Time Saving Tips for Twins
Having twins may be incredible – but it can also take a ton of time. From feeding, soothing, sleep schedules, laundry, bathing, and the myriad of tasks that come with caring for two small children, it’s no wonder we parents look for time savers for twins. That’s why I wanted to recap my top time saving tips for twins.
Feeding:
1. Feed Both Twins at the Same Time
First up, feed both kids at the same time. Whether they’re on milk, solids, or full meals, getting them on the same feeding schedule meals there’s a chance you won’t be feeding them constantly, all day long. When one is hungry, scoop the other one up and feed them as well.
2. Room Temp Everything
The goal in this is to not have fussy eaters. If your babies become accustomed to only eating hot food, you may have to reheat meals multiple times. The same goes for bottles. Every second it takes to make bottles while babies are screaming can feel like an eternity.
The more comfortable your twins with room temperature food, the faster and easier meal time will be.
3. Meal prep when you have help
Preparing three healthy meals for your family every single day adds up to a lot of time. Pair that with all the tasks it takes to get food on the table (shopping, unpacking, preparing, feeding, washing), and this can be the single most time consuming task of the week.
That’s why doing the bulk in one day can be a huge time saver. Find a time when you have help around (my favorite time is Sunday eve) and batch cook for the week. I like to cook up a batch of chicken breast and fish. Then, at dinner time, I just need to defrost some frozen veggies and a meal is plate-ready in minutes.
4. Pick food they can eat themselves
The key here is not having to chop things up into tiny, non-chokeable pieces. Find things that are naturally tiny; think peas, corn, edamame, macaroni, beans, blueberries, etc. In the summer, a big plate of blueberries with a side of Greek yogurt was my go-to twin breakfast.
Sleeping
5. Wake at the Same Time
When one of your twins wake and the other is sleeping peacefully, it can be so tempting to let the other sleep. If you do, however, you risk your twins being on separate schedules – which means your twins will be in different sleep schedules and you may never have them both down at the same time.
To maximize your chances of getting them both to sleep at the same time, you simply must wake them together. It will be worth it when you can sip a hot coffee on the couch alone.
Laundry
6. Don’t Fold Laundry
Yes, you CAN work out a system to not fold baby laundry! When my first was born, I spent hours meticulously folding baby clothing. When we found out we were having twins? I knew we needed a better system.
Enter, cube shelves. These magic things made life so much easier. We simply had a bin for each clothing category and tossed them in. Baby clothes are so tiny that they didn’t wrinkle, and the bins were so small we could easily find everything. Seriously, this saved so much time.
7. Keep Minimal Clothing
One way to save time on laundry is simply to not have too much of it. It may seem counterintuitive, but having less clothing may actually make your life easier. Not having to sort or fold 30 onesies can give you precious minutes back.
8. Change at the Same Time
With twins, you learn early to do everything at the same time: feeding, sleeping, bathing, and yes, changing. When you change one diaper, change two. When you change one baby out of their PJs, change them both. That way you won’t have to repeat the process less than an hour later and have a shining chance for some precious you time.
You Time
9. Engage Them While Doing Chores
Speaking of you time, how do you help maximize your chances of having any to yourself? One way is to engage your kiddos on things you would be doing anyway. It’s also an awesome way to bond with kids without playing (because we all want an awesome bond, even if we don’t have time to spend hours on the floor playing with toy cars).
Whether you’re cooking, baking, dusting, tidying, etc. it’s not so much harder to involve one or both twinnies and helps set the stage for supporting the family later in their lives. A bonus? It’s a way to bond with your kiddos without getting down on the floor and playing.
10. Lean On Your Support Network
Never is your support network more important than when you have twins. The first few years in many ways are bound to be some of the hardest (yet also more incredible) years.
That’s why if there’s a time to lean on your support network, this is it. Say yes and give a specific ask when family and friends say they’d like to help. And if you have no close support in your city (maybe if you’ve just moved), there’s always paid help. Remember, it’s not forever, but if it helps you thrive through this stage of life and be a better Twin Mom, it could be a great investment.
Time Saving Tips for Twins Can Help You Thrive
There’s no doubt that it takes a lot of time to care for twins, especially while they’re young. But there are so many ways to thrive and make it work.
By incorporating these time saving tips for twins, you’re on your way to saving precious time with your twinnies. And as twin parents, we need all the time we can get.
Read Next:
What the First Month with Twins is Really Like
Week By Week Twin Pregnancy Experience
How to Bond with Your Kids Without Playing
Follow Along On Social @TwinWinning
