Need Some Advice Please !!!

[TwinsMummy]

I have twins daughters who are 3 1/2 and im having a really hard time with them lately. I work in the afternoons 1-6pm mon, tue & fri, 3-8 wed and 4-9 thur these times have made it very hard for me to establish a routine for my girls. When the twins were born the had a very strict routine thats was great for me they slept through from 3 months and were perfect babys but since theyre now a bit older and i work, their dad works and he also plays football tue & thur nights theyre constantly backwards and forwards i cant establish a routine for them. They have always behaved better when theyve had a routine to stick to. And in the last few months i feel like im losing control a little bit .They play up really bad at the shops then at night theyre out of control im ready to pull my hair out... I need a little bit of advice or if anyone else has a set routine for their toddlers id love to hear them not matter what the work hours or commitments i just need a little guidance and would love to hear what other mums do or how they deal with stressful toddlers. Thanx

[~clover~]

Hi. Your girls are gorgeous!
Not too much advice on the routine thing - Sorry.
But I am going through the same with my 3 year old. She's just starting to test the boundaries. ie she will throw something on the floor & when told to pick it up will tell me she can't til I threaten a smack on the bum. She'll usually do it before she gets the smack, but not all the time.
& even though she knows she is in trouble she has a smile on her face, or she will look at me while doing something waiting for my reaction.
I think it might just be their age. They are realising they can get a reaction out of you, so they push to see how far they can go.
Maybe routine will make things better for you. I hope so!

Good luck anyway. I know I didn't help, but at least you know your not the only one.

[TwinsMummy]

No thankyou so much you did help i know now atleast im not the only mum going through it... i am struggling really bad right now and i have a short temper as they get older and naughtier i seem to snap easier and thats all i feel like i do is tell them off all the time cause theyre so naughty its like they do it to see how far they can go... but im about to rip my hair out...

[~clover~]

I feel the same. My 6 year old is doing it too, but my 3 year old only just started.
All I can say is relax & be consistant. The last few days Bri has really be getting to me & I've been very short tempered compared to normal, which I think is making her worse.
Just try to be calm & not yell. It just gets you worked up & stressed if you lose it with them - It won't bother them too much though!
Do you have a naughty spot? Maybe they can have a corner each. But then if they are like mine, they will sneak to each other!
Mine are always worse when we are out. They know I can't put them in the corner or smack them in public. So if we are at say the drs I will make a naughty chair. Or just let them know they are going to the naught spot when you get home & stick to it.
If they want something at the shops say no & even if they kick & scream stick to your guns. My girls have thrown so many tanty's in shopping centres, I just ignore them. If we are walking I keep walking - they won't let me get too far without coming after me. & if we are at the checkout or something I just don't look at them.
It's not easy, but if you give in just once they will think that they can do that every time & get what they want.

Thats what I do.

[TwinsMummy]

Yes i have a naughty corner for them both they have a corner each and they havent yet ever moved from that spot when they have been put there so the naught corner works well for me but yeah its hard when im at the shops or something especially with the two of them at the shop on my own ggggrrrr thats when they push me to my point because as you say they know you cant smack them at the shop im too scared to incase someone will make a comment or look at me weird...

[~clover~]

I don't really know. I've had my neice & DD2 at the same age for a week & was thanking God at the end I didn't have twins! They get into so much mischeif together.
Do you have harnesses for them? I was planning on having one each for the girls, ribbon if I couldn't buy them, but DH ended up coming home early, so I made him come shopping with me.
DD2 & my neice have a bad habit of running off.