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Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

What Are the Perks of Having Twins?

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Many people think of having twins and immediately think of the negatives.  Twice the expenses at once, twice the chaos. . .But these misconceptions only tell part of the story.  Many moms of twins share that there are incredible perks to being blessed with two babies at once.

The Perks of Having Twins

Perks of Having Twins

There are many benefits of having twins that most people don’t think of.  Consider these.

Double the Tax Deduction Instantly

When you have a new baby, you qualify for an additional tax deduction, but with twins, you immediately get double the tax deduction!  That can make quite a difference on your yearly tax return and can help pay for some of the extra expenses twins incur.

One Pregnancy—Two Babies

If you have easy pregnancies, you likely won’t care about this perk.  However, for women who struggle through pregnancy with morning sickness and discomforts, this can be a true joy.  One pregnancy, but two babies!  If you only want two children, you could reap all the rewards of having two kids but only struggle through one pregnancy.  Yes to that!

Built-In Friends

The Perks of Having Twins

Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash

My cousin has twins, and she said the first year was extremely difficult.  After that, though, she felt that she was luckier than other moms because her twin sons each had built-in playmates in one another.  While many kids when they’re young rely on their parents to keep them entertained, she said her boys did that for one another.  She enjoyed watching their “twin language” develop and the way they played with each other for hours.  No play dates required.

Share Clothes

If your twins are the same sex, they can share clothes.  This gives them twice the wardrobe at the same price as buying clothes for singletons.

Easier Homework Time

When you think of the perks of having twins, you likely don’t think of homework time.  Yet, if your twins are in the same class and have the same teacher in elementary school, they both have the same assignments due.  Rather than looking at two or three different sets of homework as you would if you were mom to two singletons, the twins will get the same homework, making your job as homework assistant easier.

Discounts for Twins

Did you know if you have twins you can get discounts at a surprising number of places?  My cousin said that she received discounts on daycare when she registered her twins.  A quick search on the web shows that many, many companies offer parents of twins discounts for all sorts of items from mattresses, to formula, to sleeping pods.  The list goes on and on.

Sure, you’ll be paying more out of pocket when you make a purchase times two, but you may save more overall compared to buying twice with singletons because you get a discount.

Final Thoughts

While it is true that by having twins you can face double the expense at one time, there are also many perks of having twins that save you money and time.

Read More

Tips for Approaching Parents of Twins

What I Love Most about Having Twins

Tips on Buying Gifts for Twins

 

 

Choosing Daycare: Finding the Perfect Fit

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With my return to work fast approaching, my quest in choosing daycare for baby girl is top priority. Choosing a childcare provider is one of the hardest and most thought through decisions parents make. No one would argue that the ideal candidate for proving childcare are the parents, but in today’s world, it is more common that both parents return to work after their child is born.

I consider myself very fortunate that here in Canada I’m allowed to have a full 52 weeks off after my child is born for maternity leave. Spending the first year home with her has made my choice to breastfeed possible and dealing with her sleep issues a little easier. Having it come to a close is sad.  (For reference, women in the United States get 6 weeks of paid family leave and 12 weeks of unpaid family medical leave to care for a child).

 

Choosing Daycare Options

My husband and I sat down to discuss what type of daycare we wanted our little one to attend. Did we want a registered, licensed center with many children and providers (or employees) or did we want to find a place within someone’s home? There are pluses and minuses for both but ultimately we decided we would focus our efforts on finding a home-based care.

 

The Benefits and Risks when Choosing Daycare

Both my sister and I were raised going to someone else’s home for daycare and loved it. The benefit is that my husband and I have the choice of finding a place very close to our own home, few children, more one-on-one care, and in my mind, a more natural transition from being at home all day with mom to daycare.

The downside of looking for a home based daycare is that we as parents have to be that much more careful. Though many do, a home based daycare isn’t required to abide by the same regulations as a traditional licensed center. Choosing to look for a daycare based out of someones home means we’re required to double and triple check everything. Do they have a criminal background check? Do they know child CPR? How are their references? These are just some of the many questions we’re making sure we have answered.  Questions that should almost go without asking if we were looking at a licensed center.

Even with all this extra homework we decided to continue our pursuit to finding the perfect home-based daycare. If we came up empty handed we would re-direct our efforts to something else.

 

Jackpot!  Finding the Perfect Daycare

One of the downsides of a home based daycare is that they usually don’t have much of anything in terms or advertising. They rely a lot on word of mouth or mutual contacts. I did manage to find a few who were advertising open spaces via our online classifieds, but nothing that would work for our family. Most of them were located too far from our home.

I decided to place an ad, listing what I was looking for and managed to find what we think will be a perfect place.

The home is located two streets from our house, no more than a five-minute walk. She is a former elementary school teacher, her husband a current vice principal. She decided to stay home after her youngest was born and take a few kids in to watch while at home. She has full criminal and child abuse registry checks done, up-to-date CPR and for us Canadians, offers income tax receipts. She takes a max of four children at once. Our little one will be number four, she’s had the other three for a few years now (another good sign). We’re excited that she comes from another culture and may be able to introduce experiences, food and traditions to our kiddo we otherwise wouldn’t.

Finding a place that my husband and I were comfortable with is going to make my return to work that much easier. Though it hasn’t happened yet I have solace in knowing she’ll be close to home with a trusted individual learning new things and interacting with other children.  I’ll be sure to report how it actually goes after her first few days!

How did you chose the daycare for your children? Any tips for making my back to work transition easier?

Get Your Kids Covered

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child insuranceThis guest post was provided by Lynette Argent of Million Dollar Woman, a life insurance company which provide insurance products catered specifically towards the needs of women and their families.

Insurance policies cover those unexpected moments in life. It is the assurance of being taken care of when ill, having the necessary health checks and treatment covered. It could also mean assured financial security in the event of a serious illness or death.

While most adults are keen on finding the best insurance for themselves, they may not be aware they can insure their children as well. Obviously we don’t want to think of the morbid thoughts of a child being ill or passing away but insurance is important for our children and should be considered by every parent. Since our children are so highly treasured, wouldn’t it make sense to get them covered as well?

Accidents Happen

Every parent wishes to see their children develop into healthy and happy adults but we could not always be there with our children, protecting them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Unforeseen things do come about and as a parent it is good to be prepared for these kinds of events even though they may never take place.

Injury and Illness

We all wish to keep our children out of harm’s way but at times a misfortune may occur which may result in child’s injury or illness. Getting hold of insurance for your child would ensure that if something were to happen you could be better prepared financially.

Getting your hands on an insurance policy for your children could seem like a complicated task. It is often much similar to acquiring your personal insurance, but with a little more detail involved. When looking for an insurance plan for your children, it is imperative to get more than a few quotes with the intention of price comparison and having the idea of what each company offers.

The importance of insurance for a young child may seem incomprehensible at this moment and the need for it unimaginable, but having some sort of insurance for your precious one may well be the wisest investment you make.

Do you have insurance for your children?

Breastfeeding Information At a Glance

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breastfeeding information at a glanceMy kids are much too old for breastfeeding but I thought that this is a perfect topic to push because it is both healthy for the kids and the mother and free.  Where else will you get that good a deal?  Now, I know that there is some controversy surrounding breastfeeding.  Some women do not believe in it, some do not think it is important or different, etc.  This is not a venue to hold matches between those two points and to judge which one is better.  This is simply an informative post as to the positives and negatives of breastfeeding, keeping in mind that breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed an infant and that it cots nothing monetarily.

The Pros of Breastfeeding

For Mom:

  • A reason to eat and not to gain. In fact, you lose weight!  A breastfeeding mom needs more that 500 extra calories a day because the body just burns more while breastfeeding.
  • It is easy and requires no expense or fuss.  You so not need much more than a comfortable place to prop yourself and your child.
  • For those who are comfortable and used to the routines, it is possible to sleep during feedings, especially those night time ones.
  • They say that it is a way to foster a bond between mother and child.
  • There’s less spitting up, no stains and the poop doesn’t smell!
  • There are anti cancer benefits.  Research shows that the longer you breastfeed, the lower your risk for breast and ovarian cancer.
  • May give you a longer break from getting your period again but ovulation may still occur so this is NOT a birth control method.
  • A lot of breastfeeding moms say it feels awesome and is a real confidence booster!

For Baby:

  • Breast milk provides natural antibodies.  This is usually found in the colostrum or the opaque part of the breast milk.  Breastfed babies get more protection against ear infections, colds, and viruses: If the child does have any of the above, the severity will most likely be lessened.
  • Breast milk is said to help the brain grow and develop
  • They say as well that there is less learning and behavior difficulties
  • Less diaper rash and other skin problems due to the natural milk. When rashes occur it is usually a reaction to what the mom is eating and then transmitting through the milk than a reaction to the milk itself.
  • It is proven that there is less colic and  less crying because of the natural suction from breastfeeding
  • Breast milk is easy to digest.
  • Research has shown that breast milk protects against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, leukemia, some childhood cancers, and juvenile-onset diabetes
  • And breastfeeding moms swear that their babies LOVE the taste!

The Cons of Breastfeeding

  • Breastfeeding takes time.  Newborns feed every 2 to three hours and so breastfeeding moms follow this schedule even at night.
  • If the dad or the grandparents want a turn at feeding the baby, mom still has to pump the breast milk out which may not be as comforting as having the baby feed directly off the breast.
  • Breastfeeding is tiring! It takes a lot of energy for your body to make milk, so the mother can often feel quite fatigued.
  • Contrary to popular belief, this is not second nature. Almost all moms have at least a moment where they learn how to properly feed their babies.  This may cause some anxiety and frustration.
  • There may be other problems as well that make breastfeeding difficult. Some common problems are mastitis, inverted nipples, babies not being able to latch properly, plugged milk ducts and engorgement if the baby is not feeding frequently or properly.
  • Finally, for the career woman, breastfeeding can be a real challenge.  The schedule alone is something that requires a lot of management and support from the workplace.

So, is breastfeeding for you?  It is an entirely personal choice.  I do not believe there is a right or wrong answer as every loving mother has their stand on why she chooses what she chooses in the care and development of her child.  Certainly, these are points for anyone to mull over before making that decision.

Did you breastfeed your child?