What's your secret?

What has worked for your kids to make life easier with 2?

Mine:
- I put a tiny trash can in the living room and have them throw away any and all non food trash. Including pee diapers. I love not throwing these and popsicle wrappers away!

-When I have to have 2 in a cart, the kid not belted in always stood up which I hate. I found a cheap used belt and now 'belt' him in.

 

I've also put mine to work - they take their own dishes to the kitchen, their own dirty clothes to the laundry hamper, their own garbage to the garbage (they even get their own snacks out of the fridge in the morning while mommy dozes for another hour :blush.

Showering with them (I know it's not for everyone) - I just find it so much simpler & physically less exhausting (especially right now! ) then bathing them. They still take baths for fun/play or when I just need them contained for half an hour, but now I don't worry about doing hair, etc in the bath because they usually hop in the shower with me every day.

Comforting each other - sometimes when one of them is tantruming because of something I said or did, encouraging the other to go & "talk" to her sister helps them calm down. They'll give each other hugs & kisses. It's really cute to watch them commiserate over how much I suck. ardon: (Although, I do confess I didn't think this was going to be an issue till they were older.)

 

Mine also help around the house a lot, they can throw trash out, throw bottles/cans/papers into the recycling bins, throw plastic containers into the sink, clothes in the laundry, get their own snacks. Rachel we still shower with the 3 younger kids, my dd (just turned 5) can't wash her long hair herself and often showers with dh. He showers with the kids more than I do, he's skinnier than I am

I actually use competition alot to get them both to cooperate. Usually, when we go to do something, inevitably one will be willing but the other won't. For instance, time for diaper changes, all I have to do is say "I'm going to beat you...." and most of the time I am racing two 2 yr olds into the bedroom! :lol:

Teaching them to hold my hands all the time and enforcing it has been a life saver. With one kid, if they don't want to hold your hand, you pick them up so they can't take off. You can't do that with two. They know they either have to hold my hand or one of the big kids hands, and if they don't, I will spank. It's non-negotiable. I can't run the risk of one of them taking off in the middle of a parking lot, and the way people drive around here, they don't EVER watch for little kids.

 

My two help clean up around the house. I make it a game (who can put all the blocks away first..for example). They love to help to feed the cats, help me to put laundry away and they are really good about it.
When we are out and I have to buckle them in the car, the one who is not in has to hold on to my pants. If one side is on the traffic side of the street, I make them both get in on the safe side.
My two are also really good about comforting each other. And tattling on one another, but that's a story for another day :laughing:

 

Duct tape.

 

The calendar! I've mentioned this before in so many threads but this has clearly saved hundreds of arguments! If it's their turn to do the calendar (Baby A is odd days, Baby B is even) then they get to go first for everything, pick first, sit in the front of the tub, etc. etc. There is NO fighting when I ask who's day it is to do the calendar. We're going on 2 years using this method and it is WONDERFUL.

Mine have been cleaning up their own toys for a while and also make their beds (most times), clean up their dishes, their dirty clothes, empty trash, etc. I have one that is desperate to help with anything and everything so she gets more odd tasks.


Lately, I have heard some positive comments from parents of singletons. They say I'm lucky because my girls always have a playmate. How true that is. :wub: One huge bonus of having twins. :wub: :wub: So that's a "secret" too (our secret society :lol: ).

 

Cookies

 

Mine have little chores too. They help me put away dishes from the dishwasher, set the table, clear the table, sort laundry, etc. On days when we are having a problem sharing and cooperating, I set a timer and they each have to take turns with whatever they are fighting over. If they don't listen to the timer the toy goes in time out. Plus its not my fault their time's up with the toy, its the timer's fault And by making their ability to play with the toy contingent on both of them listening to the timer, they are actually cooperating with each other.

I also shower with them sometimes. So much easier to wash their hair when I'm in the shower with them instead of leaning into the shower and getting wet anyway.

We have some "stock phrases/words" that we use with them to help them remember things. Good store behavior (no running and acting like lunatics), good group behavior (listening at the library or school), parchesi (I'm done answering your endless why questions), good decision (obvious), hands (hold hands NOW!), etc. This way I can quickly say something and they know what it means without a big discussion.

 

Good idea! Especially parchesi. :laughing:

 

Since Easton has been born my house looks like a bomb exploded in it most of the time - Ava slept in her Halloween costume last night and before I knew it they had eaten candy for breakfast this morning. Those are my secrets! LOL!!!

 

Heehee, we must live parallel lives

My secret? I let them get away with wayyyyy more than I ever would admit to!!!!!! :blush:

 

My secret is: "God helps them who help themselves."

If they don't get it or do it- no one does.

This became my motto when I found out I was pregnant. I would say they went from zero to 75% in six months! They are now very self sufficient and that 25% that they don't do themselves.. they could.. and will.. VERY SOON! I'm just cutting them a tiny bit of slack!

It's amazing what they can do when they have to.

This baby has really been a help in that dept!

 

I use "aspeta" which is Italian for quiet!

 

I like the advice about short cut words. We've done something similar. We've taught them how to say "Okay mama," when I've told them to wait. We've also talked a lot about waiting and so forth. It's helped.
We do the clean up thing too. They LOVE to clean up "guck" (yuck) as they call it, and they get to be "garbus" men (garbage truck) and throw away stuff. It's like their dream come true.

 

Yep, one or two word sentences and they know I mean business.

When I need to get all 3's attention, instead of calling each name, I say "Starbuck men" and I have their attention!! This helps when we are in a bigger group or when I need all 3 to come to me at the same time.

When we use disposables, the twins throw their used diapers away. I rarely throw diapers away anymore! My mil commented that she never thought to do that with her kids.

Cookies, movies, time with just me are great motivators to get them to do what I need them to do!! And they won't let me forget!

Thats all I got! I am sure there are more!

 

Now, if I could do this and they'd run and get me something from Starbucks, that would be phenomenal. ^_^

 

I should add when I call them "Starbuck" men, Starbuck is our last name! I guess it looks funny if no one had known that little fact!

 

Hehe. And I thought it was a reference to Battlestar Galactica. :blush: Is my geek showing?

 

A lot of people think that! On another message board that I was on, thought I loved Starbucks coffee too much!!

 

Oh, I figured it was your last name. I'm just a caffeine addict, that's all.

 

Realistic, age-appropriate expectations and realizing that tomorrow is a new day, no matter how chaotic or non-productive today might have been. :laughing:

Solution for who sits in the "front seat" car seat ( captain's chair w/ car seat). Sullivan sits in " front" when we are going somewhere and Finley sits in "front" when we are headed home. Fights ended completely.

 

I whisper when I really want them to be quiet and listen to what I'm saying. I usually whisper very softly, so the can barely hear me (which is part of my strategy). The funniest thing is they usually whisper back "What? I can't hear you." lol