Talented Musician and new twin Mum singer and composer Emma Dean from Brisbane joins Nix and Naomi.
Sharing her IVF story, Emma discusses her journey to twin mumhood and how she even had part of it filmed for a documentary while releasing a new album!
Emma also chats about her kids music group and how she is balancing her busy music schedule and being a twin mum!
Back for another season, number 5, Nix and Naomi are back to talk all things multiple parenting life and more.
The ladies are together to discuss all things endometriosis and Nix dives into details on a huge life decision she made to help her physical and mental health.
If you’re a parent already, you know firsthand how challenging it can be to get everyone ready and out the door on time. Between feedings, nappy changes, and outfit changes, it can feel like a never-ending cycle of chaos. Add in three babies, and that chaos can become overwhelming. But fear not, because with a few simple tricks and some careful planning, you can streamline your routine and get your triplets out the door with ease.
Whether you’re a seasoned parent of multiples or just starting out on your journey, read on to discover how to triple the fun and tackle the challenge of getting out the door with triplets.
If you haven’t already, I suggest you check out WonderFold Wagons, as they make being out and about so much easier. You can check them out here.
Author: Angelique Woodburn from the Midnight Gang
Ah toilet training! I think every parent you speak to will have some kind of toilet training story! It is such a hot topic amongst parents and strangely can come with so much pressure. If you have a toddler (or two or three!) you will no doubt have heard the question ‘are they toilet trained yet?’ Often from a well meaning friend or family member, but it can be really frustrating and often triggering when these kinds of questions or comments come your way. So, how do you know if your child/ren is ready for toilet training? What will you even need? And how do you manage toilet training with twins? Below are my top tips and checklists I have compiled over the years of working with twins as a nanny and also with my own three children.
Author: Veronica Jack
The scars from birth, paired with hours spent breastfeeding twin babies, left me couch bound. Your role as the father to our twin boys and committed partner never slowed. Changing nappies and consoling babies. Ensuring I was eating, drinking, resting and the list went on. I would cry. Cry because the babies wouldn’t latch. Cry because hormones were racing. Sleep deprivation was at its ultimate. But you…you were tired too.
I imagined mums of single babies feeding through the night while their partner slept before getting up for work. I wished I could do the same for you, but transporting and maneuvering both babies onto the double pillow was a juggling act. Impossible alone. Sometimes it would take us over half an hour to get both babies latched and feeding. By the time they had finished, it was time to begin the whole process again. All the while I was crying. Crying in pain, frustration and sheer exhaustion. Feeding two babies was no walk in the park. It was harder than I had ever imagined it to be. You put on a brave face. For me…for us. Never complaining or trying to explain how hard it was for you.
Before giving birth, I promised I wouldn’t allow myself to change. Barking orders and complaining about things like dirty dishes in the sink didn’t feel like me. As the days ticked by and the debt of sleep weighed heavily on my ability to think rationally or clearly, impulsivity took over. Words fell out of my mouth. Snappy, irritable words. I tried to stop them. I wanted to run away from myself, but you only moved closer, with a patience and empathy I didn’t deserve.
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Buying toys is always a dilemma, so much so we have written a whole blog on it, which you can read below.
Buying toys for twins and triplets
This blog isn’t about if you should buy same same, or same but different. This blog is purely to give you some inspiration on toys that can be shared by twins and triplets.
Personally I think “share” toys are fabulous for multiples, as they encourage the family to play together.
These were a HUGE hit when my twins were younger. They lead to so much creative unstructured play. Sometimes they would be a apartment block for the TY soft toys, other times a garage for the hot wheel cars.
Being translucent they look like a big stained glass window – so very pleasing on the eye.
And lets not forget the added bonus of the fact they quite easy to pick up!!!
This is still going strong in my house, and our twins are 11 years old now. i figure, if they are going to be on the i-pad then they may as well be doing something education (that is fun!).
Children interact with actual hand held pieces and an iPad, bringing a child’s game pieces and actions to life. My children used to work on the problems together.
I find with my kids that they are either both on the trampoline, or none at all. After talking to other parents of multiples, its the same at their house as well. The common consensus was to therefore get the largest trampoline you can afford (that fits in your garden of course!).
I love our trampoline. We often go out into the garden while dinner is cooking to have one final burst of energy over and done with. They love it if I squirt them with the hose. We do “high jump” and they have to jump over the stream of water etc.
I bought some soft pool balls that they bounce around in there (I didn’t want hard balls, as I could see a rolled or broken ankle happening as a result). But these ones are made totally of soft foam.
We even used our trampoline to learn letters and do sight words on.
We initially bought these for our big adventure trip to Cape York. And they have been a hit at every camping trip since. We are lucky enough to live opposite a very large park, so often the kids will go over there and play hide and seek with the walkie talkies.
They come in 2, 3 or 4 packs. Some of which are even colour coded, if thats your thing!
Floor puzzles are great for the whole family. They are perfect for developing gross motor skills, but you will find that your children will crawl around the floor to get to the various pieces, so they will develop muscle tone as well.
I also like them because they promote conversation and they naturally help each other out.
Plus, I get to sit on the floor and relax for a few minutes!!!
Where were these when I was younger? I simply cant get enough of these. A nearby neighbour of ours has one (coincidentally she has twins as well!), and I am jealous every time I drive by to take our twins to school!
You choose what swings work best for your growing family, and with over 10 different accessories, the fun never ends.
Play-Doh is so good for hand strength. Plus its cheap and easy to make.
Again, this is such an open ended toy. Add in a few of these cool accessories, and your kids will be preparing themselves for school without them even realising!!! Hand strength is the key to handwriting.
I just apologise in advance for how many Play-Doh meals you will be handed and expected to eat.
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Careers and career choices after the birth of multiples can be a challenge for mums so this week Nix and Naomi are chatting to Vicky who is a career adviser with her business Clothier Careers and is providing advice as you try and search for better ‘work, life, balance’.
From juggling daycare, to finances and keeping yourself ok, your career can take a big sweep after the birth of your multiples and Vicky has some great support and ideas on how to balance your life.
Author: Laura Wilson
Finding out you’re now a twin mum, you realise what a special journey you’re life has taken. But when you have sisters who are yet to have kids themselves, it can be an underlying worry for them to contemplate that they too might have twins one day. Especially knowing that their chances increased the day you announced your twins. So I wanted to write a letter to my own two sisters and to other sisters of fraternal twin mum’s experiencing the same headspace.
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Nix is back! Find out where she’s been and what’s been going on plus the ladies talk the struggles of balancing the school wins with multiples.
Author: Veronica Jack
In the past I’ve written about my experience of mothering twins, but I think with the perspective of time, my understanding keeps evolving.
I’m learning that the first 18 months were the hardest. The slow paced cuddles, and moments to connect through eyes, body and mind were hard to find. The bonding, the getting to know each other, the all encompassing sense of ‘wholeness’ with my new baby was stolen from me.
