*This excerpt from Ready or Not…There We Go! May not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Top Ten Secrets to Surviving the First Year with Twins
I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle; I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.
—Mother Theresa
10. Constantly remind yourself that you will sleep again. You will eat a full meal again while it is still warm. You will change out of your pajamas again before three o’clock in the afternoon.
9. Accept that you will make mistakes. Promise yourself that you will do the best you can, and when a strategy does not work, you will fall back, regroup, and try again. Franklin D. Roosevelt said it well: “It is common sense to take a method and try it; if it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something!”
8. Promise your spouse that you will share your feelings, positive or negative, about the whole experience.
7. Set aside time for yourself each day⎯even if only ten minutes⎯to take a relaxing bath or shower. As the babies get older, take time to get out of the house and/or be with friends as often as possible.
6. Remind yourself how blessed you are, even when you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks or a good meal in days. Remember, it could always be worse (really, it could!).
5. Find humor in as much of the not-so-fun stuff as you can. Sometimes, all you can do is laugh or cry, and the former is much more fun.
4. When you need to cry, cry. Advises Jeanette, mother of toddler twin boys and a newborn son, “There will be crying—sometimes one baby, sometimes the other baby, sometimes Mommy. And that’s okay.”
3. Trust yourself and your instincts no matter what. You were chosen to mother your babies for a reason.
2. Although it may be against your nature, allow yourself to lean on people. You will have many years to repay their kindness, and you will add these moments of thoughtfulness to those you cherish along with all the other special memories of this first year.
1. Keep the cupboards stocked with chocolate (or whatever other indulgence makes you happy), and splurge on a lottery ticket at least once every two months⎯you never know!
Available online at:
