Dad's Guide to Twins

Episode 102 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss these questions from your fellow parents of twins: What should you buy new vs. used for your twins? How can both parents spend alone time with each twin as a couple? What does it mean when twins are breech? Transcript […]

Episode 101 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes In this episode of the podcast, we continue the Father of Twins Interview Series with Tom Treanor. He is a father of twins and an advanced certified professional childproofer. Listen as we discuss: Having twins as an older dad Emotional roller coaster of IVF […]

Episode 101 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes In this episode of the podcast, we continue the Father of Twins Interview Series with Tom Treanor. He is a father of twins and an advanced certified professional childproofer. Listen as we discuss: Having twins as an older dad Emotional roller coaster of IVF […]

Episode 100 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes For this special 100th episode of the podcast, I invited my wife on the show to discuss our twin journey. Plus listen for a special guest appearance from our twin girls. Listen as we discuss: Overcoming the anxiety of expecting twins How we supported […]

Episode 98 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss the following: How to filter the essential advice you should follow with your twins How many people you should receive advice from before acting Why you need to judge the person giving you advice Why you should experiment as a […]

Episode 96 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss the following: Working vs. the cost of day care for twins How your job factors in a decision to stay home with the twins How you want your twins raised Get your free audio book of my Dad's Guide to Twins book, click here. Transcript Hi there and welcome to the 96th episode of The Dad's Guide to Twins podcast. This is Joe Rawlinson. As always you can find me on the web at twindadpodcast.com or you'll find much more information on having and raising twins, along with the show notes for this episode. In fact, you can go back and listen to all previous podcast episodes and read transcripts at twindadpodcast.com. If you haven't already taken advantage of the deal that I've made with Audible, I invite you to get a free audio book version of my first book, "The Dad's Guide to Twins" at freetwinbook.com. Today I’m going to talk about a topic that I receive a lot of questions about. As you are preparing for your twins arrival, welcoming the newborns into your family, trying to figure out your job situation between you and your spouse, all of these things can get kind of complicated. So a big question that I often get is should my wife work part-time, full-time or stay at home full-time with the twins. Because you and your wife are working to provide for your family, there are consequences to this decision. It's a huge concern and because, if you are not working you can take care of the kids, but if you are working you need to provide care for them in the form of daycare, some form of daycare. It's going to be a big expense, and this is a big decision. Today I want to talk about three things that you need to consider when you're trying to answer that question. Should mom stay home with the kids or go back to work? Now these big three areas are 1) the cost of daycare for your twins, 2) your wife's career goals and ambitions or even the type of career that she has, and 3) how do you want your twins raised? So let's go through these one by one. Now the biggest concern with going back to work and putting your twins into some kind of daycare is the sheer cost of that daycare. Now when I talk about daycare, there are several different options, of course, that you can have with your twins. You can go for a traditional daycare center, where you're on your way to work, you drop your kids off at the daycare and you pick them up on your way home, at the end of the day. Another option is to hire a nanny who may come into your home to care for the kids during the day, or even reaching out to agencies that provide au pairs which are usually foreign individuals who come into the country with the sole purpose of living with you and taking care of your babies. Now, all of these have different prices. The most traditional route, daycare centers, are going to be charging you by the child. Even nanny arrangements or au pairs may end up charging you by the child. So if you have twins these expenses, can add up very quickly. Now first of all, consider your family situation. Do you have any other children? Because if you have other costs for these children’s daycare and your twins it may just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back financially. Where it doesn’t make sense to pay for daycare when mom could stay home with the children. So the equation that you need to remember is that when mom's salary starts to approach the cost of childcare you have to ask the question is it worth it to do childcare? Now this can apply to mom or to dad, depending on your financial situation, who is going to stay home with the kids. If the salary starts to mostly pay for daycare and that’s all it does, you have to wonder if it’s even worth it.

Episode 94 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss the following: Importance of routine with your twins Improving your twins' appetite - why it varies and what to try Get your free audio book of my Dad's Guide to Twins book, click here. Want to have your question answered on the show? Call my voicemail number and leave your name and question: 512-222-9325 Transcript Hi there and welcome to the 94th episode of Dad's Guide to Twins podcast. This is Joe Rawlinson. As always, you can find me on the web at twindadpodcast.co where you'll find much more information on having and raising twins along with the show notes for this episode. In fact, you can go back and listen to all previous podcast episodes at twindadpostcast.com. I'm excited to let you know that through a deal I've made with Audible you can get a free audio book of my "Dad's Guide to Twins" at freetwinbook.com. Today we've got two great topics for you. One about routines and the second improving appetite in your twins. As you know, I love to answer your questions on the podcast. So if you'd like to have your question answered on an upcoming episode, go ahead and call my voice mail number and leave your question. Call 512-222-9325. So in our mindset minute today we're talking about routine, routine, routine. The more I look back on our experience with twins, and the more I talk with my fellow parents of twins, the more I realize the importance, actually the necessity, of a routine with your twins. From a very early age, from newborns and for many years that come, a routine is essential to keeping calm and sanity in your life and in your family's life. You know, when I talk about having a routine, it's not a rigid schedule where things happen in exactly the same time everyday, but consider it rather, a predictable pattern so that your twins know what to expect, what's coming next. They're going to eat. They're going to have some activity. They're going to sleep, and then they wake up and repeat the pattern. This helps you be able to see what's going to happen next, so you can plan your day accordingly. So remember if you you're having a little too much chaos in your life, examine your routine that you're having with your twins and see if that needs to be adjusted. And if the routine is completely different day to day, it could really be throwing a wrench in your works. Our question today comes from Danny who asks, "How can we improve appetite in our twins?" Click here to read the answer to "how can we improve appetite in our twins?" Hey, can I ask a favor? If you've enjoyed the show, will you please leave a review for me on iTunes of the podcast because it will help other parents of twins, just like you, find the podcast. I would greatly appreciate it. You can just search for "Dad's Guide to Twins" in iTunes on your computer or on your mobile device. Remember that if you'd like to have your question answered on the show, please call my voice mail number, 512-222-9325. I will feature your question and my answer on an upcoming episode of the show. Don't forget that you can get a free audiobook version. That's right. Absolutely free of my "Dad's Guide to Twins" book by visiting freetwinbook.com. Thank you so much for listening, and I'll see you next time. Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: iTunes (for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.)

Episode 92 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss several sleeping options for your infant twins: Which room will the twins be in? Rock n Plays Twins sharing a crib Simmons kids bassinets Brica Travel Bassinet Graco Twin Pack-n-Play Bouncy Seats Swings Halo Swivel Bassinet Want to have your question answered on the show? Call my voicemail number and leave your name and question: 512-222-9325 Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: iTunes (for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.) Stitcher Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Share Your Thoughts Please let me know what you think of this episode of the podcast, you can contact me with any questions or comments or leave a comment on the blog. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help other parents of twins find the show! Download the Podcast Download the podcast in .mp3 format (right click and "save as...") You can find Joe on Twitter and Facebook.

Episode 91 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen to Devin Bowman from Double Doodie Dad share the story of his twin journey including: What their family prepared to get ready for the twins Unexpected hospital stay at 32 weeks Overcoming the challenges of bed rest Why they had to call an ambulance to make it to the delivery room Challenges of starting breastfeeding twins The transition from breastfeeding to formula feeding How Dad could help with feeding the babies What baby gear they found most helpful with their infant twins The type of schedule that worked great with babies How to keep your marriage strong through the pregnancy and infant twins Want to have your question answered on the show? Call my voicemail number and leave your name and question: 512-222-9325 Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: iTunes (for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.) Stitcher Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Share Your Thoughts Please let me know what you think of this episode of the podcast, you can contact me with any questions or comments or leave a comment on the blog. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help other parents of twins find the show! Download the Podcast Download the podcast in .mp3 format (right click and "save as...") You can find Joe on Twitter and Facebook.

Episode 90 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss: When a twin's sleep routine changes How one twin's night time wake-ups impact the other twin The cry-it-out method versus sleep training Sleep training your twins Mentioned in the show: Podcast #84: Fatherly Advice, Sleep Regression, When Found Out About Twins Want to have your question answered on the show? Call my voicemail number and leave your name and question: 512-222-9325 Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: iTunes (for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.) Stitcher Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Share Your Thoughts Please let me know what you think of this episode of the podcast, you can contact me with any questions or comments or leave a comment on the blog. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help other parents of twins find the show! Download the Podcast Download the podcast in .mp3 format (right click and "save as...") You can find Joe on Twitter and Facebook.

Episode 89 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen to Kevin Zelenka from doubletroubledaddy.com share the story of his twin journey including: How they found out they were expecting twins When both twins were in the NICU (and one longer than the other) Starting his own dads group Being a stay-at-home-dad Taking care of twins while a spouse works at home Want to have your question answered on the show? Call my voicemail number and leave your name and question: 512-222-9325 Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: iTunes (for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.) Stitcher Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Share Your Thoughts Please let me know what you think of this episode of the podcast, you can contact me with any questions or comments or leave a comment on the blog. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help other parents of twins find the show! Download the Podcast Download the podcast in .mp3 format (right click and "save as...") You can find Joe on Twitter and Facebook.

Episode 88 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss: When does it get easier with twins? What to do when twins crawl out of crib at nap time Why do so many celebrities have twins? Mentioned in the show: Podcast #23: Transitioning your twins to big beds Want to have your question answered on the show? Call my voicemail number and leave your name and question: 512-222-9325 Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: iTunes (for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.) Stitcher Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Share Your Thoughts Please let me know what you think of this episode of the podcast, you can contact me with any questions or comments or leave a comment on the blog. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help other parents of twins find the show! Download the Podcast Download the podcast in .mp3 format (right click and "save as...") You can find Joe on Twitter and Facebook.

Episode 87 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss: Worrying about developmental delays in your twins How to handle twin meltdowns and temper tantrums in public When do you start feeling the twins move during the twin pregnancy? Want to have your question answered on the show? Call my voicemail number and leave your name and question: 512-222-9325 Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: iTunes (for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.) Stitcher Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Share Your Thoughts Please let me know what you think of this episode of the podcast, you can contact me with any questions or comments or leave a comment on the blog. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help other parents of twins find the show! Download the Podcast Download the podcast in .mp3 format (right click and "save as...") You can find Joe on Twitter and Facebook.

Episode 86 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss: Portable Sleeping Arrangements for Twins How dad can handle potty visits in public with his twins How do you spend your time with your twins? Want to have your question answered on the show? Call my voicemail number and leave your name and question: 512-222-9325 Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: iTunes (for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.) Stitcher Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Share Your Thoughts Please let me know what you think of this episode of the podcast, you can contact me with any questions or comments or leave a comment on the blog. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help other parents of twins find the show! Download the Podcast Download the podcast in .mp3 format (right click and "save as...") You can find Joe on Twitter and Facebook.

Episode 85 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes Listen as we discuss: Advantages of twins being your first children Advantages of twins NOT being your first children Newborn twins sleeping arrangements Mentioned in this episode: Dad's Guide to Twins Facebook Page Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: iTunes (for your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.) Stitcher Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Share Your Thoughts Please let me know what you think of this episode of the podcast, you can contact me with any questions or comments or leave a comment on the blog. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help the show immensely! Download the Podcast Download the podcast in .mp3 format (right click and "save as...") You can find Joe on Twitter and Facebook.