Many people still think that it is absolutely ridonkulous that I have been a mother to twins for 19 months and I still do not have help. My cleaning lady still comes once a week and I am able to get by. No doubt that by Thursday my house is in complete disarray but I am surviving.
I have had wonderful weeks with my children when I am completely smitten by them but all of a sudden they become inconsolable lumps that need to be carried the entire day. On those weeks I become very creative and have come up with a few things to do that helps your day move along faster:
1. Pack them up in your car and take them somewhere. A mall, a friend’s house that you know is baby-friendly or dump them in the garden with a bucket of water and a sponge. The trick is to put them in a new environment and change the landscape.
2. Snacks. They could be teething or having a growth spurt – rarely are they sick – so look for some cold watermelon or carrot sticks that they can hold and chew on. That will keep them busy for a good 20 minutes.
3. Call for help. When this was going on, I needed someone to be with me to help me out with one of them. It is also nice to have some adult conversation. There are only so many times you can sing ‘Elmo’s Got The Moves‘.
4. If there is a favourite dish during that week, make it for them. It will make meal times a lot easier and shorter. Full babies are generally less grumpy.
5. Me time. When my son was throwing tantrums and crying all day, everyday for two weeks I almost banged my head against the wall. I was so frustrated and irritated that I could not help the situation in any way so I made sure I had my evenings on days that I knew I needed one. I took Saturday off, went for a hair wash and had a long lunch with a friend and it was bliss.
6. Remember that this too shall pass. Babies will always be babies and most of the time there is nothing much you can do when they are in that mood, they will eventually get over it.
7. You are doing the best you can. Cut yourself some slack.
Merry Christmas! I can’t believe that I have been writing for Makchic for over a year!
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January Low, recent mother of twins, takes each day as it comes – because no parenting book could have prepared her for this!
