Best Tips on How to Manage Twins All Day

Managing twins is not for the faint! It takes perseverance and lots of love. One thing is for sure it certainly takes a schedule or routine to survive.

For someone like myself who already had four kids prior, I was totally blown away at the thought of managing twins. 

Sure, I’ve been through it all before – teething, late-night wakings, potty training, etc., but to do it twice…at the same time is a different kind of beast. 

Why a Schedule is Important 

I will admit that it wasn’t until I lost a terrible amount of sleep their first year, that I realized that they needed to be on a stricter schedule. 

Our twins thrive on consistency, and we have missed out on events and gatherings because we love our sanity and prefer to prevent meltdowns, if possible. 

We aren’t to the minute with our schedule, but we try to give everyone an ideal routine that can be flexible if our days change for whatever reason. The lovely things about their schedule is that if we have to adjust it, we can get them back on track fairly easily.

Sleep-deprived twins are no fun!

Now that they are mobile and getting into everything, I’m grateful to have a schedule because I can prepare our day around their wake times and nap times (and, hallelujah for naps!)

I know that if they’re awake, they need entertainment. If they aren’t entertained, then chaos comes tenfold.

Once we learned their wake windows for their age and focused on that, boy were we grateful!

Also, when I think about scheduling play-dates, appointments, and errands, I know that I have windows that I have to do these in.

What My Average Day Managing Twins Looks Like

7:00 a.m. -8:00 a.m. – Wake up

An ideal day for me is to have them sleep until around 8:00 a.m. Some days it might be earlier if they’re going through a sleep regression or teething.

Our twins sleep separately because my son is a few pounds heavier than my girl twin, so it gave me anxiety to think about him laying on her and suffocating her in the middle of the night.

However, I let them get some time to play in their beds in the mornings. Much of the time, it’s spent hollering at each other. 

But, this gives me time to get my thoughts together before getting them out of bed because they are on ten as soon as they lay foot on the floor.

I may get up and take care of my stretching and shower.

8:30 – 9:00 Playtime, screen time, and breakfast

My little ones enjoy a little screen time in the morning, and I have no guilt because it helps me to be able to get their breakfast together and tidy up the kitchen while keeping an eye on them.

By this time, my four-year-old is also up and eating breakfast. 

9:00 a.m. -10:30 a.m. Playtime

I wake my other children to get breakfast and start school. While my older children are doing independent work, I’m keeping the twins and my four-year-old occupied in our room to keep it quiet enough for them to focus. 

11:00-12:00 Snack and switch-off

Once I get them a snack, I will have one of my older ones watch them while I sit with another child to do their bookwork. Then I have another one switch while I sit with the next child.

No, this doesn’t always go smoothly. I do have to stop to do check-ins if someone is screaming. It’s usually because a sibling is teasing or taking a toy from another sibling.

But it’s what we have to do for now. 

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch

I pause homeschooling to get lunch prepared for the twins and everyone else. Some days, I’m in the kitchen cooking a meal, but there are days they have to fend for themselves.  

1:00-3:00 – Nap time and quiet time.

Woohoo! Nap time!! One of my favorite times of the day. Haha! I appreciate this time so much. Most of the time, my twin boy fusses for a bit before going to sleep, but typically they go to sleep rather quickly.

During this time, I’ll try to wrap up everyone’s school and give more time to my four-year-old’s preschool; I only work with her 2-3 days a week.

I also use this time tidying up and working on some blogging. 

3:00-5:00 – Wake time and playtime.

When the twins wake up, they get their snacks soon after because it takes them some time to fully wake up. 

If it’s nice outside, we may take a walk with my older girls. Once get home, around 5:00, I’ll start to prep dinner. 

5:00-7:30 p.m. Dinner prep, cook, bedtime.

We usually eat dinner around 5:30-6:00 p.m. 5:30 is when everything is running smoothly, and I’m cooking a fast meal.

Amazingly, these last couple of hours seems to speed by while I’m in the kitchen. 

Around 6:30, I get that lightbulb moment – “Oh, it’s time for a bath or bedtime prep!”

Depending on how dirty they got during the day, they may or may not get a bath. I have no problem wiping their bottoms and changing their clothes to bedtime clothes. 

Remember, give yourself grace.

Bathtime is a whole chore, and my husband usually helps me with this process.

He may give them their bath while I dry and dress them or vice versa.

7:00-7:30 Bedtime

We wind down and get them ready by brushing their teeth, praying, and singing. 

We darken the room, turn on the sound machine, and say our goodnights and I love yous.

If you calculated the time my twins sleep, that’s around 13 hours of sleep a day. 

My twin girl doesn’t always go to sleep immediately after I put her down. She takes some time to wind down before going to sleep, but she’s not crying, and I’m okay with that. 

The key is to put them down together and wake them together. 

The quickest way to burn out is to have your twins take separate naps.

What to Do During Their Wake Times

The abundance of energy my twins have and because I know their wake windows for their age are why they sleep so well.

However, one of the most challenging things I hear about managing toddler twins is how to keep them entertained.

Here are some ideas to help:

Watch Songs for Littles. I know most of you have heard of Ms. Rachel. She is a big deal for a lot of toddlers and parents right now. 

My twins love her, but this only will last so long, so you can also do this:

Read books. Eric Carle, 100 words, Touch and Feel, and Pop-It books are some I recommend.

Sit down and build blocks. Those giant legos are great for fine motor skills, and your tots will be so excited when you applaud them for putting them together. 

Tumble, tickle, and roll. Let your toddlers enjoy some tumbling by flipping them, rolling them, and tickling them. You all will be laughing for sure. 

Go for a walk. Although I usually do this in the afternoon, there isn’t a reason you can’t do this in the morning as well. 

I have even more ideas for play.

Related: How to Keep Your High-Energy Toddler Busy on a Rainy Day

As you can see, my day is jam-packed, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They are great blessings, for sure. I hope you found this helpful.

What are some ways you keep your twins or toddlers busy?

XOXO,

Sharonda