What do you do with them when they're awake?

My girls are 3 months old now. (They were 34 weekers though so they are a little behind.) They are awake now for longer chunks during the day, and I have no idea how to keep them happy/entertained. All my singleton mom friends say they just hold thier kids all the time and read to them or talk to them. Can't exactly do that with two. They spend a lot of time in thier bouncers and I sort of feel like I'm neglecting them since I'm not holding them all the time. But if I'm holding one I feel like I have to watch the clock and then hold the other one for the same length of time to make it 'fair'. They will tolerate tummy time on the mat for a few minutes together but not long.

So what do you do with your twins when they are awake?

 

I asked the exact same question a while back. One of them is usually in the swing, or in a bouncer. I put a big blanket on the floor with a big body pillow to prop them up on and they will watch baby einstein or I just put toys in their hands. They also will sit in the kitchen in their bumbos while I cook or do dishes, or fold laundry. They like to lay in their crib and watch their mobile, we got a battery operated one. They also lay on their activity mat with all the animals hanging from it they love that. I just try and include them in my daily tasks because at this point practically anything will entertain them.

 

At that age I use to read to them while they were in their bouncies, put them in their bouncies in the kitchen while I baked a cake (with full comentary) or on the front porch (to watch the world go by). Our rainforest activity mat was a hit then too. Within a month or so they'll be able to go in exersaucers, a jolly jumper, bumbos, etc. so it'll get easier.

Don't compare yourself to mums of singletons. You'll drive yourself crazy. I did this for the first four months and even dropped out of my mummy-baby group because I felt so bad I couldn't keep up with their baby massage and one-on-one stimulation activities. Your babies will be more patient than theirs and they have a best friend in the making!

 

This was a really tough one for me too! I had a hard time letting go of the guilt about this:

QUOTE(ldsangel19 @ Sep 17 2007, 05:51 PM) [snapback]411505[/snapback]
All my singleton mom friends say they just hold thier kids all the time and read to them or talk to them. Can't exactly do that with two.

I just repeated the mantra "Don't take advice from anyone who doesn't have twins."

You are holding them as much as you can, and that's the best you can do. It won't scar them not to be held all the time. (And don't worry too much about watching the clock and making it fair -- you'll just make yourself crazy. Babies have different needs, and if one is fussier and needs to be held more, that's OK.) It sounds like you are doing fine, just keeping them near you and trying to give them things to look at. You can also sit between them (or hold one and sit the other one in a bouncy) and read to them.

It does get a lot easier when they are just a few months older. When they are old enough to grab things while lying on a blanket or sitting in a bouncy (3-4 months adjusted), that helps, and when they can sit up or be propped up (5-7 months), that makes a WORLD of difference.

They also just like to look at you and hear your voice. I would bring the bouncies over to where I was folding laundry or doing dishes or whatever, and just talk to them while I did it. It's hard to tell whether a 3-month-old really enjoys things, but at least they didn't seem to fuss as much. HTH!

 

QUOTE(Minette @ Sep 17 2007, 03:23 PM) [snapback]411703[/snapback]
You are holding them as much as you can, and that's the best you can do. It won't scar them not to be held all the time. (And don't worry too much about watching the clock and making it fair -- you'll just make yourself crazy. Babies have different needs, and if one is fussier and needs to be held more, that's OK.)


This is SO true!!! I used to go nuts worrying that I was holding Meara more than Ana, but Meara needed more holding and Ana was happier to sit and watch the world go by. Now they both need me more equally, but in the beginning I felt horrible about how unequal it was... until DH and other friends pointed out that Ana was *happy*!

As for what I did with them at 3 months old- swings, laying under the activity center, putting them in boppies or bouncies and reading to them, holding them and reading, holding them and listening to music, and dancing with them. My sister and I used to have our afternoon 'baby dance party' where we would each take a baby and dance and sing- this is when we discovered their love for the Kinks! It doesn't need to be 'baby' music. Right now we are in a big Sarah McLaughin phase. I would also take them for walks either in target or around our little town. When I needed to get stuff done (laundry, cooking, cleaning the kitchen, etc), I would put them in their boppies on the floor and let them watch me while I narrated what I was doing.. or just talked about anything. GL! -Leighann

 

lsdangel19, your babies were born the day after mine! I was just about to post this exact question. Right now I usually prop mine up on my body pillow and read books to them. They seem to like the bright pop-up books, but they also smile when I read them my breastfeeding book so who knows. Someone said they would let their babies hold toys at this age, but mine don't seem interested in toys at all. I'm sort of worried that they're behind actually. Do yours like toys?

I also sing to them a lot. If yours will sit in swings or bouncers I would say lucky you! Mine won't sit for more than 5 minutes without screaming. I think you're doing great. Keep up the good work

 

I do a lot of the things pp have suggested. but one thing i just started doing that they seem to like is i put their bumbo seats on the kitchen counter while i am cooking, doing dishes, etc. They seem to like to just watch and be a part of things.

 

At that age it was swings, bouncers, and a lot of holding and some tummy time. Around 3.5 months, I started putting them in an exersaucer with towels stuffed around them, and lots more tummy time and also time under their little floor gym.

 

Thanks ladies, for all of your advice. I know I shouldn't compare myself to singleton moms, but it's a little hard when I don't know else that has twins.

 

That's what we are all here for!

I'm going to agree with everyone else ... lots of play mats and bouncy seats and swings ... my kids weren't, and still aren't big fans of the bumbos. They fight to get out of them. They now like the exersaucer and jumperoo.

I also spent A LOT of time playing dress up. We had so many beautiful 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes that I would sit around and dress them up and take pictures because I knew the kids would outgrow them before they got to wear them.

Though to be honest, I think that was more fun for mommy than it was for babies.

 

QUOTE(SilvrHeart @ Sep 17 2007, 09:39 PM) [snapback]411898[/snapback]
I do a lot of the things pp have suggested. but one thing i just started doing that they seem to like is i put their bumbo seats on the kitchen counter while i am cooking, doing dishes, etc. They seem to like to just watch and be a part of things.


Just be careful with the bumbo seats -- babies can pop out of them at surprisingly young ages, or they can wiggle enough that the bumbo actually moves. I never felt comfortable having mine in the bumbos anywhere but on the floor. Then again, mine didn't really like the bumbos, so they wiggled a lot....

 

Ditto on the bumbo seats or bouncers on counters - they can move suddenly and there is a scary accident in the making. As the saying goes, 'no baby ever got hurt falling off the floor'. That said, at their age there isn't much you CAN do w/them. I also did a lot of dancing and singing in front of them: i'd put them both in boncies on the day bed and put on music - to this day (they're six months) there is a tune i can sing taht will make them laugh and dance even if th ey're sitting down and will bring them right out of the fussies.

Also narrating life to them - if you can take them out for walks, tell them about what's going on, read to them (i like the reading BFing books!), tell them about things. Wish i had someone to do a baby dance party.

And, as pp said - don't make yourself crazy watching the clock on whom you're holding. Just watch the babies. And NO ONE who hasn't had twins has any clue what this is like! Nor could they do what you do in a single day.
My girls were born six weeks early and they started on the gymini at about 4 months - they LOVED that, so i'd say definitely get one or two (i got mine for a song on craigslist, or check a local baby consignment store). Soon enough they'll be older and grabbing things - mine never grabbed toys or anything at that age and i was worried too -now they reach for everything (and then put it in their mouths...)

 

My girls will be 4 1/2 months on Thursday. I put in their bumbos. They love looking at each other and talking. Then I will switch off holding one or the other. I put them on the floor for tummy time. I also have Papason (sp?) chairs. I don't use them as much as I used to. I usually put them in the swing when they are almost ready to nap. It is their wind down time. They are finally starting to stay up 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours at a time. It used to be 45 minutes to an hour AND they still sleep 12 hours a night!

Oh! I forgot to add the boppies!