| |
|
- Establish a list of priorities. Babies' needs will head the list, including
feeding, bathing, sleeping, and cuddling. Resting for you should be high on
your list as well.
- Use a chart so everyone will see at a glance who has been cared for
and at what time.
- Accept all offers of help. Delegate chores and assign tasks to those who
offer their time.
- Take rest periods during the day when your babies sleep. Put a sign on your
door to discourage visitors at this time. Consider not answering the phone.
- Treat your babies as individuals from the very beginning. They
are two (or more) separate beings. Avoid referring to them as "the twins"
and use their given names. YOU set the example for others to follow.
- Be sure to take photographs of each child separately for the time when
one will ask for a picture of "me." Put the child's name on the
back of his/her picture so that there is no confusion in later years.
- Use care in selecting toys. As your babies grow, play becomes serious business.
Toys that are suitable for singletons can become weapons when there are two
(or more) in a playpen. As the children become older, try choosing different
toys and encourage sharing.
- Build a special one-to-one relationship with each child. Look for special
talents and praise each one often.
- Multiples may have a special bond between them. Try to rear them as individuals
without destroying their special bond.
- Your children may talk to each other in a language only they can understand.
Don't be upset at the "twin talk" as they will outgrow it.
- Read aloud to your multiples. Reading stimulates speech development.
- Speak clearly to your children and encourage them to talk clearly also.
- Take walks with the babies. Just getting out of the house may be a morale
booster.
- If you are returning to work soon after the babies are born, look for a
sitter who will understand the needs of caring for "more than one."
Try the sitter a few times before actually returning to your job.
Information
obtained from the NOMOTC website.
|
|
|
