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Take it one day at a time!

Nov 1, 2000 Write an essay on this topic.

The best advice I can give for raising multiples is to take it one day at a time. Our twins are almost 8 months old and we are having a blast, but some days are better than others are.

We have been through so much since they were born. Jacob weighed 5.5 lbs, but Jonathan only weighed 3 lbs when they were born. Jonathan had to stay in the hospital for a little over three weeks before he could come home. That was a very difficult time for my wife and I, but we got through it one day at a time.

There have been many days in which both boys were happy and feeling great. Then again, there have been quite a few days and nights in which only one was sick. There have also been a few days and nights when both of them were sick. Those are the trying times that every parent of multiples goes through. I know that parents of one have many tough times also, but I just can�t imagine it being nearly as bad as when two are sick and fussy.

No matter what you do with twins, make sure you treat them the same. They will, very likely, have two complete different personalities, but you still must treat them with the same respect.

Do not play favorites. Sometimes it may seem like you are playing favorites, but it is probably because of the situation. Many times I feel sorry for Jonathan because Jacob has gotten more attention because he has been sick more often. We each try to spend the same amount of time with each boy, but many times that is hard to do. Lately we have been spending more time with Jacob because he has had trouble sleeping while Jonathan has slept all night for quite a while.

Our twins are complete opposites in many ways. One of these ways is their physical maturity. Jacob is growing faster than Jonathan is. Jacob is crawling better than Jonathan is. Jonathan is stronger than Jacob is. Jonathan pulls up all of the time while Jacob sits on the floor. It is really amazing how they can each be maturing, but at completely different things in completely different ways. I guess that�s part of the experience on raising twins.

One other thing that I can tell you to do when raising multiples is get plenty of help. We don�t know how we could have done it without the complete support of the grandparents and a few aunts, uncles, and cousins along the way. They aren�t grown yet, but they are a little more independent now than they were 4 months ago. Without the help of the grandparents, we would have been physically drained within a couple of months of trying to do it all by ourselves. I honestly don�t know how a couple could do it without any help, much less a single parent.

There are lots of things that are bad about having multiples. Some of these include:
1. More dirty diapers.
2. More money spent on everything.
3. More sleepless nights

There are also a lot of things that are terrific about having multiples. They include:
1. More love.
2. More hugs and kisses.
3. More things to experience.
4. More fun.
5. At least one child per grandmother (this way they can�t fight over just one).
6. Warm fuzzy feelings when your kids looking at each other and giggling.
7. Etc.

There are too many great things to list and, therefore, the good greatly outweighs the bad when it comes to raising multiples. If you are fortunate enough, like we were, to have twins, triplets, or more, congratulations. Take it one day at a time and don�t ever forget how blessed you really are.

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