How often do your twins get out of the house?

Since I went back to work full time a few months ago (and it SUCKS, I am not happy!) my 15 month old twins never get out. We take them out on weekends when possible, but that is it. They are being watched by their Grandma during the day and she is having a hard enough time, she definitely could never handle getting them both in the stroller for a daily walk, so basically all week long they stay inside. With daylight getting shorter taking them out after work will not be an option, not that it is now with how hectic things are - have a 5 yr old too.

Anyone else's babies hardly ever get out? They need more fresh air and to be exposed to things but not sure how during the week I can accomplish this. (and I work 1/2 hr away so lunch is not an option)

Still looking to work less hrs but cannot find anything that pays what I need. So les hrs in the future is possible, but for now I feel like a horrible mommy.

Thanks - Krissa

 

No my kids don't go out much either. I have a small car that fits nothing more than their car seats and their stroller. We don't have any enclosed parks around here and the boys are so hyper that I am hesitant to let them run around outside without someone else being there with me to help wrangle them, you know. It's just extremely difficult to go anywhere with them by myself which I am by myself the majority of the time...all the time really.

So you're not alone in this boat, I'm right there with you!

 

Our situation is very different. With both my husband and I having flexible work schedules, we are home a lot during the day while the nanny is here, so we take walks, take them on errands, go to the playground pretty much every day. That being said, I was wondering if there is maybe a neighborhood kid or someone you could pay for an hour to join Grandma even every other day. Two people, two kids makes outings much easier and just a short stroll around the block would be good, no? Just an idea... Hope you find a solution that works for everyone!

 

Daily. Not just to daycare. We either take them out to play in the backyard in the evening or we take a walk to the park and let them play on the playground.

 

The girls and I get out at least 3 times during the work week and all weekend long. We don't have much money for gas these days so we tend to take them for walks around the neighborhood in their stroller. During the week, I take them for stroller rides for about an hour. We just stop and look at the trees, fish, ducks, birds, etc. On the weekends since I have help we take them to the park since it's not enclosed and seriously very dangerously close to a busy street. Even if your LO's Grandma takes them out for a stroll just for 10-15 a day would be great for them. It gets them acclimated to being outside and they start to learn how to act in public and around strangers. It's a good learning experience for them.

 

Not too much, but that is mostly by choice. We do go on walks maybe 2-3 times/week, weather-dependent. As for going out in public, maybe once per week as a family. Our boys were born very prematurely so we have always erred on the side of caution and limited trips to enclosed public places where they are exposed to lots of people (we took them to a pumpkin farm this past weekend which was nice because we got out and it was obviously open-air).
We also don't do family/friend parties if they're large and expecting lots of kids. Now that flu season is upon us, our public trips will taper off to pretty much nothing except for medical appts.
I am currently a SAHM after having been in the workforce full-time for 13 years and part-time for 5 years before that, so I do get stir-crazy pretty often. But, when I do I usually take a couple of hours and go out myself.
I don't think our boys are missing out on anything and to date, they have never been sick.

 

Not nearly enough. Maybe 1x a week out in public, but try to go for walks a couple times a week, but with the weather now turning fallish in Buffalo NY, our outside times are nearing an end.

It just too hard to get them out and I end up getting frustrated and losing my patience. I need to get over that, but it' just sooooo hard. I hate looking like a crazed lunatic out in public.

 

I typically get the kids out about 5 times during the week. I dont care if it is just in the car and drive around with the windows down they love it.
My twins are younger but sometimes I just open a window and let them look outside at the cars and things like that they love it too! I find that even though I cant do what TV MOMS do to entertain their children. I can show them that they are loved and they dont watch TV all day. I put toys on the floor if they arent feeling those I put pots and pans in the twins room and they go at it. LOL
It is not about just having them outside all the time or a lot you just need to make sure they are entertained.

 

Not so much by myself these days. I'm 8.5 months pg and just don't have the energy. When my DH has off we try to get out every day on those days as a family. Every Friday they go to a daycare for 3 hours just for this reason. They needed their own time and it works pretty well. They like it there and I have some free time. But other than that they are home with me. Winter's coming and so is my baby so it's just gonna get harder to get out of the house. You're definitely not alone and definitely not a bad momma. Maybe sit down w/ your/DH's mom and see what she feels comfortable doing and brainstorm ideas of what they could do during the day! GL!

 

Hi, I take my twins out once a day (SAHM). Otherwise, it's too cramped at home. But we don't have a yard (city life), so I'm sure that makes a difference. Do you have a yard? I'm wondering if you can hire a mother's helper (as a pp mentioned) or just have your Mom take them out in the stroller to look around outside. When I don't have a lot of energy, my two favorite outings are costco and target. They both have double strollers so I can take them out but I don't have to chase them. One of the target locations has covered parking in case it's raining. The "easy" outings are getting a bit harder now that my kids are older (they demand to get out of the cart), but worked great last year.

Can you help set up activities for your Mom to do with them at home? Maybe if you organized some things for her in advance, you could be sure they are getting exposure to some new things? Even at home, you could put together some items for a picnic on the floor. Put a blanket on the floor and set up some items you've collected from outside. Just a thought, it might make you feel better and be interesting for the kids. At 15 months, everything is new and interesting!

I'm sorry your work situation is stressing you out! You are not a horrible mommy. It sounds like you are working hard to figure out the right balance for your family. It's not easy. I'm sure your kids are thriving and doing well.

 

:hug: You are definitely not a horrible Mommy!
I can tell you that there are some days where I find it hard to take the two of them out (I admit to being lazy) especially if I am running quick errands and it would just go faster if they weren't with me. That being said, depending on the weather we usually get out 2-3x a week. This past summer was really brutal and I don't think we spent too time outside. I think if weekends is all you can do right now, then that's all you can do. When they get older and are more self sufficient, Grandma might have an easier time taking them out. I know my Mom has mentioned that she finds it easier caring for them now then she did last year because they can help with small things and are little more independent and can listen better. So a year from now might be a different story. :hug:

 

I'd argue that if you have the stroller set up when you leave, say, by the door, it's actually easier for Grandma to take them for a walk than to keep them home. I'd rather put 1 foot in front of the other than chase them out of everything they can get into. Also, does she have any friends nearby who she can meet up with? I find 2 on 1 to be daunting for some things, but 1 on 1 to be fine. If she can meet a friend even at a Target they can put a baby in each cart.

I don't think you should feel like a bad mommy, but there are things that Grandma can do to get your kids socialization that really aren't that bad. I find myself dreading taking them out (yes, it's a hassle) but am pleasantly surprised with how well they do usually. Strollers really are the best invention.

 

The amount I'm able to get out, and what we are able to do when we're out, changes often. When they were mostly confined to their strollers things were mostly driven by how long DS would sit still / tolerate being in there. Around 15 months I started taking them out every day - part time out of their stroller to run around/climb/explore at the park, and part of the time in the stroller. I started working with them at that time to understand commands for safety, etc. so that I could handle taking them by myself. It really seemed to help because they learned to stop when I ask and if one needs a diaper the other will stick close to me, etc.

Now, at 20 months we are still going to the park 5 days a week (weather permitting) in the morning, then we go in the yard (we finally have a yard! Yay!) in the afternoon, and then hubby takes them out in the yard or driveway one more time when he gets home. I also take them shopping at Target, Costco, and Lowe's as I need to go there since they have carts for multiple kids. Sometimes we're only out for 20 minutes and sometimes we're out for 2 hours. Planning on starting some activities with them at the YMCA when the next cycle of classes start. Ours has Saturday classes so it's a good way for hubby to be involved too. I wish it wasn't so expensive to do classes with them because I'd love to try gymboree, kindermusic, and other things of the sort. Unfortunately our library always has story time during their nap.

I've never had a nanny or sitter and our families are over 2000 miles away. I just always make sure that we have plenty of milk/snacks, supplies, and toys, and off we go.

Honestly... I have no idea how I'd get them out so much if I was working. If I worked my old job I wouldn't get home until 6 (dark now) and on weekends I wouldn't want to take them on errands for fear I wouldn't be able to get everything done. I guess I'd do what I could, but I would also give myself a break and think "am I doing the best I can for my kids?". If the answer was yes, I'm taking them out / spending quality time with them as much as I can given all other demands on me then I would at least be okay with that from a cerebral perspective. I know.... the heart is always another matter and sometimes mother's guilt can be overwhelming.

I'm just starting to dread the potty training stage... I don't know how we're going to get out so much when there's the potty to deal with!

 

We don't go a ton of places but we do get them outside. You said their gma can't handle getting them both in the stroller? When I am alone with them I will leave one in their high chair while I strap the other one in the stroller and then go back for the other. Going for a walk is a nice easy way to keep them busy and teach them about the world. We talk about the leaves, squirrels, flowers, etc. We also will just play in the yard. When the weather gets worse, we will go to the mall or target to walk around and have a change of pace.

 

How old are your kids? For me, 14-19 months was really hard with both boys walking but not really having a sense of danger. I hired a college kid to come to the park with us. Now that we're approaching 20 months they're a lot better and I can handle them alone in a small or not-too-crowded playground. We go out 2/day - playgroups in the morning and the playground after naps. I can't imagine sitting at home all day with two toddlers in our little apartment.

I agree, you should try to find a middle or high school student to help out after school. It will make the world of difference to have one on one supervision.

 

I am a SAHM and i have the same feelings you do. This summer the girls and I never went anywhere unless my husband was with us. I am pregnant (due on Mon) and the Mississippi heat was just unbearable. I would try to take them in the back yard at least once a day for about thirty minutes, but some days it was too hot to do that. Not to mention I have daredevil climbers that love to eat anything they find on the ground. I just find it so hard to do it by myself and I get so tired of saying...."sit down", "get down", "what's in your mouth?", "spit that out", "we don't climb on the table", "stop throwing rocks at the dogs", and "don't drink the water out of the water table". In the past couple of weeks the weather is pretty comfortable and we bought them a play house so we are trying to go outside a couple of times a day. But I am sure that once Monday gets here and I have three to take care of outside time will be limited again. Do the best you can....that is all you can ask of yourself, and stop beating yourself up. The kiddos will be fine and one day it will all work out.

 

My LOs go out every day - garden, small walks in the neighbourhood holding my hand (we live on a busy road and they learnt from day one of walking that they need to hold my hand once we go through our garden gate, no matter what happens; I had to carry one or two screaming squirming babies home a few times but now the threat that they may not walk is usually enough when they want to run off), long walks in the stroller or long babywearing walks and will let them run around in the park or the zoo if that is where we go. Those are the outdoor activities. What we do and for how long depends on who is with the kids - when the grandparents watch them on my office days it is mostly their fenced-in garden - and what the weather is like.

If you really feel bad about not going outside, maybe you can fit a small walk into your evening routine once you get home from work, 15 minutes between supper and the bedtime routine, quick enough so you don't even have to bundle them up too much. The dark can be very interesting too, mine love watching the street lights for example.

 

I find it very difficult as well. I also beleive it really depends on your kids. I've seen some twins that were very mellow and did not tend to disobey a lot or try to run away. Mine are different.

It sounds like a cliche, but once they are out of the stroller, they both go separate directions and FAST so it's very dangerous from my point of view and we don't have any enclosed parks around here, plus most playgrounds are right beside the road (annoying!). Mine just climb everywhere and try to jump off everything, eat dirt and cigarettes and it's just too much for me.

I do try to take them out on errands about 3-4 times a week and we do go for walks every other day or so.

I hope that once it snows, it will be better for them to stay in the yard as they will not be able to eat dirt and leaves.

You are not a horrible mommy at all, it's just hard at this stage I find. I think once they are closer to 2, they will listen more and will become more manageable.

 

We are in very similar situations! I just returned to a full time job also after staying home with the girls for thier first year. I used to take the girls for walks atleast every other day. The weather is still nice here (West Texas) but grandma isn't confident enough to take them out on her own. I noticed the other day that the girls were very grouchy and seemed bored. I changed our grocery shopping day to Wednesday so the girls can antleast get out once a week. I also carry one of the girls out with me to check the mail. We are really trying to make the most out of the weekends!! we went to the veteren's day parade this weekend and the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago. Good luck to you and don't be so hard on yourself mommy IT's tough!!