Sharing pacifiers/toys/etc

Jen0204

I'm very laid back with who gets what.  If DD1 is screaming and I only have a pink pacifier around (those are DD2's) then that's what she gets.  I don't worry about DD1 chewing on a toy and then DD2 chewing on it.  They had thrush for a little while so I tried to keep things separate and sanitized stuff in the bags each night, but now it just doesn't bother me.  Heck, I had them in church with my mom one night and DD2 didn't finish her bottle but DD1 was still hungry so I popped DD2's bottle into her mouth.  However, H and my sister think that them sharing is completely gross.  I asked them why, since I share drinks and food with each of them regularly and they said "it just is!".  Am I just weird or do you guys let your kids share all of this stuff without worrying?

drgeli

My boys share everything. Like you, I have also let one finish the others bottle when the situation arises and now I started feeding them solids out of the same bowl and using the same spoon. It would be way harder to keep track of everything they put in their mouths these days anyway.

violaplayer

I don't get too fussed if they share. Most likely if one is sick, the other is going to get it regardless of what I do.

kiwi443

They share. I was going to keep pacis separate. That lasted only a few days .

Jen0204

Okay, good, I'm not nuts.  H even tries to keep the burp cloths separate.  I picked one up from the couch the other night and he yelled "No, that one is Olivia's!" really loud, scared the crap out of me.  I rolled my eyes, told him to chill, and used it for Natalia.  He kills me.

google123

your H sounded a lot like mine.  Now he's chilled about it.  I always shared and he used to freak out about it.

GeauxTigers82

It actually grosses me out too. However, it only took me a few times of trying to feed them with different spoons to realize it's not worth it! I tried to keep bottles separate (they never took pacifiers), but occasionally I would use one bottle for the other baby. I usually just got more for the hungry one and threw the leftover one out. Wasteful, I know. I try to keep their sippys separate and for the most part, they know which one is theirs for the day. I don't freak out about it though! They don't share washcothes, towels, toothbrushes, or thermometers either! I think I'm the weird one though!! 

I don't even like sharing food with my kids. DH does it all the time and it grosses me out! Of course, while they all had strep awhile back, I was completely strep free!

lovebugkim

I used to be a separate freak but when they get older it's impossible. I used to feed from separate bowls & spoons, but it's so much easier & faster with one!! They still have their own paci's, BUT they ALWAYS reach over and grab the others. As for toys, it's a free for all. I just try to clean them every so often. Here's a perfect illustration of them "sharing" paci's.

 

ColleenS629

We started doing separate pacis but that didn't last long. We don't do pacis anymore but they share everything now. I feed them from the same bowl with the same spoon. 

amanda31H

At that age?  They shared EVERYTHING.  It's only been in the last few months that we've stressed that they each have their own cup, own snack trap, etc....

 

Jen0204

Thanks everyone.  I'll try to get H to relax a little, and just try to keep things separate if they get sick (though like someone said, if one gets sick I'm sure the other will).  Good to know that people use one bowl/spoon, I'll have to keep that in mind.

jcath

I am kind of a germaphobe so didn't think I'd let the girls share anything but in the end they share everything.  We let one finish the other's bottle on occasion and definitely feed out of one bowl, one spoon. It's my  mantra with twins...you just can't sweat the small stuff.

regenab

Your DH is going to get over this the first time he feeds them with the same spoon, and he will. It is too much of a PITA to have seperate spoons and bowls for each baby. Once they are crawling they will be pulling pacis out of each others mouths and putting them in their own. It is just part of being a multiple set. They drool and slobber on each other a lot when they are toddlers and teething. They will also have runny noses and coughing on each other all the time. It is just part of being twins. I got over it pretty quickly because it was easier just to let them do it (meaning using each others pacis/toys/cups/bottles and spoons). I mean it is not like I santized my breast between feeding each twin (when I did breastfeed).

Even now at almost 4, if one girl doesn't finish something her twin will grab it an eat it or drink it. I do try to keep toothbrushes seperate and they are pretty good about only using their toothbrush because they get to pick it out at the store. They share everything else though.

Eriksgal

This thread makes me laugh and makes me feel so much better! I totally feed all three with the same spoon and I wondered if I was being gross by doing that but yeah it's a total pain to do three spoons.  Mine are at the paci stealing stage and the nanny clips the wrong paci on the wrong babies bib pretty much everyday so I figure it doesn't matter.

crystaleyes39

I'm glad you asked this, because i'm so anal about keeping everythign seperate. Now that I've read most of you dont...I think it's time i calm down a bit and not freak if I cant remember whos paci is whos

MrsLnt

I'm not the norm in that I always fed with separate spoons. I would do two bowls until I discovered divided bowls and then just used that. I didn't sterilize toys in between babies, but I tried to keep Sophies separate. I had different color pacis for each baby (boy and girl so it's pretty easy to color code) and, after 6 months or so, pacis didn't come out of the nursery so it's pretty easy to keep them straight. They did swap (and still do, to be funny) and I don't freak, but most of the time, I try to keep it separate. When they were in the bottle stage, I'd just switch nipples if one was going to finish the other's bottle. 

At 18 months, they know whose sippy is whose, although I'll occasionally catch them drinking from each other's cup, or, sometimes both cups at once.  It's impossible to keep everything separate 100% of the time, but it's really not that difficult to keep most things separate. They have their own towel each night, their own wash cloth, their own toothbrush, etc.