by Every father of twins (and even dads expecting twins) struggles with the stress of twins. These worries range from financial concerns to health issues to parenting challenges.
How Am I Going to Pay For All This?
From the moment you find out you are having twins until the time they have grown up and are financially independent, a father of twins worries about how to pay for his twins.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- You don’t always need two of everything. Twins can share a lot of things, including clothes and play mats. You can even stick them in the same crib for the first few months.
- It is perfectly fine to shop at consignment stores and look for deals to help offset your expenses.
- Try and make do with what you have. You don’t always have to get the latest and greatest baby gear for your twins.
What Could Go Wrong with the Twin Pregnancy?
Yes, a twin pregnancy has extra complications. Odds are your twins will arrive several weeks earlier than a singleton baby. There are also health risks that are specific to twins pregnancies.
Take each health risk as it comes up. Talk with your doctor and discuss your options. If you worry about every possibility, you will drive yourself crazy.
Take action and take care of your wife the best you can. Make sure she is following her doctor’s orders.
How Will I Juggle Work and Family Responsibilities?
A suddenly larger family will put a lot of pressure on your work life. The reality of balancing work and family life with twins is that it won’t be easy and requires resetting expectations.
You can work and have a family with twins. You’ll just need to compromise on some things that perhaps you took for granted before.
What Will I Do with My Other Kids?
A lot of your attention will be drawn to your twins. After all, they do require a lot of work. This can put your other children at a disadvantage for getting your attention and time.
The trick here is that you need to make the time for each of your children.
(RELATED: Still looking for the right twin gear? See my Twin Baby Gear Essentials.)
Involve your other kids in caring for your twins. This will let you spend time with more than one child at a time. However, you don’t want to miss out on one-on-one time with your children.
I love to take my kids, one at a time, out to lunch. Or find some other activity that we can do together. Think about what you could do to build your individual relationship with each of your kids.
What stresses you out as a father of twins? Please share in the comments.
Picture by Thomas Pham
