We have learned so much from so many moms during our Mama Knows Best parenting series. It’s been fun to hear different moms’ perspectives on parenting tips, their favorite kids’ products, and even relationship advice. Our last mom in the series (for now) will be Olusola from My Twintopia…
Mama Knows Best:
Olusola from My Twintopia
Best Pregnancy or Birth Advice: Drink water! Plenty of it. I did not know how unhealthy my soda habit made me until I drank copious amounts of water while pregnant with my twin girls. I’m not sure I’ve ever been healthier.
Best Parenting Website: Definitely Babycenter. I got so many good tips from my Got Twins board.
Best Blog for Moms: Any blog featuring a common-sense parent with kids older or the same age as mine. There’s nothing quite like tapping into the wisdom of a mom who’s going through the same things I’m going through.
Best Baby Product: With twins, you learn to cherish the well-made products which are few and far between. If I have to choose one product that I would gladly spend on again, it would be my Baby Jogger City Mini Double stroller. As the twins grow bigger and the stroller is STILL easy to maneuver, my respect for it grows.
Best Parenting Advice: I pick up little nuggets from a lot of people; even those that are not parents.
Best Parenting Book: Depends on the season of life. To date, there are 3 books that have had the most impact on me as a mother. When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads gave me the tools to tailor my diet to my twin pregnancy. Healthy Sleep Happy Child helped me manage the twins’ sleep and schedule and possibly saved my sanity. The Wonder Weeks made me more empathetic to the times my girls were moody.
Best Children’s Book: My girls love Brown Bear and have a silly goldfish song they sing with their dad when reading it.
Best Kids’ Toy: That would be the Fisher Price Musical Table. My twins have had this since they were 7 months old and they still get hours of play out of it – they’ll be 2 years old this month so that’s over 17 months of quality play.
Best Kids’ Game: Tickles. Tag. Peek a boo.
Best Kids’ Craft: After a false start, I’m really pleased with the sensory bottles and so are the girls.
Best Outdoor Play Idea: Take a walk around the neighborhood and see the ordinary through the eyes of your child. There’s always something new to see, be it a construction site, a fence, the bus stop bench… As adults, we pass by those things without heeding everyday but to the kids, they are a new adventure to be investigated.
Best Way to Stay Organized: With twins, the 3 biggest sources of clutter are paperwork, toys and clothes. Have a plan in place for organizing what’s in use and getting rid of what’s not needed and you’re halfway there.
Best Way to Keep a Happy Relationship or Marriage: When it comes to the kids, you both HAVE to agree on how to parent. If your views differ, talk about them until you meet somewhere in the middle.
Best Family Outing or Vacation: One with extended family present. The kids adore being around their numerous aunties, uncles and cousins and it gives the parents a break.
Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant: Any one that has more than 2 highchairs with working seat belts makes the shortlist. Surprisingly enough one of my best chain restaurant experiences has been at Hooters. Some of the patrons gave us the evil eye but the service was very kid-friendly as was the changing room.
Best Family Meal or Recipe: Ah ha! The question that exposes my (non) kitchen skills. Don’t have one.
Best Behavior Management or Discipline Tip: My twins are barely 2 so I’m nowhere close to having the behavior management bit figured out. One of the strategies that has worked so far is instead of telling them what not to do, I suggest an alternative positive behavior to whatever negative is currently going on. As a mother to older twins advised me, “don’t let them see you sweat.”
Best Way to Spend a Mommy Moment: A power nap; preferably while getting a massage.
Olusola is a first time mom of twins who researches and shares all things related to twin parenting on her My Twintopia blog.
Do you have any clever parenting tips or fun kids’ activities? I’d love to share them with my readers. Just contact me for more information!
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Melissa says
As always, Olusola, you have great advice! I love the tip about extended family giving moms a break…it’s what I am looking forward to most tomorrow!
Megan says
Great advice Olusola!! =).
Olusola (@mytwintopia) says
Thanks for the opportunity to share Krissy. I’m glad to be a part of the “mama knows best” series.