Things I Didn’t Expect with Twins

Joe Rawlinson by Joe Rawlinson - October 30, 2019

There have been some aspects of raising twins that are par for the course and pretty similar to our experience in raising our singletons. However, there have been some surprising things about twins, as well.

Laundry Pile

I have been surprised:

  1. By how many diapers we’d go through. It seems that they get used up as fast as we can buy them.
  2. That I’d ever be able to tell my identical twin girls apart at a glance
  3. That my other kids were able to tell the twin girls apart before I could
  4. That sleep deprivation was worse than with a singleton
  5. By how many people gawk at our family when we are all out in public
  6. That the girls do so many things the same and yet are so different
  7. By just how much we’d need that twin double stroller to control the chaos in public
  8. By how big and uncomfortable my wife would get during pregnancy
  9. By how little time or energy I’ve had to do anything but clean up the house after the kids are all in bed
  10. By the mountains of clean laundry that stack up on laundry day
  11. By the sheer amount of toys two toddlers can unleash in less than five minutes if given a chance
  12. That I haven’t been able to figure out a way to have both twins help me cook in the kitchen (i.e., make cookies) at the same time
  13. By how much time it takes to get shoes on, jackets on, diaper bag packed, and everyone loaded into their car seats before we’re ready to go somewhere
  14. At the amount of patience having two sick twins at the same time requires
  15. By how happy I am to be greeted by two happy faces who run to me for hugs and kisses when I get home from work
  16. By how truly satisfying being a parent is

If you’ve already had your twins, what is something that surprised you?

Picture by Christopher

Further Reading

Dad's Guide to Raising Twins book
Don't forget to pick up a copy of the definitive guide to raising twins. "Dad's Guide to Raising Twins" was written for fathers of twins to help guide you through the first several years with twins. Click here to learn more about the book and get your copy.

17 thoughts on “Things I Didn’t Expect with Twins”

  1. Three things that surprized me:

    1. How much they sleep! It seems like we just get them up, changed, fed, a bit of play, and then it’s time to go back to bed. My 8 month old twins sleep for 17-18 hours/day.
    2. How happy they are. There are so many smiles and so much laughter. Those early mornings are made so much easier when we go into their room and are greeted with two smiling faces.
    3. How easy it is to change a diaper. I thought I’d be gagging at every poop. But, overall it’s not so bad.

    Reply
    • @Ross – The sleep and happy spirits definitely make life a little easier. On the diaper front, I was like you before we had kids – uneasy about changing diapers – but now I’m a diaper pro!

      Reply
  2. We use cloth and I’m glad…I can’t imagine keeping disposables stocked!

    I was surprised at how much fun they are…nothing is more comforting than two babies snuggling up!

    Reply
  3. Pregnant with Twins now. 26 weeks and I am super uncomfortable and on bed rest already. I feel as big as my 9 month self with singletons but I still have a few months to go. Just can’t imagine getting bigger and more uncomfortable. Everything hurts. Just ready to hold my baby girls but not ready for the sleep deprivation.

    Reply
  4. My husband and I have both been surprised at how much gawking that takes place. My daughters are about to turn 11 months and we took them out to dinner once and the server kept coming back to play and talk with them.

    Reply
  5. My identical girls are 7 – I knew they’d have some type of special bond, but I never expected how fiercely and passionately they’d love each other (and fight with each other haha). I am also surprised by how their in utero personalities have matched their in-person personalities since day 1. It’s pretty amazing (one free-spirit: in utero ‘spinner’ and one rule-follower: in utero head-down complier… note that they also fought in utero, which has not changed either lol). I never expected to be able to love two beings as much as I do – more every day!

    Reply
  6. Shocked at how much money we spend just on formula each week. It feels like we just bought a bunch, and it’s already time to get more.

    Reply
  7. How much I would be used as a seat! My girls are 6 now and still sit on me (each with their own preferred side/position) I do love it really, but sometimes their little toes and sharp elbows cause a teeny (massive) amount of irritation!

    Reply

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