I have found since I had the boys, that it is easy to slip into insanity. It literally took 9 months before I felt like I could add anything to my life besides changing, feeding, bathing, and watching babies. That included any work over 4 days a month, working out, getting out of the house unless absolutely necessary, etc. That 9 months somehow was a magical number for us. I learned how to maintain my sanity. I found balance. And these are 5 of the things I've found helpful.
1. Clean up the front room and kitchen, every single night. That is where we spend 90% of our time and it looks like a tornado hit by the end of the day. Early on, we didn't take the time to clean up and I just felt buried in clutter and baby contraptions the minute I woke up and it made my days more stressful just because of that. Once we got into a routine of cleaning the front room and kitchen and running the dishes every night it was like a breath of fresh air every morning. It made the difference in my day.
2. Start working out as soon as you feel ready and set small goals. I remember feeling a little jealous of all the girls who were working out a lot and training for half marathons and whatnot just a few months after they had a baby. I couldn't fathom how that was even possible. And then I was reminded that nursing two babies is different than just one. I had to eat so much food, drink so much water, and was so tired all the time that I did not have any extra energy to spend on working out. Finally at that magic 9 month mark I felt like I could start working out since I wasn't nursing all day any more. I starting with just 3 days a week for 20 minutes. This has gradually increased to 5 days a week which I'm proud of but it has been huge for me and my sanity to take some me time and go for a run or do a workout video.
3. Do not compare yourself to anyone else. I see other moms taking their child to do all these things that I wish I could do but it is just not feasible with twins. It's a lot of work and I have to weigh my options of what is worth doing while still maintaining my sanity. My life and situation is unique and I try not to listen to what anyone else has to say about their delivery, weight loss struggles, half marathon runs, when next babies are coming, what tricks and developmental milestones their children do, or who these gals hang out with. My life revolves around my boys and I'm ok with that.
4. Have a schedule. We have worked hard to put our boys to bed without extra rocking, snuggling, bouncing, or anything else. It's a quick kiss, I love you, here's your binky, and blanket/pillow, and I'll see you in the morning. And they have been great sleepers, for the most part. They go down easily for their naps and bedtime and wake up happy. We put them to bed early so Jesse and I can have time together. That time is precious. The boys will wake up early no matter what time we put them to bed, so we might as well enjoy our evening together. I also currently make them stick with a two nap schedule or at least put them in their cribs with books for some "quiet time" if they won't sleep for a second nap. I need that time and I've found they sometimes need a break too when they're crabby.
5. To Do lists. I try to make a To Do list every day so I have a list of things to accomplish during nap time and after the boys go to bed. It saves me from time sucking activities like perusing facebook or watching TV. I love checking things off lists and maintaining order in our house. They're usually pretty simple and attainable like workout, shower, pay a bill, clean a bathroom, and vacuum. And then sometimes I get more ambitious with extras like clean one corner of our room, scrub the kitchen floor, clear off nightstands, etc.
1. Clean up the front room and kitchen, every single night. That is where we spend 90% of our time and it looks like a tornado hit by the end of the day. Early on, we didn't take the time to clean up and I just felt buried in clutter and baby contraptions the minute I woke up and it made my days more stressful just because of that. Once we got into a routine of cleaning the front room and kitchen and running the dishes every night it was like a breath of fresh air every morning. It made the difference in my day.
2. Start working out as soon as you feel ready and set small goals. I remember feeling a little jealous of all the girls who were working out a lot and training for half marathons and whatnot just a few months after they had a baby. I couldn't fathom how that was even possible. And then I was reminded that nursing two babies is different than just one. I had to eat so much food, drink so much water, and was so tired all the time that I did not have any extra energy to spend on working out. Finally at that magic 9 month mark I felt like I could start working out since I wasn't nursing all day any more. I starting with just 3 days a week for 20 minutes. This has gradually increased to 5 days a week which I'm proud of but it has been huge for me and my sanity to take some me time and go for a run or do a workout video.
3. Do not compare yourself to anyone else. I see other moms taking their child to do all these things that I wish I could do but it is just not feasible with twins. It's a lot of work and I have to weigh my options of what is worth doing while still maintaining my sanity. My life and situation is unique and I try not to listen to what anyone else has to say about their delivery, weight loss struggles, half marathon runs, when next babies are coming, what tricks and developmental milestones their children do, or who these gals hang out with. My life revolves around my boys and I'm ok with that.
4. Have a schedule. We have worked hard to put our boys to bed without extra rocking, snuggling, bouncing, or anything else. It's a quick kiss, I love you, here's your binky, and blanket/pillow, and I'll see you in the morning. And they have been great sleepers, for the most part. They go down easily for their naps and bedtime and wake up happy. We put them to bed early so Jesse and I can have time together. That time is precious. The boys will wake up early no matter what time we put them to bed, so we might as well enjoy our evening together. I also currently make them stick with a two nap schedule or at least put them in their cribs with books for some "quiet time" if they won't sleep for a second nap. I need that time and I've found they sometimes need a break too when they're crabby.
5. To Do lists. I try to make a To Do list every day so I have a list of things to accomplish during nap time and after the boys go to bed. It saves me from time sucking activities like perusing facebook or watching TV. I love checking things off lists and maintaining order in our house. They're usually pretty simple and attainable like workout, shower, pay a bill, clean a bathroom, and vacuum. And then sometimes I get more ambitious with extras like clean one corner of our room, scrub the kitchen floor, clear off nightstands, etc.
{This is a very accurate display of our life.
My hooligans trying to run away and me looking tired and exasperated!
Good thing I love them.}
Love this, it's so true!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this post, it's wonderful :)
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