Anonymous wrote:Another mom of twins here. I am sahm but i also work 10 hours a week from home. I often wonder why it's like having just one! I can imagine the hardest part of going from 1 to 2 would be the having a break issue since the ratio of adults to kids changes. But it's doable. Mine are 2 and we stick to the schedule (key key key to our daily survival), we are respectful of each other (well we are working on that, I'm a part time referee during the day), and we work together to maintain our functional happy family. There are days that are a little crazy but I think that rings true whether you have 1, 2, or 10 kids. It's about adapting and OP, you'll adapt and transition to this new chapter of your life and it'll be great! Lots of people can give their two cents (including me) but at the end of the day you'll create tradition/systems during the day that'll work for your family. Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:

My friends with two seem to have the same issue as PPs of no break. If the older one is napping, the younger one is awake. When the older one wakes up, then the younger one falls asleep, so they end up being house bound for big portions of the day. They can't keep the older one cooped up, so they go out, but then have to chase a toddler around the playground while wearing the baby/pushing the stroller. Toddler might be old enough to stay out a bit later or miss naps, but baby can't, so they are pretty much locked onto a baby schedule with an antsy toddler who just wants to be freeeeee. In the summer, they couldn't go to the pool in the hot parts of the day because of the baby getting burnt/overheating. The baby might suddenly lose it when toddler is having fun at a playdate, necessitating a fast exit, wherein the toddler starts to meltdown cause they want to play. It's putting one in the car while putting the other down, getting two out of the car, into the store, hoping the toddler walks next to the buggy since the baby has to ride. Honestly, my friends with 2 exhaust me just by watching them. It seems like every l i t t l e thing is compounded by ten, not just by one.

This is my life exactly. But I remember the freedom that came with DS1 when he hit the year/1.5 mark, and I'm just putting one foot in front of the other until DS2 reaches a similar point.

My friends with two seem to have the same issue as PPs of no break. If the older one is napping, the younger one is awake. When the older one wakes up, then the younger one falls asleep, so they end up being house bound for big portions of the day. They can't keep the older one cooped up, so they go out, but then have to chase a toddler around the playground while wearing the baby/pushing the stroller. Toddler might be old enough to stay out a bit later or miss naps, but baby can't, so they are pretty much locked onto a baby schedule with an antsy toddler who just wants to be freeeeee. In the summer, they couldn't go to the pool in the hot parts of the day because of the baby getting burnt/overheating. The baby might suddenly lose it when toddler is having fun at a playdate, necessitating a fast exit, wherein the toddler starts to meltdown cause they want to play. It's putting one in the car while putting the other down, getting two out of the car, into the store, hoping the toddler walks next to the buggy since the baby has to ride. Honestly, my friends with 2 exhaust me just by watching them. It seems like every l i t t l e thing is compounded by ten, not just by one.

Anonymous wrote:Who keeps saying it's so hard?

I'm a SAHM with 2 under 3. It's HARD. I love it and I'm a SAHM by choice, but it's chaos.

I've got two in diapers, both still need help getting in and out of carseats, the oldest isn't old enough to trust walking independently in parking lots and such so I either use a double stroller or a single and push one handed while holding my oldest's hand. Running errands are so unbelievably stressful and time consuming because of this. I'm always on guard for a meltdown, needing to give a bottle, a poopy diaper, etc. at any given time. I'm a slave to naps. I have to entertain my oldest while the baby has his morning nap and by the time he's woken and I've gotten everyone fed, changed, coats on, in car seats, diaper bag packed, change the baby after he spits up all over his third outfit, oldest poops as we're walking out, I have time to run one errand before it's lunchtime (which I've thankfully mastered on the go) and racing back for naptime.

The only moment I have to myself is if their naps overlap and then I try and get dinner or household stuff taken care of.

I think having two kid spaced further apart would have made a big difference. I also think if I WOH, it would be very different. Weekends and evenings would still be hard, but the days are really what challenge me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 is hard if you have 1 as miserable as people have described on this thread. Sounds like people are raising monsters, not children. We have 3 under 4 and yes, it's tiring and time consuming, but no one's running away, they eat the same meal or don't eat that night, they understand we're a family and we love one another so it's a lot of playing together and helping one another. It's all perspective folks. Expect them to control your lives and they will. Keep control of your lives and kids are a wonderful compliment to it.

This. Another person with 3 under 4 here. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Anonymous wrote:2 is hard if you have 1 as miserable as people have described on this thread. Sounds like people are raising monsters, not children. We have 3 under 4 and yes, it's tiring and time consuming, but no one's running away, they eat the same meal or don't eat that night, they understand we're a family and we love one another so it's a lot of playing together and helping one another. It's all perspective folks. Expect them to control your lives and they will. Keep control of your lives and kids are a wonderful compliment to it.