Opus 108 - Let's Get Ready To Rumble!

Lissa and Joshua have been fighting a lot lately. For some strange reason I didn't think the fighting would start this early, but it has. They've been taking toys away from each other for awhile now, but now the kid who has the toy stolen protests. There are some toys that rarely come out because they fight over them so much. They were fighting over one such toy today (I have no clue how it got out) and Joshua actually bit Lissa! Of course I firmly told Joshua "No," took the toy away, and separated the kids, which started Joshua crying... adding to the sound of Lissa crying. Good grief! So I started looking up stuff online about dealing with young twins fighting. I found a great answer that basically told me I'm doing the right thing and to keep it up. It's nice to have the support of finding an answer from a mother of twins. Raising twins is so different from raising one or more singletons.

In the past year I've found that there are generally two different opinions on raising twins (coming from those who haven't): There are those who seem to think it's no different, or maybe even easier, to raise twins and there are those who are amazed that mothers of twins can survive.

As for the first type, I think they just haven't spent enough time with mothers of twins. It really is very different raising twins. I don't know, maybe these people think it would be easier to be dealing with kids having the same challenges all of the time, but if you talk to anyone who has raised singletons and twins they'll tell you that it's harder to raise twins.

As for the second type... Jason and I were talking about this the other day. Most of the time, I don't think things are that hard around here. However, there are times when something happens that reminds me that what I do each day isn't easy and is quite different from mothers of singletons. But either my kids are quite good, or I have a lot of patience (I guess I did gain quite a bit teaching junior high), or I can handle more stress than the average person, or... Really, I think it's just that raising twins is all I know. I don't know what it's like to have one at a time. Sometimes I watch parents of singletons and realize that having one at a time would be much easier, but it doesn't bother me. I do what I do each day and I love it. Yes, there are times that it's quite stressful. Yes, I have to feed two kids at once. Yes, I have to carry two kids around at a time - or take one at time going up and down the stairs many times a day. Yes, taking the kids to the car and back is not easy since they can't walk yet. But it's all I know and I think that's a good thing.

So for all of you out there who think raising twins is easier or no different... seriously?? I don't recommend you tell a mother of twins your opinion :) And for all of you who are amazed that mothers of twins survive - don't worry, we've got our challenges, but so does everyone else... our challenges are just different. We're making it and so will you :)



As a side note: I have a cousin who has triplets. I've always had respect for what she does, but now that I have twins I have A LOT of respect and admiration for what she does. At least with twins there is one per hand/arm. Triplets... that's a whole new ballgame!