The dreaded sentence that every mom with a schedule hates to hear! It never fails, when you are trying to get the kids ready to leave and you NEED to be there on time, this is when they decide that a task that they haven't done on their own yet can be done all by themselves.
As parents, you want to let your children do things on their own, and we spend enormous amounts of time teaching them to do things. It makes our life easier, sometimes, right?? It's exciting and a proud moment when you watch your child put their socks on by themselves, or shoes on, or shirt on, for the first time. Now, imagine two children at the same stage, and one can do it fast, and the other still takes a little bit more time! That's what life is like in our house! Normally you can sit and let them work on getting the task done, and enjoy the sweet taste of accomplishment when your child grins up at you once they have done it on their own.
The big problem, like I said before, is when you have to keep to a schedule. With twins, you automatically take some extra time to get the kids ready. When they start wanting to be more independent, and INSIST on it, it's going to take even MORE time! What happens when one can do it before the other one? Well, an all out war happens. You want to help the one that needs a little help, but if her sister can do it, "NO!!! I can do IT!!!" becomes the most said phrase in the house. Then the taunting happens!! It's always a competition in our house.
So, what is the best way to diffuse this situation? For me, it's all about finding a task that the other one can do while the one that needs the little extra time finishes what she was doing. Like getting one to brush their own teeth or hair while the other one finishes putting on their shoes. Just make sure that you praise them both for what they have each done, and those smiles will light up your whole day!!
