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The Terrible Twos Times Two
10 Secrets to Surviving the Second Year With Twins
By Elizabeth Lyons
As with many of my sanity savers, I credit my friend Mollie for this one. We were talking recently via phone, all four of our boys were screaming at us, and she said (loudly), "That's it – I'm asking Gary for my own phone booth for Christmas this year!"
The key to surviving this year of non-stop vocalization is to accept that you will have nary a moment of peace between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. When you are playing with your children, each is vying for your attention. When you're trying to book a doctor's appointment (perhaps with a licensed therapist), at least one child will likely be hanging on your leg and whining. When you're trying to simply take a seven-second bathroom break, one is banging on the door in fear that you've stealthily slipped out via the toilet bowl.
Try to limit your social phone conversations to naptime or after the kids' bedtime. That way, when you have to receive or place an important call during the day, you can be more firm about the fact that Mommy is on the phone and unless someone's bleeding or has stopped breathing, the issue will need to wait a few moments.
