Parenting is the process of raising children and providing them with protection and care to ensure their healthy and happy development into adulthood. It is a long journey that requires courage, determination, love, and patience. Happy parents make happy children! In the case of twins, everything is needed twice as much.
Special parents are chosen by God to nurture twins. When you gaze upon the lovely sight of twins, do not think your house is doubly messed; think of it as doubly blessed!
Twins bring double the love and double the joy! The journey of raising them will be challenging yet satisfying and enjoyable.
Grandparents have an important role to play in this journey. In our case, we had the rare pleasure of supporting and bringing up two sets of twins. Our son and daughter-in-law have a boy and a girl who are five years old. Our daughter and son-in-law have two boys who are two years and eight months old. It has been fascinating to see these kids grow at every stage.
My advice to parents would be not to forget to take care of themselves. The first month is very tiring for mothers as they struggle with feeding and lack of sleep. A breast pump can be very useful, and mothers need to prioritize self-care and good nutrition.
Grandparents can supervise the nannies and kitchen and take care of household chores to relieve parents of these responsibilities. New parents often read a lot of books and other information sources and worry if things are not going that way. Grandparents can comfort them and reduce their anxiety by saying, "It's okay, all babies are different. Even twins have preferences. Listen to your body and listen to the child." Overthinking and excessive worrying are not beneficial. Words of encouragement and motivation from grandparents can be helpful to parents.
Whenever there's time, grandparents can engage in chit-chat or play games like cards with the parents for diversion and enjoyment. That is what we did. Grandparents can occasionally give parents a break for a day or a few hours by sending them out or allowing them to catch up on pending work.
We maintained a chart of the twins ' feeding times, including quantities, and noted their potty timings as well. Babies need mild sun exposure for vitamin D. There is no rush to start massages or give baths to the babies. Consult your paediatrician on the right time to start
In some cases, putting babies to sleep requires a lot of effort. To help them sleep, create a dimly lit atmosphere. Avoid playing with them at bedtime as it stimulates them and may prolong sleep. Sing softly or play soothing music for them. Rocking can be helpful. Establish consistent sleep timings. Fortunately, in our case, the babies' grandfather and father had the knack for putting them to sleep!
Grandparents can take babies out in strollers (with mosquito nets). They love it.
They can share their own experiences and wisdom of raising children. However, it is important to respect the parents' decisions and parenting style.
Grandparents can celebrate milestones like the babies' first steps, first words, or birthdays , as these will strengthen family bonds. We clicked a whole lot of pictures and made videos for capturing special joyful moments of the babies.
It has been a delightful journey for us grandparents. When the babies come to us with open arms, their first smile, first sounds, and their giggles - it is pure joy, pure bliss! And when they start chattering, it is total entertainment!
Are you lucky to have unwavering support from the twins’ grandparents? Share your stories
