Toddler twin must haves (2yo to 3yo)
Our toddlers are days away from turning three-years erstwhile which agency it is fourth dimension for some other must-have list! :) What are the things that guide maintain made this yesteryear twelvemonth amongst toddler twins simply that much easier? I guide maintain establish that equally our twins acquire older, it is becoming much less most finding things that move for twins and to a greater extent than most finding things that move for having 3 children. Most of these things are applicable to making life easier amongst 3 immature children, non twin specific.
Side note: I can't believe that my side yesteryear side must-have listing volition in all likelihood hold upwardly for the youngest of 4 children-- newborn things again! This pregnancy is flight by; I'm already inwards the tertiary trimester!
1. The Aqueduck Faucet Extender
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| Without the Aqueduck, reaching for the H2O flow |
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| With the Aqueduck, standing apartment footed on the stool |
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| Not certain what the light-headed confront is for, but using the Aqueduck |
This is seriously a parenting must-have, twins or not. I can't believe I didn't ain this when our oldest was small. This makes washing picayune hands so.much.easier, fifty-fifty amongst a stool boosting them up. The Aqueduck moves the H2O flow closer to them as well as is slowly to guide maintain on as well as off, which is useful when y'all guide maintain guests using the bath or if y'all desire to convey it amongst y'all on a describe solid unit of measurement vacation. I know this volition hold upwardly coming on our side yesteryear side timeshare trip.
2. Lunch containers
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| All these are from-- where else?-- Target |
I don't guide maintain a specific luncheon container that I highly recommend... Instead, this is much to a greater extent than most simply having a luncheon container that suits your needs. I dear how these luncheon containers from Target don't guide maintain fancy lids to opened upwardly or lots of compartments to proceed clean. I tin guide maintain the lids off as well as permit the boys complete their picnic lunches inwards their carseats. They are small-scale plenty to easily fit inwards their laps as well as concur the perfect portions for our almost three-year olds as well as five-year old. We pack a lot of lunches as well as thus having containers for each of them is real useful. I also guide maintain H2O bottles that I refill for them as well as convey amongst us. Again, I don't guide maintain a create that I am inwards dear with. I tend to prefer H2O bottles that don't guide maintain a lot of small-scale parts as well as no valves. Easy to create clean is a must!
3. Thirty-One Picnic Thermal Tote
I do have a luncheon pail that I absolutely dear for heading out amongst all 4 of us-- me as well as the boys-- as well as the times when my hubby goes out amongst us too: the Thirty-One Picnic Thermal Tote. I dear this luncheon pail. It fits us perfect for our commons trips, afternoons out running errands, as well as when I'm bringing snacks to our oldest son's picayune sports games. I utilisation this matter almost every day. I tin also fit my H2O bottle inwards hither along amongst our lunches. This luncheon pail is non likewise big as well as non likewise small. It is also soft thus I tin shove it underneath our stroller. The handgrip is adjustable thus I tin hang it over the handlebar of our stroller. I bought this luncheon pail because I was out amongst ane of my girlfriends as well as she had packed her luncheon inwards it. I absolutely loved it as well as how good everything fit inside! I went dwelling as well as told my Thirty-One consultant that I wanted ane as well as promptly placed an order. :)
5. Croc-like shoes
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| Putting his Crocs on all yesteryear himself |
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| Putting his Skechers on all yesteryear himself |
I know what y'all are thinking: CROCS?! Yeah, Crocs. When y'all guide maintain 3 kids, it is actually (really, really, really) annoying to assist acquire 3 sets of shoes on half dozen feet, necktie half dozen shoes, as well as then-- Lord forbid-- nosotros acquire somewhere where they guide maintain to guide maintain their shoes off. Or their shoes acquire wet. So Crocs, or Croc similar shoes, are simply the ticket. The picayune boys tin pose their Crocs on as well as off yesteryear themselves. If they acquire moisture spell nosotros are out, they dry out quickly, dissimilar sail sneakers. They breathe. They move similar flip flops as well as protect their toes similar sneakers. When nosotros acquire to the spray park, they tin apparel their Crocs inwards the sprinklers. I permit the Crocs dry out as well as thus they apparel their Crocs over to the playground. Love a multi-purpose shoe! Their feet guide maintain grown ane time again as well as it was fourth dimension to purchase shoes for this summer. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 friend tipped me off to the Skechers Boy's Guzman Seeperz. They guide maintain all the convenience of Crocs without that oh-so-stylish Crocs look. I loved the toll tag-- I bought all 3 boys a pair at the outlet mall for simply nether $50 compared to ane pair of Crocs at $29.99-- but for our oldest they guide maintain been a picayune disappointing. The shoes are notwithstanding intact, but the white on the toes start chipping almost the same solar daytime nosotros brought them home. Little kids are quite difficult on play shoes, although they haven't chipped nigh thus bad for our toddlers.
6. Baby-sitter
In my weblog post service "0-2 twelvemonth erstwhile twin must-haves," I said drop-in childcare as well as a baby-sitter were a must. Sadly nosotros guide maintain moved from North Carolina to South Carolina as well as nosotros no longer guide maintain a drop-in childcare position (believe me-- I guide maintain looked!). Being a military machine family, nosotros motion a lot. We are in all likelihood only going to hold upwardly living inwards South Carolina for some other year. When our oldest was a baby, I never had a baby-sitter I hired. I never fifty-fifty looked. I would inquire my girlfriends inwards the FRG or I would reschedule whatever I had planned. My hubby was ever underway or working. I had a sling and our son went everywhere that I went. Having 3 kids amongst a 4th on the way changes that a picayune bit... I variety of demand a baby-sitter for a lot of things, similar my OBGyn has a no kids inwards the examination room policy. Actually, my final OBGyn had that policy when I was important amongst our twins, but it was much easier to drag ane fairly well-behaved toddler amongst me than a preschooler as well as 2 toddlers-- it's slightly to a greater extent than distracting. Also, amongst 3 kids as well as our 4th on the way, nosotros like getting out every straightaway as well as then. My hubby as well as I desire to utilisation a baby-sitter to acquire birthday shopping for our toddlers. Not a real fancy date, but it certain is overnice to exit without 3 kids inwards tow as well as chat equally a couple. With a busy family, it is skilful for our union to guide maintain payoff of those picayune opportunities to exit yesteryear ourselves.
I know what a lot of my military machine married adult woman readers are thinking, "But where practise I notice a baby-sitter?!" I don't actually know. One of my best friends has establish their baby-sitters (2 different duty stations) on sittercity.com. It is complimentary for military machine families: Sittercity Military Program. My sis has fifty-fifty used a baby-sitting site similar that, for her missy as well as also to notice a pet sitter for her cat. One of my actually skilful girlfriends used to baby-sit for those sites earlier she had kids; I would definitely hire her to lookout adult man my kids (and I oft practise abandon my kids at her house-- haha!). I didn't guide maintain skilful luck finding a sitter on those sites when nosotros offset moved here. I acquire actually nervous leaving our asthmatic toddler amongst people I don't know. I'm going to guide maintain to give them a endeavour ane time again when nosotros motion side yesteryear side time; I don't know if we'll motion somewhere amongst such an awesome neighborhood equally nosotros guide maintain here. I establish our electrical flow sitter yesteryear discussion of oral cavity from my neighbors. I practise know that I didn't simply guide maintain a baby-sitter autumn into our lap when nosotros moved to South Carolina, away from our awesome baby-sitters inwards North Carolina. We establish our baby-sitter hither yesteryear scream for people most baby-sitters. I messaged people. I posted jobs on baby-sitting sites. I met upwardly amongst people. I actively searched for a baby-sitter and, afterwards a twain weeks, I establish the perfect jibe for us-- a fabulous Navy married adult woman who also happens to guide maintain asthma (makes me much happier finding someone who understands asthma to lookout adult man our boys!). It takes patience. It is difficult equally a military machine family, moving to a novel dry reason as well as finding someone y'all trust to lookout adult man your kids, particularly when y'all don't know anyone. Give it time. Keep looking. It tin happen!
7. Our Baby Jogger City Select amongst a Second Seat
Well, y'all knew this would create the list. Read my previous weblog posts most it here:
- "0-2 twelvemonth erstwhile twin must-haves"
This post service includes pictures of our toddlers at two-years erstwhile using our stroller. - "I dear my stroller"
The master copy post service most our stroller.
I pose ane topographic point inwards most of the fourth dimension because only ane of our toddlers actually ever wants to ride inwards the stroller anymore. The other prefers walking. When babe #4 comes along, I'm going to pose our glider board dorsum on our stroller. That way I volition guide maintain the glider board for ane toddler, a topographic point for the other toddler, and the infant auto topographic point adapter for babe #4. For times when nosotros are going to the commons as well as hanging out for a long menstruum of time, I dear having the stroller amongst me to assist send all our stuff.
8. Responsibility
This is the historic menstruum where our toddlers desire to assist amongst e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. They desire to assist unload the dishwasher, create clean the bathtub, flexure the laundry, pick upwardly toys, send inwards the groceries... but they don't actually desire to follow through amongst all of it or practise whatever of it exceptionally good (well, the way I would practise it if I didn't guide maintain "help"). Today when I cleaned the bathtub, I permit ane of our toddlers assist me scrub. No demand to worry; I used baking soda to create clean the tub thus it was only safe. I simply gave him an extra scrub brush. (Read "Homemade household cleaners.") In my weblog post service "Domestic goddess," I speak most our cleaning schedule. They dear helping me clean. I give them rags to dust amongst and dole out small-scale tasks for them to assist with. Today I gave ane of our toddlers ane slice of laundry at a fourth dimension to pose inwards the laundry hamper equally I folded clothes. I similar encouraging them to assist because I've seen how awesome it tin be-- our five-year erstwhile is an exceptionally skilful help. He's fifty-fifty started washing dishes lately! Yeah, awesome help. Encourage it spell they are interested. :)
The other matter they dear is having picayune things that they tin practise yesteryear themselves. Our boys dear coloring. I pose the crayons as well as the newspaper on a shelf that they tin reach. This took time-- nosotros didn't start out amongst the crayons within reach. They guide maintain learned that if they desire the privilege of using the crayons whenever they desire to, they demand to utilisation them at the table. They experience similar big kids getting the crayons out whenever the urge to color strikes them. Having these picayune independent activities that they tin practise yesteryear themselves helps them start agreement responsibleness as well as next instructions. These types of things are much easier when y'all are delegating to the youngest age. When nosotros had these types of responsibilities for our oldest as well as our twins were simply about 18-months, nosotros had to laid him up inwards an expanse that wasn't accessible to his younger brothers who were non erstwhile plenty to empathize what he was doing as well as why they couldn't participate. Now that they are almost three, they empathize when nosotros tell them that their older blood brother is working inwards the component division as well as they demand to rest out. We tin normally distract them amongst an activeness of their ain at the kitchen table. We guide maintain designated areas for all these types of activities/responsibilities. Our component division is transitioned to a K'Nex/Lego workspace for our oldest (right straightaway my hubby as well as our five-year erstwhile are edifice a 3D Star Wars puzzle inwards there). Most of our toddlers' activities are at the kitchen tabular array thus nosotros tin proceed a closed oculus on them as well as create certain they acquire properly cleaned upwardly when they are finished.
9. Oliver's Labels Safety Wristbands
This ane is identical twin specific. We bought these wristbands when our twins were born. They were much likewise big for newborns, but nosotros started using them afterwards nosotros establish our offset baby-sitters inwards North Carolina, earlier our sitters could tell our identical twins apart, or when nosotros would driblet them off inwards a childcare province of affairs (drop-in childcare, church building nursery, etc.). These are real useful when nosotros guide maintain novel baby-sitters (our novel baby-sitter hither inwards South Carolina straightaway tin tell our boys apart) or when nosotros guide maintain friends/neighbors watching the boys. Now that we've been making all novel friends, these guide maintain been quite useful again, particularly since our toddlers don't similar beingness called yesteryear the incorrect name. "That non me! That my brother!" These are also super handy when y'all guide maintain a lot of extended describe solid unit of measurement visiting or out of town guests that aren't used to interacting amongst your twins. Our boys guide maintain such different personalities (and hold off different straightaway that they are toddlers as well as non newborns) that it only takes people a picayune spell to position them. As I said, nosotros bought each of our boys a pack when they were born. They are turning 3 inwards a few days as well as nosotros are notwithstanding using the same pack. When nosotros had describe solid unit of measurement inwards town for a twain days, I normally simply kept the same wristband on them the whole weekend. These wristbands are real durable as well as did good through bath times as well as daily apparel as well as tear for those long weekends.
(I am avoiding maxim "knowing who is who" because I seriously practise loathe the "who is who" game. Read my weblog post "Identical brothers.")
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