By Lisa Henshaw
Following are some tricks-of-the-trade that I use to keep my twin toddlers entertained: Click to read the rest of this entry
By Lynda P. Haddon
There are two types of losses which, in my opinion, are often overlooked, not only by family and friends, but also by many professionals, including medical practitioners, therapists and grief counsellors. Those two losses are Vanishing Twin and Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction. For reasons which can be understood, although debated, one can see why they might be marginalized (it's an early loss..., "you hadn't yet had time to bond with your child(ren)" or "at least you still have one [two]"). However judging by the number of e-mails I receive from families with questions, disbelief, concerns and aching hearts, I think, as a society, we need to take a hard and long look at how we are supporting (or seemingly not supporting) families experiencing such losses. Click to read the rest of this entry
Why not throw a themed birthday party for your teen or pre-teen twins? Here are some great ideas to get you started. Click to read the rest of this entry
by David Viniker
If your pregnancy symptoms are earlier and more pronounced than you'd normally expect, you may be carrying a twin pregnancy. However, only a health professional can tell for sure.
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How often are we intrigued and amazed by the sight of identical twins? Little do we know how often identical twins don't survive pregnancy or birth due to a deadly complication called Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. TTTS kills more babies every day than SIDS, yet hardly anyone outside the twins community has heard about this potentially fatal condition. Here is a description of TTTS by the Fetal Hope Foundation: Click to read the rest of this entry
When you deem that your twins are ready to participate, choose some of these fun games and giggles-and-grins activities to make books--and your babies' world--come alive: Click to read the rest of this entry
Would you like a Free, Signed Copy of the Twin Connections book?
In an effort to get the word out about the Twin Connections book, I am looking for twin group leaders who would be interested in spreading the word about the book to their group members.
But I need YOUR help! Here's how:
If you're a member of a twins group (or you know about a local twins group), simply email me at debbie@twinconnections.com with the first and last name, telephone number and email address for your group leader (please get their permission first).
If your group leader agrees to promote the Twin Connections book to your group, I'll send both you and your group leader a complimentary, signed copy of the book. It's just my way of saying "thanks!" for helping me spread the word. Click to read the rest of this entry
The Loss of a Twin or Multiple in Childhood
Every year, more multiples are being born. Sadly, every year there are many twin, triplet or higher babies who lived past pregnancy and birth, and even past the higher risk of SIDS and later complications, but then died after their first birthday from congenital problems, illness, accidents and other causes. Tragically, everything that can happen to take the life of a young child is twice as likely to come up in a set of 2 children, and three times as likely in 3 . . . 4 times in 4 . . . These precious children leave behind heartbroken parents and a survivor(s) who had been their companion 24/7 since birth. If you are having to cope with this tragedy, we are very sorry -- and this is dedicated to these children and to their surviving siblings. Click to read the rest of this entry
By Holly Engel-Smothers
By the time your twins are a year old, they have developed a "listening vocabulary." They understand many things you say regarding familiar routines, items, and toys. Some examples of words your twins may understand relate to pet names, preferred toys, food and drink, family members, familiar pictures, and animal sounds.
In their brains, they have made many connections between words and the objects they represent. It is exciting when your little ones can identify a dog in a story, but for them to translate that into a real-life dog is a huge milestone. Point out things from your stories when you come across them in your day-to-day routines. A walk, a trip to the zoo, and a visit to Grandma's house allow for occasions to verbalize pieces from favorite stories and words they are learning. Click to read the rest of this entry
By Holly Engel-Smothers
Remember the board game "Monopoly," in which you move your game piece around the board and invest, pay taxes, pay rent and, occasionally, draw the card that sends you directly to jail? Unfortunately, in real life, there is also a proverbial card that will send you directly to jail. It's the "illiteracy" card. And, as the game card says, "Do not pass Go and do not get $200."
In doing research this weekend, I came across some stunning news. Seventy percent of mothers on welfare have reading skills in the lowest two proficiency levels. This is especially significant for our children because a mother's literacy level is one of the most significant predictors of a child's future literacy ability (reported in the "welfare" bullet from The Pennsylvania State Literacy Survey). Click to read the rest of this entry