But it’s not always easy to get a good shot. For every good picture, there’s a trail of mishaps. One looks at the camera, one looks away. One with eyes open, one with eyes closed. One laughing, one crying. Persistence is the key to getting good photographs of multiples. However, if your efforts are not rewarded, it’s OK to leave it to the professionals. This event, where parents visit their child’s school shortly after school starts in the fall, is a chance to tour the classroom and meet the teacher as well as other parents. While schools generally try to accommodate parents with multiple kids of different ages, it is much trickier to manage when your kids are in the same grade. Even if they are in the same class, there are two sets of artwork to admire, two desks to check out, and two agendas to discuss with the teacher. And if your twins are in separate classes, the logistics are even more challenging. Even when activities don’t require parental participation, it can be tricky when space is tight. Many organizations are willing to make room for “one more,” but will have to deny twins, who would put the class over capacity. Even if you do get them both to sleep, how do you maneuver them into their cribs without waking them up and starting the whole process all over? With only two arms, it’s pretty tricky. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done; in fact, mastering this skill is one of the most rewarding achievements of being a parent of twins. It takes some practice, and it’s definitely harder than rocking a single baby, but the payoff is quite satisfying. Luckily, solutions to this particular problem have become more available as family restrooms become more prevalent. Another option is to utilize the larger space of a handicapped stall, but even then, many double strollers won’t fit inside. Otherwise, you can always hold it, rely on the kindness of strangers, or take a helper with you when you can go out. While the stroller stage is short-lived, the problem persists — as sometimes get worse — as twins get older. Because then THEY are the ones that have to use the restroom and usually both at the same time. For parents of twins, the empty nest becomes really empty, really fast. It can be as difficult and unsettling as when twins join the family. Many times they’re not gone for long! Between school breaks and job changes, they’re likely to be back at some point. Combine emotions (from parents and kids!), stress, weather, traffic, and disorganization, and you’ve got a recipe for a meltdown. (Again, parents and kids!) In the early days, a travel system stroller makes things a bit easier because they allow the babies to remain ensconced in their car seats. But as they grow, it becomes more difficult as the babies get heavier but still need to be carried. Transitioning from the car into a stroller is one option; another is enlisting the help of the staff. Parents of twins will spend twice the hours in the car, clenching their teeth and clutching their seatbelt as they slam an imaginary brake from the passenger seat. Teaching a teen to drive can be stressful and nerve-wracking, and parents of twins get to do it double time.
