Twins and Their Naps..

Hi C., I have twins too. I would definitely separate them if you have the room. You should also go on to the Twinstuff website forum it is twin moms who will give you so much good advice, it has got me through a lot.

I know there are support groups out there for moms of twins and I suggest asking there for suggestions, so you're speaking to moms with a similar nap-dynamic.

C.,

I also have twins but they are just a year old now. So i can't be of much help that way... where do you live? Are you on the Central Coast?

Nothing is more important than adequate naps for kids this age - not to mention for mommy's sanity. Do whatever it takes to get your two muchkins to nap. I would definitely separate them so they don't bother each other. For my two kids, I separated them for naps but didn't for bedtime. I usually let them gab for a bit because I think this builds a bond between them. Best of luck.

Hi C.,
I dont have any great advice per se, but we have 3 things in common so I thought I would write: I'll be 39 at the end of the month, I have 2 1/2 year old twin daughters and nap time means party time to them. When my husband took one of the twins to visit his family over Christmas for 5 days (their first separation), it was so easy to put my remaining daughter to bed. There was no one to talk to, no one to play with or pull their hair, fight for a toy or take off all their clothes with and run around the room.
If I really want the girls to go to sleep, I read them a story and warn them that after the story, they have to go to bed without crying. Then I put them on the potty, put them to bed and when I leave the room, I tell them that I'm leaving the door open so that if they talk, I'll hear them. I stay in the hallway and as soon as they talk, I say shush.
Good luck.
S.

I have 3 1/2 year old twins and I sit on a couch in their room while they settle down for their naps. This way I eliminate any talking or playing. I tell them to "stop, close your eyes and go to sleep". They eventually settle down since they KNOW I expect it and won't leave until they are asleep. This may seem a bit crazy, but it totally works. I usually read or work on something while I sit there. This of course wouldn't work if you have other kids in the house though...

Good luck!
S.

Hi C., it's L. from your playgroup! I just joined.

Anyway, what the other gal said is sooo true, stick to a strict routine. Also, make sure they don't have any toys in the crib and if they talk and play, at least they're in there "resting." Make sure they know that everyday at this time, they go in their bed for 2 hours.

Lastly, be sure you don't adjust their nighttime routine to accomadate them not taking a nap. Do what you can to keep them up and get them up in the morning. My son has done this, skipped his nap and then he's sooo tired he goes down early or sleeps in later.

Now he's doing the opposite, sleeping for 2.5-3 hours at naptime and then staying up all night!! So I'm doing the same routine in reverse!

Good luck and hope to see you soon.

L.

Hi C.;

It is nice to have twin daughters, but why separated them. It was a gift to you to have a twin daughters. Either woman was desparate to have children, to the extends of having to pay invitro fertilization that's how desparated they are. Keep them in one room altogether. They just having fun to be together and keeping each other company. You would like them to have a good bonding together so that they can closer when they're growing up, protect each other. That was the family is all about. I have four children and aged 25 yrs old daughter,married and had 17 mths old daughter, 21 yrs old son studied in NY as Video and Games Designer,16 yrs old daughter was in Junior College in our community area,14 yrs old son freshman in high school. I stayed home mom because my husband had his own business and can afford to supported us. I raised those four children by myself while he is working and I run the house,apartment rental business. I challenged my four children in sports,music,art,dance,theater lesson and get them involve in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts since I am a Girl Scout Co-leader with my daughter's troop. We are working now to process their Gold Award Application for Girl Scouts and I am also helping my son reach his Eagle Scout Award. Being a mother is a hardest work that I ever work for it but it is a challenge to raise your children. You will needed a lot of sacrifices and have a spiritual belief because it will help you guide yourself and your family thru sadness,problem,happinest, etc. Enjoy your twin daughter because they grow so fast and by the time they went to school, each day is precious to spend quality time with them. If you have time now, invest lot of quality time together with them because time will go faster and faster everyday. I helped in my children school by getting involve in PTA, Adventures In Art,Soccer Mom,Room Mother to help the teacher. Besides home I keep myself busy by getting involve with my children school so that I could see them and grow up with them. I done those for 15 yrs and by the time they went to middle school. When they graduated in 8th grader, my volunteer in middle school is over because in high school, they don't needed you as much as in elementary and middle school. But I still volunteer and chaperone in my son Marching Band when they competite every where,doing fundraising, etc. He will have only 3 yrs in high school,then he will go to college again like the three children are gone and had their own life to work with. Learn and challenge yourself everyday while your two twin daughter are growing up, enjoy them and keep bonding together as mother and daughter because it is critical to have those relationship now because by the time they went to school together, they will expose with lot of experience,influence around them. Train them while they're young and innocent. Guide then,discipline,show them the right way to grow up in this nasty and ugly world that we have. Lot of coaching,keep them together at all time because that's what I raised my four children. They always goes everywhere with us while they're growing up. We traveled with them every weekend to go to our second house in the mountain. We took them vacations within Alaska,NY,California, then Philippines,Costa Rica,Europe.We send them to Hawaii for soccer tournament,they went to Macy's Parade for Thanksgiving Day,Florida for Music Corps Competitions. We bought them 5 musical instruments because 3 of them are musical lover and involve in Marching Band but one of my son is very artistic and love art and that's why he goes to NY to study. I am 50 and first time grandma and I love it.

A.

I too have twins, boys. They are 4 now. I dont have much advice but here is my experience. So this was a major problem for me. They also climbed out of their cribs at 26 months. I broke down and spent the hard earned cash on 2 crib tents and wished I did it sooner. They were a godsend! I used them for a YEAR!!! That still however didnt make them stop playing while napping. Do you have toys in their cribs? If so take any and all out. If you can seperate them, I would do it. I couldnt, so I would leave them in there, zipped up in the tent until they fell asleep, sometimes it would take an hour. They were totally happy. They never screamed or anything, so I figured it was fine. Plus I needed the break. And they needed to nap. One thing you could do, if you cant seperate them, is put a big blanket over the crib tent (if you get those) so they cant see eachother, of course they can still hear one another, but maybe removing one stimulus would help. Good luck!

Hi C.,

I have 2.5 yr old twin boys, so I understand completely!
My boys also share a room and are in tented cribs.
Are your girls still in cribs (that helps)?

If so, then they will talk themselves to sleep eventually. my boys sometimes talk for an hour after I put them down, and then suddenly it's silent. If they are tired, they will go to sleep.
Do you play any lullabyes while they sleep...that also helps them fall asleep and go back to sleep if they suddenly wake up.

My boys sleep 2-3 hrs everyday after lunch. at night they go down about 7:30pm and get up between 7:15 and 7:45am each morning!!

Good luck and let me know how it goes!!

Hi C.,
I have twin boys 19 months and I split them up for their day naps. I find they take longer 2-3 hour naps when they are split up. They share a room when they sleep at night.

I have 3-year-old twins...every nap was like party time. I tried everything. EVERYTHING!!! The only way I could get them to nap was to drive around until they fell asleep and then cross my fingers that one of them wouldn't wake up when I brought them in.

Finally...I cut out the naps and just put them to bed earlier. Probably not what you wanted to hear...but in the long run, it saved me considerable stress, I hated fighting with them about it. When they are tired enough, they fall asleep on the couch or their bed during the day, but usually they just stay up and have an early bedtime.

GOOD LUCK!! Twins are special. And just remember the words of Gloria Gaynor...I Will Survive!

Hi C., I have 18 month old twin girls and they also sleep and nap in the same room. I asked the woman who helps me take care of them as she is a multiple specialist-she takes care of my twins and triplets only. She said that if they sleep all night well then that is really the most important thing. If they are playing during there naps but are happy when they are awake and sleeping through the night- you are good. I also think it may be a phase or their naps need to be adjusted (time wise)? My girls do that some days and others they both sleep. They are great night sleepers. I have read that it is the childs choice what they want to do during nap time when they are a certain age -cry, sleep,play-as long as they are getting "down time".PS-DON'T SEPERATE THEM. Hope this helps. Justine G

hi C., congratulations on your twin girls. i have twin boys, they are six now, and this is something you might want to try. set the "mood" for nap time; jazz music, not too much light and give them something they like, such as a blanket, small pillow or stuffed animal, so they can hug it and get confortable. hopefuly this will help, but what ever is that you do make sure you do it everyday at the same time; setting a routine. and also make sure that who ever is taking care of the girls does the same thing.

My name is M. mother of twin 9moth old baby girls i seperate them and no problems with naps. If you want to get anything done you have to. Thats my solution anyways and its worked fine for me or they also just want to play as well.

Hope I could help.