Quick Tips For New Parents of Multiples

Establish a list of priorities. Babies' needs will head the list, including feeding, bathing, sleeping, and cuddling. Resting for you, should be high on your list as well. Use a chart so everyone will see at a glance who has been cared for and at what time.

Accept all offers of help. Treat your babies as individuals from the very beginning. They are two (or more) separate beings. Avoid referring to them as "the twins" and use their given names. YOU set the example for others to follow. Be sure to take photographs of each child separately for the time when one will ask for a picture of "me." Put the child's name on the back of his/her picture so that there is no confusion in later years.

Use care in selecting toys. As your babies grow, play becomes serious business. Toys that are suitable for singletons can become weapons when there are two (or more) in a playpen. As the children become older, try choosing different toys and encourage sharing. Build a special one-to-one relationship with each child. Look for special talents and praise each one often.

Multiples may have a special bond between them. Try to rear them as individuals without destroying their special bond. Your children may talk to each other in a language only they can understand. Don't be upset at the "twin talk" as they will outgrow it. Speak clearly to your children and encourage them to talk clearly also. Read aloud to your multiples. Reading stimulates speech development.

Take walks with the babies. Just getting out of the house may be a morale booster. If you are returning to work soon after the babies are born, look for a sitter who will understand the needs of caring for "more than one." Try the sitter a few times before actually returning to your job.