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Home › Articles › Multiples › Preparing for the Toddler Years

Preparing for the Toddler Years

8 Truths About Parenting Multiple Toddlers

By Elizabeth Lyons

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Know that the minute you produce the apple juice your 2-year-old has requested, he'll decide he wants orange juice – and will accept nothing less. The issue when you're raising more than one toddler at the same time is that the instant Katie decides her apple juice isn't going to work, Kelly will insist that hers isn't going to work either. Same goes for shirt, pant and shoe selection.

Another enjoyable experience: One of your toddlers asks to watch Finding Nemo while the other insists on watching The Wiggles. Negotiating that dispute is always fun, but I can assure you that as accommodating as I try to be many days, I will not be purchasing another TV to help such situations!

I have one child who likes for me to sing to the radio in the car and one who would have you think such an activity is doing irreparable damage to his ear drums. They both scream, one for me to sing and the other for me to stop. As you can imagine, there is no good solution to this other than turning the radio off, attempting to tune the kids out and singing a lullaby to myself.

You must determine when you will draw the line on the constant need for modifications and know that the point at which you choose to draw the line can change at any time given how much sleep you had the night before or how many times you've had to go through the change routine already that day. I usually try to make it quite clear up front that there is time and opportunity for one choice per meal, outing or movie watching session.

5. There Is No Such Thing as a Family Meal That Consists of Fewer Than 20 Options
At some point you will likely determine it's time to begin serving "family dinners," whereby you all gather around the table for a delicious, healthy meal you've slaved over, accompanied by some good old-fashioned family conversation. Such intentions are absolutely to be admired. Be prepared, however, for the fact that in all likelihood, your toddlers won't like what's being served (and if only one does, the other may well suddenly change her mind, as I mentioned earlier).

I used to become so frustrated when I'd cook a nice meal, only to have it accompanied not by conversation but by constant screaming for cereal, marshmallows or pizza, that I devised a solution that does indeed work about 60 percent of the time. I put applesauce, yogurt and a fruit or vegetable that I know they like on the table with the other menu items. This way, there's something I am certain they will eat even if it's not what they'd order off the menu given the choice, and my husband and I don't find ourselves having to stand up every four seconds to retrieve such an item from the refrigerator or pantry.

6. It's Expensive

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