Irish twins/two under two

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are about to have two under 15 months. If you've survived a similar age span, any tips and tricks? Thanks!

Millions of women have survived so what's your problem?
By now, you should know what creates babies--unprotected sex--so why don't you get some industrial strength birth control, your zDH gets snipped, or simply abstain. There is no excuse for getting pregnant with all the birth control options available except laziness!

What? She did say she wasn’t going to survive? She didn’t ask for birth control tips. I’m not sure how her asking for tips and tricks is any different than anyone else on this site asking for advice..

Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this AM? Go to bed and do better tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Only on DCUM do people get caught up in semantics vs answering the question because they obv understand it

[Anonymous]

My college boyfriend was born in January. His sister was born in November. Of the same year. Irish twins.

Their mom waited 8 years to have the third child. Then 4 more years to have the 4th. Whew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only on DCUM do people get caught up in semantics vs answering the question because they obv understand it

+1

Exhausting excuses for human beings.

[Anonymous]

All 4 of my grandparents immigrated from Ireland and although "Irish twins" is a common phrase among them, I have never heard anyone actually *define* it in numbers in real0time discussions.

Like many folks here who started their family later, I have 3 kids, all 15 months apart. I was late 30s when i started.

My mom had her kids at 27, 29, 30. Easier when you are younger, she told me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a nanny I have had the experience of actual twins, Irish twins, 2-under-2, 3-under-3, etc. (I’ve been a nanny for a looong time! ).

The biggest thing you can do is to prepare your older for the baby by thinking through your routine and making space for newborn care.

—outings: where are the small, fenced-in local parks? Will the season mean that you need to do some indoor outings too? If so, which ones are both manageable with a newborn and relatively less germy.

—sleep training: if your first isn’t STTN reliably, make that a priority ASAP. Get a solid nap schedule in place and a solid bedtime routine

—meals: make sure your first can self-feed safely to some extent. Plan ahead and choose a few favorite foods to stock up on (e.g., if your toddler likes oatmeal, I would be batch-cooking steel cut oats with fruit and cinnamon and whatever else and freezing in individual portions). Muffins tins are great for freezing the right amount for one toddler meal. You want to always have at least one low-maintenance food you can quickly serve. Think about your toddler’s diet and try to move towards easier foods where you can. E.g., if your kid like steamed carrots, see if you can get them into baked sweet potatoes because those you just stick in the toaster oven and forget about vs. having to supervise something as it steams.

—house rules: think about the rules you currently enforce and how they might need to change due to having a baby. Does the current routine require you to lift toddler into the high chair, for example? Replace it with a chair he can climb into. Does your toddler know how to wait a minute for something he needs? If not, introduce some silly games, songs, stories, finger plays, etc. that you initially do together with your toddler (think “itsy bitsy spider”), then over time you can transition to doing less until you can just sing the song and your toddler does the motions. This helps you to distract him while you prep a bottle or burp a baby.

Physical space—It is hugely helpful to create a “room of yes” where your kid could be locked in and remain completely safe if necessary—furniture bolted to the wall, outlets completely covered, no choking hazards, nothing climbable, etc. You may need to stash toddler somewhere in a diaper emergency, so it’s useful to have a way to lock them in, whether that is a gate on the door or reversing the handle. Mostly, though this room is for you to sit and nurse the baby somewhere that the toddler can freely run and play and you won’t have to stop to rescue him.

Routine: Build a space into your daily routines for you to focus on the baby for a moment. E.g., with 2 you twins and a newborn, I trained the twins before the baby was born to color for about 5 minutes before each meal. They would sit at their little table, get crayons out, get paper and sit and color. For younger kids I have done play-dough or sensory bags/jars. But build it into the routine so that you can pause and focus on the baby for a minute without having to come up with something in the moment to distract toddler.

Yeah you’re definitely not a parent. Real parents don’t have time for this. Wait until you have your own - it will be completely different, I assure you.

As it happens I am ALSO a mom of my own fraternal twins. Which part is SOOOO hard and unrealistic? Babyproofing a room? Sleep training? Meal prep?

You’re just way too regimented. I now understand why. Having twins you would have to be, plus you work taking care of children. No one else puts this much thought into it.

I had two 18 months apart and this isn’t that different than what I did. Not sure why you are ragging on one of the only people on this thread to give helpful advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a nanny I have had the experience of actual twins, Irish twins, 2-under-2, 3-under-3, etc. (I’ve been a nanny for a looong time! ).

The biggest thing you can do is to prepare your older for the baby by thinking through your routine and making space for newborn care.

—outings: where are the small, fenced-in local parks? Will the season mean that you need to do some indoor outings too? If so, which ones are both manageable with a newborn and relatively less germy.

—sleep training: if your first isn’t STTN reliably, make that a priority ASAP. Get a solid nap schedule in place and a solid bedtime routine

—meals: make sure your first can self-feed safely to some extent. Plan ahead and choose a few favorite foods to stock up on (e.g., if your toddler likes oatmeal, I would be batch-cooking steel cut oats with fruit and cinnamon and whatever else and freezing in individual portions). Muffins tins are great for freezing the right amount for one toddler meal. You want to always have at least one low-maintenance food you can quickly serve. Think about your toddler’s diet and try to move towards easier foods where you can. E.g., if your kid like steamed carrots, see if you can get them into baked sweet potatoes because those you just stick in the toaster oven and forget about vs. having to supervise something as it steams.

—house rules: think about the rules you currently enforce and how they might need to change due to having a baby. Does the current routine require you to lift toddler into the high chair, for example? Replace it with a chair he can climb into. Does your toddler know how to wait a minute for something he needs? If not, introduce some silly games, songs, stories, finger plays, etc. that you initially do together with your toddler (think “itsy bitsy spider”), then over time you can transition to doing less until you can just sing the song and your toddler does the motions. This helps you to distract him while you prep a bottle or burp a baby.

Physical space—It is hugely helpful to create a “room of yes” where your kid could be locked in and remain completely safe if necessary—furniture bolted to the wall, outlets completely covered, no choking hazards, nothing climbable, etc. You may need to stash toddler somewhere in a diaper emergency, so it’s useful to have a way to lock them in, whether that is a gate on the door or reversing the handle. Mostly, though this room is for you to sit and nurse the baby somewhere that the toddler can freely run and play and you won’t have to stop to rescue him.

Routine: Build a space into your daily routines for you to focus on the baby for a moment. E.g., with 2 you twins and a newborn, I trained the twins before the baby was born to color for about 5 minutes before each meal. They would sit at their little table, get crayons out, get paper and sit and color. For younger kids I have done play-dough or sensory bags/jars. But build it into the routine so that you can pause and focus on the baby for a minute without having to come up with something in the moment to distract toddler.

Yeah you’re definitely not a parent. Real parents don’t have time for this. Wait until you have your own - it will be completely different, I assure you.

As it happens I am ALSO a mom of my own fraternal twins. Which part is SOOOO hard and unrealistic? Babyproofing a room? Sleep training? Meal prep?

You’re just way too regimented. I now understand why. Having twins you would have to be, plus you work taking care of children. No one else puts this much thought into it.

I had two 18 months apart and this isn’t that different than what I did. Not sure why you are ragging on one of the only people on this thread to give helpful advice.

+1. I mean... The OP is literally looking for help w/ super close together children. If you would "have to be" this regimented for twins, it's hard to understand why it's "way to regimented" for kids like 15 months apart.

[Anonymous]

Irish twins are two kids in the same calendar year.

[Anonymous]

You people do realize how offensive a stereotype you are perpetuating by using the term Irish twins right? Just checking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people do realize how offensive a stereotype you are perpetuating by using the term Irish twins right? Just checking.

We’ve had this convo here before. My Irish grandparents (as in born in Ireland and immigrated here as children in the 1940s)
Used the term themselves. With a laugh. They had 5 kids (one set of twins) in 5.5 years.

So not EVERY Irish person finds it offensive

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Irish twins are two kids in the same calendar year.

OMG REALLY??! Wow you are the first person in this thread to add that! Thank you so much for your helpful and illuminating comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Irish twins are two kids in the same calendar year.

OMG REALLY??! Wow you are the first person in this thread to add that! Thank you so much for your helpful and illuminating comment.

You're welcome

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a nanny I have had the experience of actual twins, Irish twins, 2-under-2, 3-under-3, etc. (I’ve been a nanny for a looong time! ).

The biggest thing you can do is to prepare your older for the baby by thinking through your routine and making space for newborn care.

—outings: where are the small, fenced-in local parks? Will the season mean that you need to do some indoor outings too? If so, which ones are both manageable with a newborn and relatively less germy.

—sleep training: if your first isn’t STTN reliably, make that a priority ASAP. Get a solid nap schedule in place and a solid bedtime routine

—meals: make sure your first can self-feed safely to some extent. Plan ahead and choose a few favorite foods to stock up on (e.g., if your toddler likes oatmeal, I would be batch-cooking steel cut oats with fruit and cinnamon and whatever else and freezing in individual portions). Muffins tins are great for freezing the right amount for one toddler meal. You want to always have at least one low-maintenance food you can quickly serve. Think about your toddler’s diet and try to move towards easier foods where you can. E.g., if your kid like steamed carrots, see if you can get them into baked sweet potatoes because those you just stick in the toaster oven and forget about vs. having to supervise something as it steams.

—house rules: think about the rules you currently enforce and how they might need to change due to having a baby. Does the current routine require you to lift toddler into the high chair, for example? Replace it with a chair he can climb into. Does your toddler know how to wait a minute for something he needs? If not, introduce some silly games, songs, stories, finger plays, etc. that you initially do together with your toddler (think “itsy bitsy spider”), then over time you can transition to doing less until you can just sing the song and your toddler does the motions. This helps you to distract him while you prep a bottle or burp a baby.

Physical space—It is hugely helpful to create a “room of yes” where your kid could be locked in and remain completely safe if necessary—furniture bolted to the wall, outlets completely covered, no choking hazards, nothing climbable, etc. You may need to stash toddler somewhere in a diaper emergency, so it’s useful to have a way to lock them in, whether that is a gate on the door or reversing the handle. Mostly, though this room is for you to sit and nurse the baby somewhere that the toddler can freely run and play and you won’t have to stop to rescue him.

Routine: Build a space into your daily routines for you to focus on the baby for a moment. E.g., with 2 you twins and a newborn, I trained the twins before the baby was born to color for about 5 minutes before each meal. They would sit at their little table, get crayons out, get paper and sit and color. For younger kids I have done play-dough or sensory bags/jars. But build it into the routine so that you can pause and focus on the baby for a minute without having to come up with something in the moment to distract toddler.

Yeah you’re definitely not a parent. Real parents don’t have time for this. Wait until you have your own - it will be completely different, I assure you.

As it happens I am ALSO a mom of my own fraternal twins. Which part is SOOOO hard and unrealistic? Babyproofing a room? Sleep training? Meal prep?

You’re just way too regimented. I now understand why. Having twins you would have to be, plus you work taking care of children. No one else puts this much thought into it.

I had two 18 months apart and this isn’t that different than what I did. Not sure why you are ragging on one of the only people on this thread to give helpful advice.

+1. I mean... The OP is literally looking for help w/ super close together children. If you would "have to be" this regimented for twins, it's hard to understand why it's "way to regimented" for kids like 15 months apart.

+2. I’m not the OP but hoping to have 2 under 2 (only one right now, but I’m getting older so we don’t have time to waste) and I find this very, very helpful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Irish twins are two kids in the same calendar year.

OMG REALLY??! Wow you are the first person in this thread to add that! Thank you so much for your helpful and illuminating comment.

You're welcome

Imagine being you. I'm very sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people do realize how offensive a stereotype you are perpetuating by using the term Irish twins right? Just checking.

I am Irish and an Irish twin. It is not offensive. Many Irish Catholics did have kids super close together. Relax.