Sharing secrets for the SY!

How do you overcome some obstacles for getting your lil ones out of the house? To run errands, to go to the park, to go out in the backyard and play etc????

Here are some of mine:

1. To go to the car, I've set up a spot on our front deck for the girls to sit while I buckle one into the car. If they are particularly squirmy and I think they'll run away, I have them stand between my legs and hold onto the car while I buckle one in.

2. To go run errands, I give the girls their own lists to hold while we are shopping so they feel involved. I've learned the hard way not to bring favorite toys. Lil bunny got lost in BJs once I use Hello Kitty stationary for the lists so they love to point out the kitten and then hearts.

3. To play out in the backyard, I make sure the toys are all set up before we go outside. That way I don't have to run to the shed or worse, inside! I've also taught them "Stay where mommy can see you" so they know to stay close- our yard isn't fenced in yet.

Next?!

 

I might have try your #2 Leighann - usually I let my girls hold some of the groceries, but then we wind up with food with bite marks in it. LOL.

-If I only have a few things to pick up at the grocery I let both girls sit in the basket part of the shopping cart. They love it and think it's a big treat!

-I put music on in our back room and let the girls dance back there while I load them into the car - it helps prevent melt-downs and I figure that music on while we aren't home detracts burglers. LOL.

 

1. I put both girls in the back of our SUV for a few minutes before we get into the car. They love playing back there so the girl who isn't getting buckled in happily plays there while I buckle the other in. This works great in crowded parking lots.

2. We leave the house almost every day, so it's a routine. The girls expect to have to sit down while I put shoes on, expect to have me tell them not to run in opposite directions as we walk to the car, expect to get to pick the music in the car, etc. I have found that the more we go out, the easier it becomes.

3. I keep a fully packed diaper bag and snacks in the car so the only thing I have to bring with me when we leave the house is two children, my purse, and water bottles.

4. We keep the girls coats, hats and shoes in a large bin in our playroom. When it's time to go out, I can either carry the bin to wherever they're playing or I can ask them to go pull out their coats, etc. It helps keep them involved and having everything in one place (that isn't right at the front door) helps.

 

*While I'm buckling one into their carseat, I have the other walk through the doorway I'm buckling the one in on & go over to their seat to start climbing in (does that make sense? ie I put them both in the driver's backseat door & Conner walks over to his seat on the passenger side). That avoids having to deal with one who can dash away & it gives them a sense of accomplishment if they can actually climb into their seat (usually they just buckle the straps). Same thing goes when we unload, just vice versa.

*The boys HAVE to hold my hands in parking lots or on the street. They know it's a rule & since we do it ALL the time, they wait to grab my hand out of habit.

*I keep a baggie of snacks in my purse to keep them occupied in stores when needed. We kinda play a 'baby version' of I Spy if they're particularly squirrely. I say "Where's a BALL?" & they try to find one in the aisles. Unfortunately, they don't understand the game if it's complex, so we really only have objects or animals to look for...but it keeps them busy temporarily. If it's busy, having them point out all the babies works for a while, too!

*While on walks, I always drag the wagon. If one starts to misbehave or run off, they get strapped in the wagon (or, if they get tired & don't want to walk, then they can ride). Being that they WANT to walk, the wagon is a huge help in convincing them to behave!


I'm working on the "Stay where mommy can see you" thing outside...Leighann, how did you teach your girls that? Mine just say "NO" & run off. We also do not have a fence. Makes me bonkers!

 

These are all great ideas!!!

When I have to take them out to the car, I will give one a book to look at while I am outside strapping the other in the carseat. Books will keep mine occupied for several minutes.

Out grocery shopping, they love to sit in the stroller and look around at what's going on.

I always keep snacks and sippies handy for outside excursions to help keep them happy.

 

QUOTE(nurseandrea02 @ Apr 19 2009, 10:35 AM) [snapback]1279712[/snapback]
I'm working on the "Stay where mommy can see you" thing outside...Leighann, how did you teach your girls that? Mine just say "NO" & run off. We also do not have a fence. Makes me bonkers!


In the beginning I was very strict about it. If they said No or ran off we immediately went inside. I felt bad for the girl who was behaving, but it got the point across pretty quickly. Now that they are a little older, I give a warning or do a TO on our back deck. It was definitely a process that we spent all last summer and fall perfecting and we are dealing with the refresher course now that the weather is nice out.

 

Great thread, Leighann! Let's see:

1. I keep one in a high chair while I put the other in the car. I've also carried both in at once and deposited them in the car, before I went about buckling them in.

2. To go to parks, I take them in a stroller and bring them out one by one into the swings or put them both in swings, which are side by side, so it's easy to see them. Swings by far work the best for us at parks when it's just me with them.

3. For runnig errands, they have a toy attached to the straps of the stroller to keep them occupied. Really, they love being in their stroller and are fascinated by everything that they see. So I push a SBS and pull a cart. I've actually gotten quite good at it!

 

I don't seat my twins in the germy seat of the shopping cart. I have two Eddie Bauer booster seats that fold flat in the trunk of my car. I strap those to the bottom of the shopping cart and seat belt my twins in there. They LOVE it. OK they do touch the groceries but I put bread and eggs up in the baby seat part so they don't touch it. They feel so involved this way and it is safer for them because they are strapped in so well. They really enjoy playing with the groceries. We haven't had anything bitten yet surprisingly.

I keep a bag in my car with baby wipes, lysol wipes, vinyl bibs, and Tiny diner mats so that if we are out and it is dinner time I have supplies for them. They sit in the folding boosters I always have in my car and eat off of their mats!

I keep the diaper bag packed and in the car all the time with every supply and medicine you can think of. My emergency outfits are gender neutral feety PJ's in whatever size they are wearing at the time.

Rose gets the supermarket flier because it keeps her so busy.

 

wow, these are great! some of them I do already- but some are new and I'm glad to add them to my twin secrets list.

 

Every tip & trick I had has been debunked by my boys within the past few weeks. I used to take them out almost everyday, and now I would rather stay home with the crankies than deal with the insanity of getting out. Hoping this is just a phase. :help: When I do have to go out, I will be trying some of your tips for sure, though!

 

There are some great tips and ideas here! Thanks for sharing!

 

Great tips. Truth be told, we don't venture beyond our backyard more than a few times a week!

For taking a sick one to the doctor while the healthy one tags along, I put the sick one in a baby/toddler carrier, and the healthy one in a single umbrella stroller. (I use a Scootababy hip carrier.) This keeps the sick one close to me and away from spreading his germs to the other kids. It also keeps me hands-free so I can push the stroller and then keep tabs on the non-sick one if I let her out of the stroller in the ped office.

 

most everything we do has been mentioned.... except my new use for the exersaucer and jumparoo --i put the boys in them to put their shoes and socks on!

also, i almost never take the double stroller w/me to run errands (we use it every day for walks, however. i mean, come on, it's a bob! you have to take it out daily or it cries).... i can still carry one in my ergo and one in a stroller or shopping cart. seems to keep everyone calmer!

 

I take one out to the garage & buckle in the car while the other stays in our 'baby safe zone' (our TV room/kitchen - which is gated at all entrances to this area) So the other one is normally playing, standing at the gate or watching Yo Gabba Gabba (we use this to get everyone ready & keep them in a good mood!) while I put the other in the car. I leave one in the car (in the garage) while I come back in for the other.
I always put our diaper bag and anything else we need in the car beforehand.

At Costco (where we go every week, sometimes twice!) I park by a cart return so that I can have a cart handy - never had the problem of NOT finding a cart YET!! I strap both girls in, throw the diaper bag in & off we go. I have snacks on hand and normally keep a toy strapped to the handle for each of them, but they find other ways to entertain themselves (eating the samples!!!)

At the grocery store with no double carts I bring them in the stroller & push my SBS with one arm & pull a cart with the other, we also have gotten very skilled at this!! My store has the normal sized carts as well as the newer small carts which are easier to pull behind. Works great! I give them some kind of box to play with & that always keeps a temper tantrum away.

Our backyard is a tough one that I still haven't perfected. Normally I bring the toys out first then bring one out & *hope* that they stay out of trouble! (it is a fenced yard luckily) then go get the other. We need to re-vamp our backyard though...there are too many potential danger zones with accidents waiting to happen!!!

 

I have an exersaucer at my front door by the window. I put one baby in there, grab the other one, take her out to the car, strap her in, and then go get the one in the exersaucer. I can see the car the whole time. It is the only way I can get out if my DH is not around to help.

If we are playing in the backyard it is challenging as well. Our back door leads to a deck that is not child safe, and is 2 stories up. I put one baby in the high chair in the kitchen, take one down to the yard and leave them with their brother to make sure they stay away from the stairs, then run up and quickly grab the other one. Not sure what I'd do if there brother wasn't there, but I'm thinking of getting a swing, so i can strap one in there, and run to retrieve the other one.

I have a single umbrella stroller that I use for really quick errands, like grabbing DS from day care. One baby goes in there, and I carry the other one.

The grocery store is definitely the most challenging. Mine only has one of those car carts, which I hate any ways. If I can avoid taking the girls with me by myself to the store I do, but it's not always feasible. I have actually filed an official complaint with my store hoping they get better carts soon. Love the Sam's club carts, but I can't shop there all the time.