September has become a time of reflection for me as the boys turn a year older and I gain another year of parenting under my belt. The other day I was journaling about the start of September and writing down some thoughts as we approach their second birthday. I’m sharing an excerpt from that entry of my current thoughts on parenting the twins:
•I feel like I am slowly coming out of the “survival mode” I’ve been in the last two years. It’s starting to feel like a really fun + exciting season on the horizon with many things to teach and independence to nurture.
•Things are becoming easier the more they’re able to communicate their needs and actually use their words. There’s less frustration on both ends.
•Mom calls this season the “testing two’s” rather than the “terrible two’s.” She’s right. They test me, their daddy, the laws of gravity-everything. They’re learning about the world around them, the rules, social constructs, etc. Consistency and freedom within boundaries seems to be key.
•High emotions. Everything is high emotion. Lots of screaming, tears, kicking, full body tantrums. Sometimes one boy is high emotion in the morning and fine after nap. Then the boy that was fine in the morning will be high emotion after nap. Sometimes they’re both high emotion all day long. Those days are hard. I have found it’s best to remove them from the scene, let them feel what they need to feel while saying, “I know-it’s tough when we can’t get our way,” or something along those lines. They almost always need a hug or cuddles afterwards. And then we move on.
•Activities are starting to feel more manageable. Cooking, sensory activities, a little walking without the stroller (never dreamed of the day). They’re getting better and better at following directions and I’m becoming more confident in my own mothering abilities.
I’ll be spending my time reflecting + reminiscing + staring at their newborn photos. I just can’t believe they’ll be two. Time seems to move more quickly with each year that passes.
Outnumbered 