Babies give us plenty to worry about. They aren’t growing fast enough! They’re going to choke on this food I’m giving them! They aren’t stimulated enough! Worry, of course, is rarely productive. But what hadn’t occurred to me was that worry might actually be a weapon…to be used against one’s spouse.
Here’s what I mean. With twins it’s impossible to watch them both at all times. Sometimes one needs a diaper change, and you can’t just carry them both upstairs. Or you have to take a shower, or you’re changing one, or putting the other one down for a nap, or maybe you just have to sit at the table and breathe for a minute. To keep them safe and happy we’ve been putting them in a super yard in the living room. But now this has created another opportunity for worry. Parents of just one baby don’t seem to have super yards. I don’t want my babies to get to explore less because they’re twins. (And I wouldn’t mind having the living room back, either.)
Last night I brought the idea up to D that we might make the whole living room into a big super yard by gating it off from other rooms and baby proofing. He took one look around, walked over to the cold hard fireplace edge and banged on it. This isn’t safe, he said. I took it as an accusation. I’m not concerned enough.
Of course, MY worry of choice for the babies is choking on coins, coins which D leaves all around the house in little piles which he empties out of his pockets. Hm. Something about these worries suddenly seems a bit arbitrary…or maybe not arbitrary at all.
“Well at least together we cover all the bases,” he said. True. And then it was kind of funny.
Space Monkey Twins 
We had a gigantic playpen which they hated. I would use it if I needed the bathroom or had to answer the door. We had a biter – so I could never leave them alone for long!
I’m lucky mine seem to like it fine! It’s just that I feel a pang of guilt. Of course, if I leave the door open M now crawls out.
One -or two- can never begin to cover all the potential hazards. Impossible. My wife M. Could imagine dangers outside my imagination. You just have to be sensible and relax a bit :).
Yes, sounds about right. Sensible is good.
I guess it’s because we already have raised a baby but we are pretty liberal with the twins. That’s how they learn and grow. Yes, there are times I wish they made baby helmets because Sansa is a kamikaze baby, but you’d be amazed at how easy it is to baby proof the house and let them go. The only tough part is when the three of them follow me in the guest washroom which is very small and dangerous to two half walking babies, but I try to run so I can beat them there 😉
Ha, nice. Yes we could probably give them a wider area to roam–we are getting there slowly 😉
There is nothing wrong with playing it safe for a while. Twinnados can be dangerous
Story of my life. Choking, especially – we’ve barely even started non-pureed foods and I’m a hot mess already. Let’s see, banging their heads when they fall when trying to learn to sit, me tripping down the stairs while holding them…yes. I feel you. I’m working on it.
I know. It’s hard. I know what you mean about the eating. It disappears into their mouth and you just have to have faith. I’m growing to trust them more.