One of my main goals while writing Raising Twins was to encourage and uplift fellow parents of multiples. Yes, raising twins, triplets or more is a challenge, but streamlining strategies and keeping the big picture in mind can help families enjoy the ride. With this positive outlook in mind, today’s post adds to an ongoing list of the benefits of parenting more than one child at the same age (a prior post alluded to the benefit of teamwork).
• Kids learn self-reliance early on when they outnumber the parent(s). Believe it or not, being outnumbered can be a good thing. The very logistics that pose such a challenge in the first year of life encourage your children to become more independent as they grow and develop over time. We’ve all heard of “helicopter parents” who can be overly involved in their kids’ lives and activities. Parenting twins or more decreases the chances that you’ll be micromanaging each aspect of your kids’ experiences. My kids are currently 7, 6, 6, and 3, and while I have a personal tendency to swoop in and help too much, I can only help each child as much as a mom of 4 is humanly able! My kids are pros at packing their backpacks for school, helping put away laundry, setting the dinner table, and more, not necessarily because of my parenting skills, but due to the logistics and needs of our larger-than-average family.
• The oft-cited multiples catchphrase: “You can’t scare me– I have twins!” Once you've parented multiples for any stretch of time, you realize you are capable of more than you may have expected. You quickly learn the ropes and can handle a multitude of situations, which is empowering. This sense of empowerment can carry over to other areas of your life: handling your career, your personal relationships... if you've raised multiples through the exciting first year, you can handle anything!
• Resilience– multiples coach their parents how to roll with things and adapt. Time flies quickly when parenting multiples; we tackle current issues then move on to a new set of circumstances. Even during a difficult stage, rest assured– time will pass, the stage will pass, and you'll be onto the next milestone.
Have more benefits to add to this ongoing list? Please share in the comments.
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