Motherhood is nothing less than a blessing. In some mothers’ lives this blessing comes twice. Which fills them with the joy that no other worldly pleasure can match. But managing two children is a big responsibility, too. One that unfolds itself with time and demands every drop of sweat and blood. Since both children want equal attention, the task to satiate all their needs becomes a herculean one. And the journey, for the mother, gets more and more arduous by the day.
Yet it is not something that can’t be managed. A little attention and open-mindedness towards different things can make this journey easier and fruitful. All a mother needs to do is think a little more than usual and carry a few extra cards up her sleeves. Here are five simple points that can help a mother raise two children simultaneously and better.
Schedule everything: Managing two kids concurrently in the most efficient manner, without compromising on anyone’s personal needs, requires a tightly-knit schedule. Since you will get very little time for yourself it is always better to note everything down and stick to it. From breakfast to dinner, whatever you do throughout the day, should be done at a specific time. By now you must be completely aware of your children’s routines – their sleeping time, feeding time, bathing time, playing time, etc. Taking that into consideration you can prepare a schedule that will provide you with ample time to cater to your individual needs.
Teach the first born to be independent: If your first born is 2 or 3 years elder to your second born, it’s time to teach her / him to be independent. Children are fast learner and adapt well to a routine. Once you teach her / him to do things on her / his own, from eating to playing, she / he will adjust to it in a while and become her / his own master. This will give you an added advantage to give more time and attention to your second born, which she / he requires at this tender age. The benefit that your first born will get by becoming independent is that she / he will get more responsible and learn to manage things on her / his own. This will enable her / him to fare better in life.- Ask for help: Asking for help, from your partner of any other family member, does not make you any less than a perfect mother. In fact, a perfect mother knows how and when to involve others for the good of her children. Depending upon who you ask for help you can make a job list that will include the day-today things and then assign the tasks that you think they can do better. A mother can easily manage one child all by herself but when it comes to managing two children it’s always better asking for a helping hand. Since children are every family member’s bundle of joy, they will be more than happy to play a part in their upbringing.
- Don’t expect perfection: As a mother you always put your children above everything else and demand perfection, from yourself and others. But what you need to consider is that managing two children is very different than managing one child. You can set high benchmarks for you when you have only one child, but when you manage two children things tend to change. Having to manage two children does not mean that it can’t be done perfectly, but expecting everything to be perfect can be a mistake.
Stay focused and relaxed: When it comes to taking care of two children simultaneously anything can go wrong and send a mother into stress mode. And when a mother starts panicking, the children begin to suffer. So try to stay relaxed as much as you can and keep a clear focus on your to-do list. And even if you fall short of your own expectations, let it go. The key to nurturing two children lies in your mindset and positive attitude. Understand that something will go wrong every now and then. But it should not derail you from the track. You are a mother and understand your abilities fully. A little focus and relaxation can make things go smooth day after day.
No mother will ever want to compromise on her child’s health and safety. And if she has two children to take care of, she will do her best even at the cost of her personal happiness and health. That’s the beauty of being a mother. Taking pleasure in her children’s smile is what makes a mother really happy and proud. But since a mother has limited time available to her, she needs to find smart ways to take care of both her children. Choose from the above whatever suits you the most. Because only you know what’s best for your children.
