Being a dad for the first time is difficult and presents its own challenges. Being a first time dad of twins is a whole other kettle of fish. There is almost only ‘on the job training’, but hopefully these top ten tips for first time father of twins will help. These are things that I’ve learned over the first six months of having a twin boy and girl. The list below are things in hindsight that I didn’t know prior to their birth, but had to learn quickly or tested to get the best end result for us and our twins.
- Get two bouncers, these are really handy for bottle feeding twins at the same time. Sit down between them with a bottle in each hand and your life is just a bit easier for that moment.
- There is no such thing as too many muslins. These will be used to clean up sick, spills, messes, milk, just about everything.
- Likewise, have loads of baby wipes and put some in every room. Again, used these to clean more than baby bums. Works great for food mess, household cleaning and more.
- Other things to always have plenty of: feeding bottles (dirty ones pile up quickly), extra dummies/pacifiers (often tend to go missing), change of clothes (especially if you’re away from the house, clothes can quickly go from clean to toxic) and patience (they are tiny people that have virtually no control over themselves, remember that in times of crisis).
- Routine is how you and your partner will survive. Set a routine, keep it going, amend it as the twins help you determine their needs, but overall, stick to it!
- A good pram/buggy makes life easier. Having one that can grow with them (i.e. can be converted from bassinet to leaning seat to upright seat on the same chassis) will save money and the headaches of trying to quickly keep up with your growing twins. One that folds and can be compacted down is really helpful too, especially for storing at home or in the car.
- While we’re mentioning cars, make sure you have a car that will fit not just the twins, you and the mama, having room for a third adult is more handy and needed than you’d expect.
- Get gender neutral clothes. They grow out of clothes so quickly, you just need to make sure they’re probably covered, don’t worry if it’s not ‘high fashion’ or with the latest trends. Get them dressed, be ready to change them soon anyway.
- Take loads of photos and videos from the start. They grow super fast and having the memories will be priceless. Be sure to get ones with the whole family.
- And finally, to quote a post I saw on Facebook, “Don’t sweat it. Even Ozzy Osbourne’s kids are still alive.”
Twin Daddyo 