A compilation of tips from 20 years of advice from MOST families
Edited by Lauretta Shokler of TX, Mother to 2 singletons and triplets. Here are some tips, signs of readiness, and words of support from other HOM families.
Introduction: How do I potty train multiples? This common question for parents of triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, and more is often asked with trepidation, desperation, or sometimes, just plain fear. While the process varies for each family, the first and most important facts to remember are 1) you are not alone and 2) it can be done without losing your mind. Continue reading Tricks of the Trade: Potty Training Multiples
With Daylight Saving s Time beginning again, we thought we’d ask MOST advisor Kelly Ross, MD, for some tips to get your children on the right track.*
Studies show that getting enough sleep reduces childhood injuries and obesity and improves school performance and social success. How much sleep do kids need? Use the chart below as a guide and follow the tips below.
| Age |
Hours of Sleep Needed |
| 1-4 Weeks Old |
15 – 16 |
| 1-12 Months Old |
14 – 15 |
| 1-3 Years Old |
12 – 14 |
| 3-6 Years Old |
10 – 12 |
| 7-12 Years Old |
10 – 11 |
| 12-18 Years Old |
8 – 9 |
| Adults |
7-8.5 |
1. Make a Bedtime Routine: Try the 4B’s: bath, book, breast/bottle, bed. Repeat nightly (or as much as possible) so your children’s minds and bodies can slow down and transition to sleep. Older kids can read in bed by themselves, or you can read aloud to them.
2. White Noise: Having a white noise machine or fan to create a sound barrier helps children fall asleep and stay asleep. Avoid a TV or radio because they keep the brain alert and lead to poor sleep.
3. Nighttime Tool Kit: Keeping kids in bed is important for sleeping! Children over age 3 can have a box of tissues, a flashlight that turns off when the handle is no longer squeezed, and a cup of water. This allows them to take care of their needs before falling asleep, or if they wake during the night, without getting out of bed to find you.
4. Limit Late Night Activities: Extracurricular activities that end around bedtime can derail good sleep habits. Advocate for activity times that end early enough to allow children sufficient time to transition to sleep.
*Adapted from Dr. Ross’s November 2012 article on ChildrensMD.org.
Are you a parent of multiples that are 3 or older?
Many multiples families struggle with the school and/or class placement of their children. Every spring, the questions start popping up, “Should we home school, send to private school, or send to public school?” “Should I put the children in the same class or separate classes?” “How do you handle the logistics of school, homework, conferences, etc.?” There is little current research on multiples in educational journals.
Lisa Share, PhD, is a full time faculty member at Walden University and a mother of triplets. She created a survey for MOST, approved by Walden University, to ask families the questions most frequently asked. She plans to share the research with multiple birth organizations. If you have multiples that are three and older who either attend school or are educated at home, please complete this survey on Survey Monkey. It will take no more than ten minutes and will help many other families who ask the same questions.
If you would share this link with any of your multiples friends or local multiples’ groups, that would be great. She would love to learn and share as much information as possible. If you have any questions, please email lisa.share@waldenu.edu.
The survey is open through October 2013.
Thanks for participating!
 As 2012 draws to a close, we’re thinking about new chapters and new years. Maybe you’ve just joined the MOST family. Maybe you’re knee-deep in school issues. Maybe you are sending your children onto the next chapter of their lives, whether it be college, the military, or the working world.
For many multiples, it is the first time they will not see each other every day.
We asked some of our multiples “veterans” and their parents to tell us how they feel about being a multiple now that they’re older. Read their comments and celebrate MOST’s new chapter (25 years of service!) with a birthday gift.
 There is much to do after experiencing a flood, fire, tornado or hurricane. It may feel overwhelming. Here are some practical tips from families that have experienced a disaster to help you get back on your (many) feet!
After taking care of your immediate needs: medical care, shelter, food and water it is time to look at recovery. How will you rebound? Continue reading Rebounding from a Disaster
 Whether your children are babies or grown, many parents ask “Does parenting multiples ever get easier?” Maureen A. Doolan Boyle, MOST Executive Director, gives her thoughts to this often asked question.
Continue reading Does Parenting Multiples Ever Get Easier?
 Evie is finally ready to come home! Evienne, an identical triplet, was born in April 2009 and is finally coming home from the hospital. What a great 3rd birthday gift! However, among her many needs the family will now require a custom van. With an extended van, the family can have it adapted to allow Evienne to finally be with her sisters! Can you help?
Continue reading At 3-yrs-old: Evienne if finally coming home but she needs a van!
 October is Fire Safety Month. If you have school age children you may have developed an emergency exit plan with materials from the school. This article focuses on infant and toddler strategies but has tips for older siblings too. Resources in English and Spanish are at the end. Don’t forget to change the batteries in your smoke detectors!
We all know how important it is to have a Fire Safety Plan, including two ways to exit from every room in your home. But how does that plan change when there are more babies than adults? What if you are alone with 3, 4, 5, or 6 babies? Continue reading Fire Exit Strategies: Plans for 2 or more children
Do the new car safety seat recommendations affect you and your children? Find a car seat inspection site near you!
Going for a quick trip to the store or a Sunday drive or to visit Grandma’s sounds simple enough but for a multiple birth family just getting everyone out of the house and “packing” for this quick trip can seem more like a major event! There are so many, many things to consider and not the least of which is what car seats are recommended and right for your children.
Continue reading Car Seats for the Multiple Birth Family
 The MOST Family Carnival 2011 was held in mid-June and was just perfect in every way! We had a wonderful turn out, the weather was fantastic and our sponsor was more generous than ever before with GREAT activities and gifts for EVERY member of every family! It was just an amazing day!
Continue reading MOST Family Carnival 2011: Photos and Thanks
 This article by Susanne Budofsky a mother of triplets, is an except from a work-in-progress book on raising higher-order multiples and offers an adorable and funny look into life with toddler multiples.
If you are one of those people who need to have order in your life and in your house, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you might have a hard time adjusting to the toddler stage.
Continue reading My House Has Been Ransacked
 by Elizabeth Pantley a mother of four and author of several parenting books including The No-Cry Sleep Solution. In this article, she shares her tips and secrets for managing the whining, fussing and tantrums that accompany the toddler years.
If you ask parents to list the most frustrating discipline problems during early childhood, you would find that these three items appear on every list. All children master their own version of these behaviors – every parent has to deal with them!
Continue reading Tantrums, Fussing and Whining
According to the CDC, “Scientists estimate that people are not washing their hands often or well enough and may transmit up to 80% of all infections by their hands. From doorknobs to animals to food, harmful germs can live on almost everything. Hand washing may be your single most important act to help stop the spread of infection and stay healthy.” This simple task requires only soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer — a cleanser that doesn’t require water. Learn more about hand washing.
Continue reading The Importance of Hand Washing
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