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Childcare for Twins: How it Panned Out For Other Twin Families

Twiniversity — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Getting to the end of parental leave and trying to decide about who to have help watch your infant or toddler twins during the day. Or just needing an extra set of hands to care for your dynamic duo? Thinking about childcare for twins may feel overwhelming, so here’s a quick look at what other twin parents decided on and how it worked out! One of the more challenging decisions (don’t they all feel challenging though?) you’ll have to make as a twin parent is figuring out a childcare option that feels right for you. So if you’re feeling a bit frazzled by this doubly stressful situation, know that you’re not alone! And keep reading for a look at what other twin parents did and how it worked out for them. We recently asked our twin parent community: What was your experience with your initial daycare option for your twins? Did it work out great? Did you have to pivot? Here’s what twin parents had to say: We had to pivot… “Currently going through it. We’ve been on a waitlist since December (twins born in April) and found out last week that the daycare might not have a space for them after all. I go back to work next week and we are touring two new daycares later this week! SMH! Luckily we have lots of help, but we thought we had this all figured out!” — vamirasolo “My mom is our main support, but got a nanny from 12 months to 15 months. My twins are now 3 years old and I’m considering hiring help again.” — mahinour “We started out at a nursery 2 days a week but had to pivot to a childminder due to cost (we’re in the UK).” — Lillouwho2 “Had to drop to only 3 days a week because the cost for 5 was more than I ever imagined.” — defranco “Pivoted and I quit my job.” — mrs.carriejohnson “Fail. Daycare for 2 months then quit my job. I was miserable missing them and it was expensive.” — karenmgilbert “Not so great. A month in, we had to find a new daycare, but it worked out better. The kids love this one!” — Zaheedavirani It worked out great! “Nanny at 4 months till 2 1/2. It was the most economical for us. We had an amazing nanny!” — kylez_vrussel “Not sure if this counts, but when my twins were 18 months old I started taking them to the gym daycare so that I could get back into the gym. They’re now 25 months old.” — leannaivic “It [daycare] was a hard no. Found a nanny ASAP!” – ajacks_244 “It worked, but it was mind-boggingly expensive. We poached a caregiver as a nanny.” — robinofspring “We hired a nanny. It was for affordable for us and they are thriving!” — orangespoken “Couldn’t afford two in daycare at once so I stayed home with them!” — sam.campanaro “Kindergarten. In Austria it’s free. Till they go to the first school. But we waited as long as possible. Our twins were almost 3 years old before they went. The experience was great!” – PaCo One twin mom’s childcare for twins saga We live in the U.S. and unfortunately my school did not offer disability insurance or any sort of paid leave. So our first tough decision was to extend my maternity leave and go with reduced pay. This meant that I got to be home with the babies until they were 6 months (since part of the leave was during our summer break from school). Yet, we were definitely in a bit of a financial pinch. Then from 7 months through almost 2 years, we ended up qualifying for a homecare nurse since both of our twins came home with feeding tubes and required a great deal of medical care on top of typical newborn care. Once they no longer qualified for that care though by age 2, we had to figure out a new daycare plan. At that point in time, paying for full-time daycare for two toddlers didn’t feel like the right option for us. So after only 1 year back in the classroom after having the twins, I left my job as a teacher and became self-employed as a freelance copywriter. This meant that I was home with the babies full time and trying to fit in freelance work during nap times and after bedtime (very tiring! but mostly worth it). But by the time they were about 28 months, it no longer felt manageable to watch them on my own. Most nights I had little energy left to devote to my fledgling business (which we needed to support some of our family’s bills). So we tried out having a babysitter (who we found through Care.com) come over to help three days a week for a few hours over the summer. That worked out okay, but we wanted the kids to be able to get out of the house more and interact with other toddlers in a more structured setting. Personally, my journey with this was a little all over the place. I was a high school teacher when I became pregnant with the twins. As the pregnancy progressed, and we developed some complications and then eventually landed ourselves a 3-month NICU stay, I realized we were going to need to be flexible (and creative) when it came to childcare options. By the time they turned 2.5, we decided to officially enroll them in part-time daycare three mornings a week at a Montessori daycare. While this still felt like a bit of a stretch, we ended up loving the daycare! (Thank goodness!) Looking back, the journey of twin daycare options was really wonky for us, but I feel like it all worked out in the end. Now, our twins are 3.5, and they will be going back to the same daycare Monday through Friday (just in the mornings still). This will give me plenty of… Continue Reading Childcare for Twins: How it Panned Out For Other Twin Families

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Tips for a Healthy School Year

Amanda Hadley — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:30:00 +0000

All content on this website, including medical opinions and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this site and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others. Summer is rounding to an end, and the dust is settling. It’s time for back-to-school shopping and getting back into that school routine. We know all the “stuff” we need to start the year off right, but how do you prepare for a healthy school year? I’m not just referring to physical health, either. So, let’s talk about how we can help our kids kick off the school year prepared, physically and emotionally. Physical Health Making sure that your kids move their bodies and get the right amount of exercise will help them stay focused and energized during those long school days. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, physical health has a small but significant effect on the mental and emotional health of children and adolescents ages 6 to 18. Exercise has many wonderful benefits, including increased energy and improved concentration. It also helps reduce stress, boost self-confidence, and increase mental alertness. Encourage your children to go outside for activities such as walking the dog, biking, or playing at the park for 20 to 30 minutes every day after school. Emotional Health Another important way to help your child prepare for a healthy school year is to ensure they have an emotional outlet. This could mean talking through their feelings, writing in a journal, or even playing music or other forms of art. Acknowledging their emotions is key to helping your children cope with stress and build resilience. Practical Tips to Start the Year Off Healthy In addition to physical and emotional health, there are a few practical tips to help your kids stay healthy during the school year. Start Your days with gratitude and thankfulness. This hasn’t been something I’ve been doing for a while, but we recently started practicing this after reading the book Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World written by Kristen Welch. It was an eye-opener for me. Starting our day in the right mindset has really made a difference in our home. God has given us another day to be thankful for. We are not promised tomorrow. No matter what your age is, you can make a small difference in your attitude and outlook on life. Plus, gratitude helps us to focus on the positive and appreciate what we have. Teaching our kids to focus on the things they are thankful for can help them stay positive and optimistic throughout the school year. Look For Ways to Offer Kindness Look for opportunities to offer kindness to others inside and outside your home. It can be anything from a simple note to helping someone with their shopping cart. No act of kindness is ever too small. At the start of the school year, it is important to create a culture of kindness and respect amongst students, staff, and faculty. One way to offer kindness at school is by encouraging active listening skills. Modeling active listening skills in the classroom can help foster an atmosphere of respect. Another way to offer kindness is by helping others be included. Inviting someone new into the group will help foster an inclusive environment. Offering compliments to others can go a long way in promoting kindness. Complimenting classmates on their work, their wardrobe, or their behavior will help create an atmosphere of positivity and respect in the classroom. Don’t ever hesitate to give someone a compliment, it might just make their day! Healthy Breakfast I encourage my kids to pick a healthy breakfast. I have even taught my 7- and 9-year-old how to make their own eggs. We don’t do juice in the morning, and I believe this helps with not having a quick sugar drop while at school. We also incorporate daily vitamins and probiotics. Keep your vitamins where you will look at them often to remind yourself and your kids to take them. This will help make them part of your daily routine. Get Outside I say this every day to my kids, and guess what? It works. Creative minds mixed with some good old Vitamin D from the sun does a kid good. Getting to a beach or park is great but not realistic in our day-to-day life. Walking is something we can easily do every day, so we started incorporating family walks into our day. Walking gives us a chance to talk to our kids, laugh, and say hello to neighbors. It’s healthy for the mind and body. Walking releases endorphins, which naturally makes you feel good inside and lowers stress. Creativity and Mindfulness Make time for creative activities. Whether it’s drawing, painting, or building with Legos, creative activities can be great stress relievers for kids and adults. Encourage your children to engage in mindful activities, such as yoga, listening to music, or deep breathing. Mindfulness is a great way for kids to learn how to be present and in the moment, as well as reduce stress levels. Hand Washing Another way to ensure your children stay healthy is by teaching them good hand-washing habits. I keep sanitizer handy wherever we go. Our most important after-school rule is sanitizer in the car and hand washing when we get home. We have smaller kids in our family, so with the increase of germs being brought home, it is essential that hands are washed before playing with the babies. Once you start making it routine, it becomes a beautiful habit. Get Organized To help your kids have a successful and healthy start to the school year, it’s important to create a plan that sets them up for success. This plan should include… Continue Reading Tips for a Healthy School Year

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Free NASA Virtual Field Trips For Twins (and singletons)

Natalie Diaz — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 17:04:45 +0000

Want to find fun things to do with your twins? Learn about the free NASA virtual field trips, perfect for families with twins, multiples, and singletons! Read more below. 🚀 Hey Twin Fam, today a very unique opportunity fell into my twin lap and I wanted to share it with you ASAP. Meeting with Twin Mom Alex I had the very fortunate pleasure of meeting a fellow twin mom, Alex today. She joined me for a podcast taping today to discuss her own twin birth story. The podcast will come out later this year but after our taping we were chit chatting and I discovered that Alex has one of the most fascinating jobs ever! She works for NASA! Sure, you may not be a space nut like I am, but you have to be excited about people who dedicate their lives to teaching about space. Believe it or not, I always wanted to be an astronaut when I was younger, but it turns out, me and math weren’t good friends. Still aren’t to be honest. Nasa Virtual Exploration OK, relax, I know you’re dying to know how you fit into this equation. (See what I did there?? Equation..math…ugh. Yeah, I told you we weren’t friends.) Well, Alex had an interesting offer for all our Twiniversity families out there. Here is what she said: "Hi, I’m Alex, a mom to 7 month old twin girls. I just wrapped up a podcast taping for the Twiniversity Podcast. Nat was incredibly interested in my career as an Education Specialist contracted to offer virtual experiences for NASA. As a fellow Twin mom, I am very excited to share this opportunity with everyone, nationwide! Our NASA base, the Ames Research Center, has unique on-site field trips that we offer to local schools in the bay area of California, near San Francisco. Once the Pandemic hit, we had to pivot to provide a virtual option and that's where you come in. We are now able to host schools all over North America! We've just opened our calendar up to ALL classrooms around the country and are able to facilitated a free, one-hour interactive program called the Ames Exploration Encounter for classes of 1st through 6th grade students. The goal is for them to experience science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in action. Free NASA Virtual Field Trips, Grades 1 through 6 Ok, so if you’d like Twin Mom Alex to join your twinnies virtually in class, all you have to do is forward this information to your twin’s teachers, school principal, school secretary, school events coordinator or anyone else that might be interested in having their students take part in these Free NASA virtual field trips. Remember, this virtual experience is only for grades 1 through 6. About the NASA Ames Exploration Encounter: You’re invited to join us virtually, (1 hour) or in person (2 hours) at our Mountain View, California location. Students will be immersed in one of 4 different lesson experiences that are aligned to Next Gen Standards. Currently educators can pick from the following lesson topics: Each lesson discusses the topic at an age-appropriate level, has time for a question-and-answer session, as well as a hands on activity. How the Ames Exploration Encounter Works: There are a few requirements to be eligible for the experience: To register an EDUCATOR must submit a registration via our NASA Gateway system. Registration is now OPEN and virtual sessions begin Wednesday, January 10th, 2023. (Click here to Register). View our website for session schedules and registration information. Ok, go dig up your twin’s teacher’s or principal’s email and send them a link to this page ASAP so they can read about this free NASA virtual field trip and get your children exploring today . If you have ANY questions for Alex, shoot them over to us at Community@Twiniversity.com and we will forward them to her directly. To Infinity and ….. well, you know the rest. Help Your Kids Explore Space With NASA’s Virtual Field Trips DOWNLOAD THIS PDF FOR EVEN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NASA FREE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS!

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Fundraising for Twins – Ideas to Help Them Succeed

Amanda Hadley — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

I love to support and I enjoy helping others. However, when you are a parent of multiples (I actually have twins and a singleton) selling 60 candy bars (actually 90, because you know — THREE kids), 40 raffle tickets for T-ball (actually 80, TWINS), and a $20 donation ($60 for us) to go toward the gift basket that will be raffled off with the tickets you just sold, it can sometimes be a bit too much! How do you handle fundraising for twins (or more)? When it was only my singleton, I would only commit to whatever I could cover in the unfortunate event that we couldn’t sell all the items. This is not an option with three kids. I would need a second job, and possibly insulin, to cover the MINIMUMS in school, sports, and extracurricular fundraising. Fundraising for twins kids es no bueno! It’s different from the days of kids walking door to door selling Tootsie Roll banks or coupon books. The grandparents, aunties, and uncles are usually willing to pitch in a few bucks, but I fear this resource may run dry due to the amount of monetary support and frequency my children are asking for. I used my social media lifeline this time, but I can’t do this to my “friends’’ every four months when my kids start a new sport. I’ve had to get creative and think outside my comfort bubble. Here are some ideas I’ve actually used, have supported others with, or just think are genius! Effective but Standard fundraising for twins Road-Side Stand Fundraising Think small-scale stand: lemonade, not produce. Cuteness sells, and little kids, especially twin little kids are cute. It’s amazing how many people want to support when it is little kids doing the selling. This is a great idea when you need to sell a specific item: chocolate bars, cookies, popcorn. This also works best with merchandise the buyer takes with them immediately. Last year our elementary school’s spring fundraiser was Krispy Kreme Doughnut BOGO coupons. I bought one and then used my two dozen doughnuts to sell the remaining coupons. My three kids set up their donut stand, and when someone stopped and purchased a BOGO coupon, they got a donut for the road. Remember, it is always best to accompany your children and keep a watchful eye, but stay back and let them do the work! Farmers’ Markets/Parades/Gatherings Areas with a lot of foot traffic work really well for fundraising. Think of this as the new door-to-door sales from our childhood, but instead of going door-to-door, they go from booth-to-booth. If there is an occasional farmers’ market, parade or really any social gathering in your community, you can take advantage of this and peddle your candy bars, popcorn, or whatever your current fundraiser might be. Social Media Fundraising for Your Twins This is the place for pledges, sign-ups, and raffle tickets! This is the fastest way to reach hundreds of friends and family. Although an effective and quick method to fundraise, the more you rely solely on this method, the fewer results you will get. I would reserve this method for an annual fundraising event you know you will need a lot of help with. This is my baseball/softball raffle ticket method of choice. The raffle tickets are usually only $1 each, and I will post this with an adorable picture of my kids in their uniforms holding their mitts. You can post your Venmo QR code for payments and just let social media handle the hard work. If my initial post is successful, I’ll say “thank you for your support” with another post. Sometimes it takes multiple posts, but don’t overdo it. I will usually do a second post a few days before the fundraiser ends for a final push. Unusual and Creative Fundraising for Twins DIY Raffle Create your own raffle and sell tickets. When my daughter was in competition dance, a fellow dance mom used to do this every fall to pay for her daughter’s comp fees. It was genius! She would reach out to local breweries, wineries, and distilleries to get donations, plus family members would pitch in a bottle here and there. Once she had a good collection, she would put it in a basket, take a picture and upload it to her Facebook page. Raffle tickets were $5 each or 5 for $20. I don’t know how much she actually made off of this raffle, but I do know her she covered her daughter’s dance fees The key to a successful raffle is finding something worth bidding on. So ask yourself, is this something a lot of people like and would be willing to bid on? 50-50 Raffle A 50-50 raffle is a great option for funding participation fees. Sometimes we twin moms need some assistance when trying to cover the $600.00 sports fee ($300 when you have one child participating). Most sports don’t offer a BOGO when it comes to twins (or more). A 50-50 raffle simply involves the sale of raffle tickets with the proceeds being split evenly between the winner and your organization. It is one of the simplest and easiest fundraisers you can do. All you need is one or more ticket sellers. Raffle tickets normally sell for $1 each. Using a price incentive ( 3 for $2 or 5 for $4) for multiple tickets can increase your total sales and build a larger ‘pot’. People are always happy with a chance to win a cash prize. It’s usually easy to get people to spend a little bit of money, just a buck or a few bucks when they have a chance to win quite a bit more. The best part, you don’t have to prepare an item for auction! Opt-out Fundraiser Another great idea when fundraising for twins is his fundraiser an Opt-out fundraiser. This kind of fundraiser was made for every busy mom. This is your chance to just write the check and be left… Continue Reading Fundraising for Twins – Ideas to Help Them Succeed

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My Child is “Aging Out” of Early Intervention. Now What?

Twiniversity — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:05:00 +0000

If you know what Early Intervention is, you know children “age out” at the age of 3. But what if your child still needs extra help? What happens then? When my son didn’t hit his 50-word milestone by 2 years old, I had no idea what to do. Luckily we had a really good team helping us navigate this stressful journey. However, some children are not as fortunate. According to the US Department of Education, 409,315 children between birth and 2 years old received Early Intervention (EI) services in 2018-2019. In other words, nearly half a million children were screened and still needed extra help doing basic activities such as crawling, walking, talking, and eating. My twins’ pediatrician screened them at their 2 year wellness check. It was recommended that both be evaluated for Early Intervention services. Afterward, a representative and a specialist came to our home to evaluate each child. We found out there was a delay in my son’s speech. And so began our Early Intervention adventure. For a complete list of milestones you should be checking, click here, or speak to your pediatrician. If you suspect your child needs to be evaluated for services and your pediatrician doesn’t agree, you can contact Early Intervention Services on your own. Above all, trust yourself. Remember, you know your children best. What is Early Intervention? Early intervention targets babies and toddlers who show a delay in cognitive, social, or communication skills. In other words, it focuses on helping eligible children learn basic skills developed in the first 3 years of life. These include: physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking); cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems); communication (talking, listening, understanding); social/emotional (playing, feeling secure and happy); and self-help (eating, dressing) First and foremost, early intervention is a family-focused, at-home support system. Depending on which skills are delayed, a specialist will come to your home to work with you and your child. Early Intervention supports parent involvement, preparing them to engage with and help their child between appointments. If your child is eligible, a team from the state’s early intervention program works with you and your child to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This will help set goals and identify the types of services needed. My Child is Turning 3, Now What? In order to create a smooth transition for young children, you must start planning and preparation before they turn 3. A transition meeting will be scheduled about 90 days before this date. During this meeting, you will start the process to determine if your child needs additional learning services. There are 5 basic steps for determining if an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is needed: Referral Evaluation Determining Eligibility Developing your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Implementation of Services and Annual Review Referral Medical professionals, therapists, and specialists usually give these referrals. If your child participated in Early Intervention, their specialist will refer them. Afterward, your child will receive a referral to get an evaluation with the school district. Evaluation The district is required to evaluate your child in all areas of suspected disability. At this point, you should address any other concerns you may have. If the school district isn’t aware of the concern, they won’t screen for it. My son made progress through Early Intervention with his speech, but he was still considered delayed. His IEP evaluation focused on speech. He was shown pictures and asked to say specific words, phrases, and letter sounds. I had no other concerns, so we didn’t evaluate for any other disability or delay. However, if you have new concerns, this is the time to bring them up! Determining Eligibility If your child needs services, you will work with an early childhood special education staff member and the school district to formulate an IEP. Your child will be eligible for preschool special education services if evaluations show he or she has a developmental delay or disability that impacts the ability to learn. Developing your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) This step requires that you and the IEP Team make decisions about what education services and placement are best for your child. These may include an Early Childhood Special Education center or another Pre-K arrangement. The IEP contains a personal educational curriculum, services needed for success, and measurable annual goals. In my son’s case, his delay in language required the services of a speech-language provider. After that, we decided in his IEP meeting that it would be best for him to attend an early three’s preschool class. There, a speech therapist would come in and work with him for 30 minutes during his 2 hour class. We were able to place him in a class with a mix of students. Some with similar IEPs, some with different IEPs, and some without any IEPs who just wanted an early start to preschool. In fact, I was able to enroll his twin sister in the same class, even though Early Intervention and an IEP were unnecessary for her. Similarly, multiple early intervention professionals told me it is awesome to have children without delays interacting with IEP kids. This is because they learn a lot from the modeling of their peers. Implementation of Services and Annual Review Once your child is 3 years old, they will begin implementing their IEP. You should receive progress reports every few months. However, you might be contacted more frequently if progress is different than expected. Also, you’ll need an annual IEP meeting to review how things are going. In this meeting you will discuss how your child is progressing and make any necessary changes to their IEP. Will my child automatically move from Early Intervention (EI) to an IEP? Of course, not every child who qualifies for Early Intervention will qualify for Early Preschool Education and an IEP. To qualify for an IEP: The child has a qualifying disability. The disability adversely impacts education. The evaluation indicates a need for specially designed instruction. The difference between EI and an IEP is… Continue Reading My Child is “Aging Out” of Early Intervention. Now What?

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How to Jazz Up Your Remote Learning Space

Twiniversity — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 23:02:11 +0000

Are you looking for ideas to keep your kids interested in remote learning this year? Try these awesome ideas to jazz up your remote learning space today! Full-time remote learning started three weeks ago for my 2nd grade twin boys and I’ve had a lot of trial and error. I’ve spent a small mint and many hours arranging, rearranging, and rearranging AGAIN in order to figure out chairs, tables, pillows, wall hangings, and electronics that make our lives easier and make remote learning more tolerable (I mean, successful!) I even started painting the walls of our dreary ’50s wood-paneled basement white to brighten the place up and make it feel more homey. I’m desperate here, people! Anything I can do to convince (trick) two 7-year-old boys to engage in 4 straight hours of daily online learning I’M GOING TO DO. I’ve compiled a pretty impressive list of ideas from my own home and from other homes in our Twiniversity community to bring you more ideas to help “sell” your remote learning space to your kids. Are you expecting twins? Click here to sign up for our expecting twins classes today. They are offered online on-demand and live on Zoom! String lights or strip lights These string lights (buy on Amazon) are perfect to bring a warm glow to your remote learning space and the remote control is a really nice bonus. Or go with these LED strip lights (buy on Amazon) that can change color. Your kids will LOVE spending their reading time under these cool lights. This makes them a great way to up your game with their remote learning space. Want more from Twiniversity? Come check out our memberships and see what fantastic benefits are waiting for you! Motivational posters There are tons of printables on Etsy that look like they are straight out of a real classroom. I found so many awesome motivational and helpful classroom print-outs (look here, here, here, and here) that I was able to download in an instant and print out on card stock. If you’ve got a laminating machine at home (buy here), use it! Stock up on mounting tabs (buy here) or sticky tack (buy here) so you don’t leave marks on your walls. White board with markers This magnetic white board with markers (buy now) is great to post the daily schedule so your kids know what’s coming up the entire day. Are you worried about distance learning with your twins this year? See what a twin mom and high school teacher has to say about it here! Visual timer If your kids are always asking you, “How much time is left?” this visual timer (buy now) will save you. It’s also great for kids who take way too long to complete a task so they can see how much time they have left. Clothesline for artwork String this clothesline (buy now) across the room to hang your kids’ artwork and jazz up the place! Don’t forget the clothespins (buy here). Be the first to hear about new content and giveaways by subscribing to our email list here! Days of the Week / Months / Weather Calendar I love this magnetic wall calendar that shows today’s date, month, weather and so much more — all with magnetic cards they can switch out each day (buy now). Your kids will love this one! Over the door shoe rack Use this over the door shoe rack (buy now) to store small school supplies like markers, pencils, and crayons, fidget toys, and more to help organize and clean up your learning space. And it’s a great tool to teach your kids to clean up for themselves if you label each pocket. Want more funny, relatable twin parent content on the go? Check out one of our two FREE podcasts here! Fidget toys Check with your child’s teacher to make sure these are OK first — our teacher is fine with them as long as they are kept off-camera. They really help both of my kids to stay focused. Check out this one and this one and these pencils with fidget toys on them (buy here). This set of 3 stress balls (buy here) are a hit with one of my sons and it’s a great fine motor workout. Alphabet line and number grid A, B, C…. easy as 1, 2, 3! And if you’ve got this alphabet line (buy now) and number grid (this one is already laminated!) up on the wall, it will definitely make learning time a lot more manageable. Got twin parenting questions? Check out our FREE twin parent mentor program here and get matched today! Wall file holder for small remote learning space Is space at a premium? Use this wall file holder (buy now) to help your kids organize their folders and notebooks, and make the most of the remote learning space you have. Bins for schoolwork Got room to spare? Get each child a bin to store everything in, from notebooks to pencil cases to iPads to headphones. Have a place for everything and everything in it’s place. These fabric cube bins (buy now) will do the job. Study pillows A study pillow (buy now) is another great tool to help your kids study or do schoolwork on their bed or on the floor. My twins love using these while reading in their makeshift “book nook” (aka, a rug I thew on the floor with some pillows, LOL.) Are your twins less than thrilled to be back in school this year? Check out our tips to get them excited about learning here! Portable lap desk I use this portable lap desk (buy now) all the time while working at home. You may want to order one for everyone in the family because they will fight over them! Hooded blankets Cooler weather is on the way and these adorable hooded blankets (buy now) will keep your kiddos warm and cozy while they learn. Fun chairs Flexible seating… Continue Reading How to Jazz Up Your Remote Learning Space

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I’m Not Ready to Send My Twins Back to Their School Yet

Twiniversity — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 15:59:54 +0000

Are you concerned about sending your twins back to their school this fall? You aren’t alone. See why one mom says she won’t be sending her kids back yet. This post was created in the summer of 2020. While some of the information may be old, many of the points of this post are still relevant in 2021. If there is one thing that COVID-19 has taught me, it’s to be careful what you wish for. Way back in the pre-pandemic days of March, I was a busy work-from-home mom of twin Kindergartners. I’ll never forget that last week before the virus was identified in my state: I was stressed beyond belief because I had a PTO meeting, a doctor’s visit, a dental cleaning, and a salon appointment in the same week. My twins had swim class to get to, and soccer and gymnastics were about to start. I had too much to do and too little time to do it. Little did I know that life was about to throw me –and the rest of the world—a curveball. I would soon have more time on my hands than I knew what to do with. Four months later, I’m an unemployed mom of twins entering first grade. Like so many other parents, I’m faced with new challenges and stressors as I try to navigate my family’s return to normal while COVID-19 looms overhead. All in all, we have been very lucky – my husband David is a teacher. He worked from home until the school year officially ended, and unlike so many others, I didn’t lose my job until July. My boy-girl twins are young enough that for them, this whole ordeal has been nothing more than an exciting adventure. Most importantly, we are healthy. For this, I am immensely grateful. Running low on self-care with everyone at home? See how some twin moms take care of themselves without leaving home here. But it has been four long months, and let’s be honest: I WANT THESE CHILDREN OUT OF THE HOUSE. I want my children to be healthy and safe, and I want to do everything in my power to protect them, of course. And I WANT THESE CHILDREN OUT OF THE HOUSE. We are approximately five weeks from the start of the new school year, and my husband and I are having the same debate as so many others: do we send the kids back to their school or keep them home? A NICU Start Prevents me From Sending Them Back to Their School The debate is particularly relevant to twin parents, I believe, because the nature of twin births led so many of us to begin parenthood in a state of constant vigilance. Preemie births, and all the health problems associated with them, tend to make a person rather cautious. My twins are six years old and I can still hear the alarms from monitors in the NICU in my sleep. Parents of twins understand perhaps a bit more keenly than others the necessity of handwashing and social isolation, because we’ve adhered to these recommendations since Day One. We had to. Some of our children still have health conditions as a result of their premature births. Our memories of our helpless babies, attached to tubes and machines and fighting for survival, are our own version of war medals that we keep locked away in a drawer. Living through a pandemic led me to metaphorically take out those medals and reflect on the battles my children have won in their short lives. Because of this, I’m not ready to send my children into yet another war zone just yet. I’m just not ready to send my twins back to school. Their Futures Keep me From Sending Them Back to Their School One of the scariest things about this virus is that so little is known about it. Researchers and physicians still don’t understand much about it, and it seems like every week a new study appears in the news with an alarming discovery. We don’t yet know the lasting effects of this virus and what long-term impact it might have on the health of survivors. Some years back, Post-Polio Syndrome was in the news. The NINDS determined that adults who survived polio as children were beginning to experience symptoms – some of them disabling – decades after they contracted the disease. Of course, no one knew this was even a possibility until just a few years ago. What if COVID-19 turns out to be similar? What if I send my children back to school in the fall and they wind up with COVID-19? Or what if they contract symptoms that might just look like a harmless cold now. Will there be ramifications years from now that will impact their health? Have you heard about the upside to this pandemic? Check out how one mom says she’s learned about the benefits of having twins during the pandemic. Other People Keep me From Sending Them Back to Their School When my twins first started preschool, I took a leap of faith that they would be safe and well-cared for by their teachers. Sending our kids back to their school in the midst of a pandemic requires an even bigger leap of faith. Will their classmates wear masks? Will they wear them correctly? Are you concerned about getting your twins to wear a face mask? Check out our tips to get your kids to wear masks here! Every week I see adults out in stores who begrudgingly wear a mask. Perhaps they’re young and healthy and feel a bit invincible. Maybe their reluctance is based on political beliefs. Whatever the reason, they exist and they may not be stressing the importance of proper mask-wearing into their children the way I hammer into mine. How do I know one of those kids won’t be in MY kids’ class if I send them back to their school? When school buildings were closed, I already worked remotely,… Continue Reading I’m Not Ready to Send My Twins Back to Their School Yet

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Congrats, You’ve Been Promoted to Co-teacher! How to Prep for Distance Learning

Twiniversity — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 22:12:38 +0000

Congratulations, you’ve been promoted! Now, there’s no raises, no bonuses, and no sweet company car, and you’ll definitely be doing this new full-time job alongside your ALREADY FULL-TIME job. Yup, you guessed it! You’ve been promoted to co-teacher at your own home! Welcome to the wonderful world of distance learning! OK, so we’ve all been there. The spring of Corona was a hot mess and all parents and teachers around the world were scrambling to move the school into the home through the internet. Many lessons were learned, many tears were shed, and I bet some of those tears were your own! (Am I right?) But this year is going to be better because we’re going to be prepared. Feeling a little down during COVID? See why one twin mom reminds herself to laugh every day. We had our very own high school teacher/twin mom Crystal Duffy offer up her best advice to start this new school year from home on the best foot forward. Crystal simultaneously taught her high school English classes online while serving as a “co-teacher” for her three girls at home, so we consider her the expert on distance learning. We hope with these tips you’ll have a little less pain and a little more optimism about the new socially-distant school year. 1. Stay Positive During Distance Learning Regardless of whether or not you agree with your child’s school’s re-entry plan for the fall, be positive. Put on a happy face in front of your children. Get excited! Go back-to-school shopping for supplies and clothes like you would do every year. Even if you are angry, upset, and anxious with the school’s plan, wait until your kids go to bed and vent with a partner or friend. Be strong and put on your best face in front of your children regarding their education. The last thing you would want to do is contribute to your child’s anxiety. Your attitude will influence your child’s attitude, learning, and development this year. In order to ensure success, be positive and supportive so you can get through this together. 2. Plan and Create Your Learning Space Plan and create your space for distance learning. Does your kiddo have a special place they do homework? Do they work in their bedroom? Dining room table? It’s important wherever you set up your workspace to make sure it is quiet, clutter-free, and avoids any distractions. Reducing clutter helps kids concentrate and focus! Avoid areas near the TV and high traffic areas in your home. If your kids are older and will be doing work on their own, make sure you’re close enough so you can hear what’s going on. If you don’t have an obvious spot, consider doing a little temporary redecorating. Run to Target or Walmart, get a folding table, and simple comfy chairs. Also, check out the dollar store for organizational bins for paper, pencils, and crayons. Provide a bin for each child to keep their personal folders, books, and materials and encourage them to decorate it to make it their own. Need a good laugh to get you through the pandemic and distance learning? Don’t miss this post to get you smiling! 3. Set Routines for Distance Learning Children, especially young children, thrive on routines. As educators, we create routines with our students on Day 1. There are clear school start times and end times, but with no school bell to mark kids tardy, we (parents included) might feel like sleeping in. With no set schedule, kids won’t start schoolwork in a timely manner. To ensure successful learning this requires ahead of time planning. What is your family’s schedule and what are the best times for learning? Download a PRINTABLE blank schedule for distance learning Invest in a dry erase board to write out the distance learning schedule each day. If you give your kids a set schedule for “school time” they are more likely to go along with it. This is what they’re used to doing in school. Set a start time and end time as well so you all have a goal to meet, whether you finish everything or not. This will help things to move along and not take up the whole day. Some things to consider: young children are more alert and work better in the mornings. If you have a middle schooler or high schooler, late afternoon and early evening might be when they are most awake and ready to learn. Build in some “brain breaks,” where you go for a walk as a family or just get up out of your chair and move around for a few minutes. Also, it’s okay to build in some screen time and TV time during the day; just make sure to identify what time of day your child learns best and stick with it. 4. Set Expectations for Distance Learning Worried about how you’ll manage distance learning? Read some of our common distance learning fails to help you avoid them this year! As educators, we have high expectations for our students. As parents, we need to also have high expectations for our children as our students. Have a conversation with your children ahead of time. Explain what distance learning is going to look like in your house. Explain that this is real school work, it needs to be taken seriously, and it will be graded by their teachers. Feeling a bit let down by your expectations during the pandemic? One twin mom suggests lowering your expectations to save your sanity! Setting up the expectations from day one will help avoid meltdowns and tantrums later on. Additionally, consider having extra work available to supplement some of your children’s assignments. Find assignments they can work on independently and don’t need your help with as much (reading a book and writing a short report is a good option). Setting the academic bar high and having the kids get used to doing independent practice where you are not guiding them the entire time will… Continue Reading Congrats, You’ve Been Promoted to Co-teacher! How to Prep for Distance Learning

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11 Books to Start to Diversify Your Children’s Bookshelf

Twiniversity — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 17:13:29 +0000

Twiniversity will be donating 20% of registration fees from all Twiniversity classes in the month of July to Black Mothers Breastfeeding. Click here to learn about our classes. From the moment I found out I was pregnant with my first child in 2009, I started preparing for the arrival of my bundle of joy. Surprisingly, the first couple of items I bought were not onesies and cute clothes but BOOKS! I have always been an avid reader and love learning or escaping into a good book. I knew I wanted to create a diverse library for my child that would include classics I grew up with as well as books featuring African American people like us. The Best Twin Books for Twins Now in 2020 as a mother of three brown boys, I look at our bookshelf and am so proud that I decided to include beautifully illustrated books that teach and entertain but show my children characters who look just like them. Representation, inclusion, and diversity is important in order to raise well rounded, compassionate, and empathetic little human beings. Here is a list of books that are a great start to help diversify your bookshelf and teach your children about a couple of amazing African American people as well as some history. 1. Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson This book tells the story of African American children in 1963 Birmingham, Alabama who volunteered to march for their civil rights, using their voices to change the world. Suggested age range: 6 – 9 years 2. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine This book tells the true story of Henry Box Brown who doesn’t know how old he because he is a slave and there is no record of his actual birth. He dreams of freedom and eventually decides to mail himself to the North to freedom. Suggested age range: 4 – 8 years 6 Great Books to Teach Kids About Color 3. Mahalia Jackson: Walking with Kings and Queens by Nina Nolan This story of the powerful voice of Mahalia Jackson shares her hardships and extraordinary journey that led up to her historic March on Washington. This book includes a timeline and further reading suggestions. Suggested age range: 4 – 8 years. 4. Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes by Floyd Cooper Langston Hughes was a dreamer and dreamed about having a happy home. This book shows how he turned his dress into beautiful poetry that reached people all over the world. Suggested age range: 4 – 8 years 5. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney This amazingly illustrated book about Duke Ellington tells the story of his music journey and his inspiring music. Suggested age range: 6 – 8 years Reading to Your Twins: A Survival Guide 6. Radiant Child: The History of Jean-Michel Basquiat by Java Steptoe Young Jean-Michel saw art everywhere and grew up to be a talented artist who showed the world that art doesn’t always have to be neat and clean or inside the lines! Suggested age range: 4 – 8 years 7. Michael’s Golden Rules by Delores Jordan with Roslyn M. Jordan This story of personal friendship and what it really means to be a champion is told by the mother and sister of basketball superstar Michael Jordan. Suggested age range: 6 – 10 years 8. Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts Ada Twist’s head is full of questions. Ada has always been endlessly curious. Even when her fact-finding missions and elaborate scientific experiments don’t go as planned, Ada learns the value of thinking her way through problems and continuing to stay curious. Suggested age range: 5 – 7 years 9. Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o and Vashti Harrison Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything. Suggested age range: 4 – 8 years 5 Ways to Inspire a Love of Reading 10. The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them. Suggested age range: 3 – 5 years 11. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats Full of wonder, this universal favorite captures the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall. The Snowy Day broke ground in 1962 as one of the first picture books for young children to portray a realistic, multi-cultural urban setting. Ezra Jack Keats’ legacy lives on in the popularity of his most famous character, Peter—the star of The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie, Peter’s Chair, A Letter to Amy, Goggles, and others. Suggested age range: 2 – 5 years A diverse bookshelf allows children to see and normalize seeing people who may not exactly look like them and later understand some of their history and culture. It may not seem like much… but it is an important start. Scherrie Donaldson is an NYC influencer, educator, event planner, and mother of 3 boys. She and her family enjoy embarking on new local and distant family adventures, exploring new cities, culture, and discovering history! She shares educational crafts, homeschool ideas, family travel, and more on her website https://www.thirtymommy.com. Tips for Reading Diverse Books with Your Kids Ideas sourced from this great article on embracerace.org.

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Read This Before You Register Your Twins for the School Year

Twiniversity — Tue, 19 May 2020 17:56:04 +0000

Not sure if you should split up your twins or keep them together in the school year? As COVID-19 continues to affect our world and children under 12 are still not able to get the vaccine, you should consider requesting that your twins be placed in the same classroom to avoid additional risk. Here’s a letter you can use to make this request to your school’s principal. As the school year is winding down and we’re looking towards summer break, now is the time to start thinking about how your twins will be placed in school next year. The sad fact is that COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere and children under age 12 aren’t allowed to get the COVID vaccine just yet (although hopefully, this will change by the fall). The Biden administration’s goal is to have all schools fully reopened by the start of the new school year. This will likely include mask-wearing and social distancing to a certain point, based on your state’s guidelines. There Are New Factors to Consider as We Go Into This New School Year: At Twiniversity we typically lean towards recommending that twins be placed in separate classrooms to help each of them gain independence and self-esteem. However, as COVID continues to make an impact on our communities, splitting up your twins may be working against the health and well-being of your family. Think About These Scenarios: It’s important that you sit down with your partner now to discuss this matter and come up with a game plan. Talk through all of the scenarios and discuss the what-ifs. Maybe make a pros and cons list to consider all the factors. But, in the end, YOU know your kids the best out of anybody. Listen to your gut and let it be your guide. The sooner you can come to an agreement with your partner and communicate your wishes to your twins’ principal and current teachers, the better. If you want to request that your twins be placed in the same classroom, here is a sample letter you can use to write to your principal and current teachers: “I know that you are in the process of determining which classroom all the kids will be in for the fall. I’ve been thinking about this and I would really like for _______ and _______ to be placed in the same classroom for the next school year for several reasons.” “By keeping them in the same classroom it will reduce their exposure in half by mainly being around all the same kids. If my twins are put in quarantine due to COVID exposure, it will be a lot easier for me to only have to communicate with one teacher while we do temporary remote learning, they can be on the same schedule for class video calls, and they will have the same assignments and projects.” “But really the thing that concerns me most is limiting their exposure to the virus. I’m trying to mitigate any additional risk, if possible. My hope is that once they are eligible to receive the vaccine, I would separate them in the following school year.” “Thank you for all the hard work that you’ve been doing and I truly appreciate you taking my concerns to heart. Sincerely, __________” We truly hope that your school’s principal is open to your request and takes it seriously. If you get push-back from them, the next step would be to contact the school’s superintendent. We wish you all the best… for you, your twinnies, and your whole family. xoxo, The Twiniversity Mom Squad

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