Daycare

I have been a SAHM or worked part time since my twins were born. They are 16 months now and I am ready to go back to work. My husband also lost his job last year and is making less at his new job. We found a daycare that we liked that would watch both of them for $300 which I think is really reasonable. I am worried about stressing out while taking them and picking them up. My husband will be taking them and I will be picking up. Any suggestions on making it in and out of the building with two! I have two older kids and I thought it was hard with just one at a time (the first two are 12 years apart and the last two are 1 minute apart!). Natalie is walking, but Abby is still learning so I always use a stroller or wagon when I am out by myself. I guess it would be overkill to get the stroller out everytime. I just wondered how all the other twin moms do it. I feel so awkward trying to get around sometimes!

 

I too have struggled with this issue since my lo's started going to daycare at 12 months. It has varied depending upon their mobility. At first, when they both were not walking, I would carry them both to and from the school. When one started walking, I would carry one and walk the other. When they both started walking, I would walk both. But then, they started believing that it was a "game" and so much fun to get away and run from Mommy and try to have Mommy catch them. After one of my lo's took a tumble recently during this "game", I now take them ONE AT A TIME, to the car.

That being said, you should look at the school's set up (is there a secure parking lot where you could leave one lo in the car while taking the other into the school?) Will one of the teachers help you into the school? Are there stairs so that a stroller is not a viable option? What will happen in inclement weather? A recommend that you do a dry run at the school on your next visit and see how it works for you. GL!

 

Yep, I agree with PP... it totally depends on the situation. I take one child in at a time but am in a very safe location to do this. And then when I pick them up, I go get their bags, sippies, etc first and load that into the car then I get each child. If it's a long walk or not a safe location I guess your going to have to either carry them at the same time (i've done this plenty at the park and around the house) or get a daycare employee to help you. GL!

 

I struggled with this as well when our boys started daycare at 11 months old. First I tried putting one in a lightweight umbrella stroller and carrying the other baby. But it was hard to push the stroller one handed. So next I tried putting baby #2 in an Ergo while pushing baby #1 in the umbrella stroller, but it was a pain getting the Ergo on especially when wearing a jacket or if it was raining. Finally I realized the easiest thing for me was to use our lightweight Combi SBS and put both boys in it. I have some "mommy hooks" on the handle where I hang a bag of bottles, blankets or whatever I'm taking in. I have to go through 2 sets of non-automatic double doors which I always find irritating. But the easiest way to get through them is to back through them. If somebody is there then they will always hold the door open for me, but often times I just go through them backwards, and then give the front desk an annoyed look like they should handicap automatic doors I then leave the stroller outside their nursery room and DH stops by after work and picks them up. Originally I would take the stroller with me when I left and he would always get one of the employees to carry one baby out with him, but he has since started just strolling them out himself because sometimes they were busy and he had to wait.

I drop off at an off time and always get to park right near the front doors, but I have never left a baby in there while I take one in. Not because I'm worried somebody would nab them (I think if the van is locked and I'm only gone 90 seconds it would be fine) but I remember another mom friend got tattled on when she would drop her toddler off at preschool while leaving her newborn in the car right outside their front door. So I figure people might freak out if they see a baby left in the van and I have found another alternative to getting them inside at the same time. The Combi double stroller works fine most mornings but really sucks on those mornings when its raining and I want to get inside the double doors ASAP as their is no awning over the entrance (grr).

Good luck!

 

When I take mine occasionally I still use the baby bjorn with one and either a cheap umbrella stroller or I walk with the other one. I was carrying one and carrying the other in the carseat but that got too heavy. I can't walk with two - they collapse and don't want to hold my hand, etc....well you know. I use a regular backpack instead of a diaper bag so I can make the trip one time. When I say cheap umbrella stroller I mean the $12.99 one at target.

 

It's really really hard. I've only been doing it about a month and haven't yet done it in the rain; I actually have no idea what I'll do when it rains. But, anyway, here's my system: I don't have a garage at home. So I struggle both getting them to the car and into the daycare building by myself. Every night, I park the girls' wagon at the foot of my front steps. In the morning, I load the babies into the wagon and pull them to the car, which is parked in my driveway. I load them into the car and leave the wagon in the driveway all day. When I arrive at daycare, I put one baby in a lightweight umbrella stroller and carry the other baby. On my free shoulder, I carry the bag containing the girls' bottles, snacks, change of clothes, etc. I can usually park right at the front door of the building so don't have to walk too far like this. To open the front door, I have to enter a security code on a keypad, then push the door and twist the door handle at the same time. That's the hardest part. When the door opens, I hold it open with my right foot while I push the stroller into the lobby. That's the second hardest part. I have no problem driving the stroller with one hand once I'm inside and usually a daycare worker will take one baby from me as soon as I walk in.

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions. It is nice to hear from other twin moms. Now I just need to find a job!

 

The first time it was raining I was trying out the Ergo/umbrella stroller approach. I pulled the little Ergo flap thingy over baby #1's head then got his brother in the umbrella stroller, but had nothing to put over the umbrella stroller. Ugg. It was raining pretty good that day, and luckily somebody held the door open for me. Though I could see that look in her face saying "She's totally unprepared, look at that poor baby in the stroller getting wet" That was the day I decided to not fool w/ the Ergo again, LOL. After that I decided to only use the Combi SBS and I actually bought a clear vinyl "splat mat" for $8 at BRUS figuring if its raining I can just throw that over the boys in the stroller since its a very short walk to the front doors. I figured it was cheaper than a fancy double stroller rain cover However, when it was raining this morning (only the second time I've had to deal w/ rain) I left the Combi mostly under the back hatch of the van (instead of wheeling it to the side doors as usual) with its canopies extended as far as they would go (which unfortunately isn't very far). Next I quickly ran and got baby #1 and strapped him in and covered his lower half not covered by the canopy w/ a receiving blanket, then ran and grabbed baby #2 and strapped him in, then wheeled the stroller the 15 feet to the front doors as fast as I could. Luckily it wasn't a torrential downpour or anything, so I didn't get the clear vinyl thingy out of the pocket of the Combi. But its there for an emergency. though if its ever raining that hard then I'll probably just leave one baby in the locked van while I sprint inside with the other baby.