story time after they've fought over which book it will be tonight, 4 hands to tear the book out of your hands with, one set of hands turning the pages before the other one is done with that page. One story time is not all it's cracked up to be!

Everyone on the same schedule means when one wakes, the other wakes, when one screams, the other screams, when one throws a toy across the room and it hits his sister in the head while she's sleeping, one cries and then the other cries but doesn't even know why he is crying.

3. Sharing toys. If you can find me a set of twins who actually share their toys more than they don't, I'll take back this one, but I don't see that happening! Twins don't share toys, they take toys from each other and run with them wildly to the other side of the room while the other one kicks and screams that they've lost their toy. By the time they stop crying and get a new toy.... the scene starts all over again!

4. Same childproofing. When you have a partner in crime at the ready to help you figure out how to UNchildproof an entire house, you end up with parents who know how to childproof the childproofing and who can no longer open any of their own cabinets, doors, toilets, dishwashers, etc.

5. Same videos/movies. Elmo! Dora! Elmo! Dora! Need I say more.

6. DISCOUNTS. I'm buying two things from you that most people buy one of. The least you can do is give me a discount. At Sam's Club if I put two bags of Tostitos into one clear plastic bag, they charge you for one bag at the check out. I think 20% is a rip off compared to that!!

7. Same phases. Two children in the terrible twos at the same time?! Are you kidding me? The only thing worse I can think of is two three year olds climbing out of the shopping cart at the grocery store, or two 6 year olds trying to prove you can fly off the highest branch of the tree with a sheet tied around your neck, or two 10 year olds learning how to balance a bike on a skateboard going downhill, or two teenagers, Oh Lord --- not TWO TEENAGERS!

8. Same playdates. We are a constant playdate gone wrong. Biting, hair pulling, fighting, taking toys away from each other, all the things you just might not re-schedule a play date with another child for doing, you have a built in playmate who does it to you a couple of times, every day!

I probably should not be disclosing all of this because it makes it sound like having twins is really, really, really hard! Well, it is!!! But it's also, really, really, really, rewarding and really, really, really the greatest thing you could ever imagine as a Mommy!!!

3 comments:

Jill said...

Love this Kristen!!! Submit it to Twins magazine or something. Well written and SO true!!!!!!

jennbecc said...

You nailed it Kristen! Way to go!

Brooke said...

I love it! Perfect...I like this list much better.

I know every situation is different, but I almost told off my dh's cousin who tried to tell me that I should be able to bring the twins and Braeden (5yrs) by myself to a funeral mass, since she can do it with her 1, 3, and 5 yr old AND she is a single mother (she ends every sentence with this statement).

Anyway...I needed to read that today!