What do you say

MrsB*7*21 · December 2010

when people laugh about having babies on a schedule??

I am a planner/organizer/scheduler. Every time I say anything about having our twins on a schedule, people laugh and say 'let me know how that goes' or make some other snarky comment. (Especially my IL's, who normally are very supportive.)

I teach Kindergarten so I completely realize that things typically don't go exactly as planned, but I don't believe it's unrealistic to think that I will be able to get these babies on a pretty consistent schedule. Obviously it's not going to happen in a couple weeks and once I think I have it figured out something will come up that will rock the boat, but in general, having a schedule is possible, right?

Shannonlea · December 2010

Its very possible to have twins on a schedule and in my opinion, its more necessary to have two babies on a schedule than it is to have one on a schedule. You just have to be super flexible with the schedule because, in the end, the babies will dictate (by screaming like crazy) when they want to eat and sleep. We used the EASY method and it worked great for us. I started at 4 weeks. I quit telling people too many details about my kids. If I told people they were STTN at 8 weeks, I got crazy stares. If I talked about schedules, people looked at me like I was nuts. So I just quit talking about it.

monkski · December 2010

IMO, it's the only way to make things work with twins. If you didn't have a schedule, it would be chaos! My friends and family comment all the time how they can't believe how awesome my schedule works, because they never had a good one themselves. I just respond that it's a neccessity with twins. You do have to be somewhat flexible and I also follow the EASY plan along with some things from Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins. Their feeding schedule mostly dictates what their sleeping schedule is, but it has really helped me to wake the other to eat when one gets up and always keeping them on the same feeding schedule.

nikinikinine · December 2010

I have actually given up on telling anyone my intentions with the twins - it doesn't matter if I'm saying I hope to BF for 6 months, I hope to tandem feed, we'd like to get them on a schedule, blah blah. Someone always has an eyeroll or a comment or some adage about how it'll never happen and here's why.

Even my MIL and my mother have fallen victim to commenting in a negative manner.

As far as I'm concerned, it's no one's business how I choose to raise my children and what I try to do to manage our family. I keep the conversation focused on things people can be excited about - yay two babies, LOL.

OrangeSmoke · December 2010

Everybody makes fun of my "schedules" until I tell them my boys sttn at 8 weeks and now sleep 10-12 hours a night and rarely has a meltdown during the day.

I tell people "the schedule" isn't really about the babies... it's a committment on my part as a parent to give them stability. For example, we committed to give them a bed time routine every night at the same time (we haven't missed one yet). They pay us back by sleeping thru the night. .

MrsLnt · December 2010

Schedules are a necessity with twins. Otherwise you'd be feeding people around the clock even more than you already are.

I get called the "baby Nazi" by my mom and get comments like I let my kids sleep too much. I tell them good sleep begets more sleep and that kids crave stability and routine.

People who are so snarky about kids being scheduled, I find, are kind of jealous that you can make it work because they didn't do it with their kids.

And now that I've said that, I'm sure my schedule is going to go to hell today! Ha.

MrsB*7*21 · December 2010

Thanks ladies! I have been trying to avoid these conversations but whenever someone tells me how chaotic my life is going to be with 2, I end up defending my 'scheduling plan'. If I'm going to have chaos, it's going to be organized chaos! Thankfully my mom's hair stylist has twins and has told my mom about how much easier their life has been since she's gotten her girls' on a schedule so I have her support and DH insists that I'm the baby expert and will go with whatever I say/want when it comes to them!

Temp159135562506975 · December 2010

I laugh at them back. I let them know that all 3 of my boys were on a schedule from day one and thrived on it - and it worked great for us, too- to know what to expect... know why they were fussing by what time it was in the schedule, etc.

schedules are not for everyone- but lets face it- as adults we live on a schedule... our bodies get used to schedules very easily --- when to wake, sleep, eat, etc... there's nothing wrong with schedules AT ALL... .and anyone who tries to tell you that you are doing something wrong by having a schedule is either jealous that your kids are on one (and STTN like mine were at 8w) or is just annoying and can't understand that all moms do things differently.

Temp6313048411121614 · December 2010

FYI I didn't read all of the replies b/c I only have a few free minutes to nest. When do you plan to have them on a schedule? My twins weren't really on a consistent schedule until they were 8m, a looser schedule around 4ish months. I think if you plan to have them on a schedule the day after you get home from the hospital, you're dreaming (but I know you said in your OP that you know it won't happen right away). Don't worry about what everyone else things, you'll figure it out as you go, unless they've had twins, they won't have a clue to what your life is like.

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