Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 0:00
All right. We know that having twins disrupts our plans as expecting parents. We've been planning for their arrival with excitement and terror all at the same time. And if you have already had one or more children have you thought much about how welcome this new twosome is going to be? Today we're here with twin mom and author Kerri Otto and here to talk about how to introduce your new twins to an older Singleton. So they feel like they're still a big part of this growing Family Circus. This is twin talks. The ultrasound shows your babies to be healthy. What do you say babies?

Disclaimer 0:41
You're huge. Are you having twins? Are they natural? Which one do you like? Better wins? Ha
my neighbors cousins, brothers. uncles
have twins. So can they read each other's minds? How
do you tell them apart? Twins,
you got a two for one twins run in your family
double trouble.
You're not having any more.
If you're pregnant with twins, or you're an experienced twin parent, odds are you've heard it all before. Now it's time to hear from the experts. This is twin talks, parenting times two.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 1:15
Welcome to twin Talks. My name is Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald, and I'm your host. Now I had my identical twin girls first. And then two years later, after they were potty trained, I thought oh, it'd be a great idea to have one more baby well, okay, it was eventually. But it was it was pretty hard that the first couple years. So I'll get into that and talk a little bit more about that with our guests today. So now if you haven't already, be sure to hit that subscribe button on your podcast app to make sure you get the latest content. You can also get updates about new episodes for twin talks and other great parenting shows by subscribing to our weekly newsletter at New mommy media.com. And if you're interested in getting an inside look at our show, then check out our membership club called Mighty moms. It's where we chat more about the topics discussed here in the show. And it's a great way to suggest topic ideas or even to let us know you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode. So let's meet our guest speaker today with us is Kerri Otto. She is mom to a singleton boy. And then three years later welcomed identical girls. She's a speaker, coach, and now an author of a twin related book, twin chanted tales. So Carrie, welcome. Please tell us a little bit about your family, maybe their ages, personalities.

Kerri Otto 2:34
Thank you. I'm excited to be with you guys. Today. My family is fun, chaotic and full of love. I have the three kids, my son is eight. He is the typical boy, strong athlete, outgoing, confident kid. And then, as mentioned, I have twin daughters who they're just about three years apart from my son, and they will be six this this fall. They just completed their kindergarten year we they're full of love. They're interesting, they're much more quiet than my extroverted son. But they they're having fun. They have grown so much in this last year and a half, really an immense amount. And now you know, summer camp, they're all split up in their own little groups they took had their own classes in kindergarten. So we really saw them grow tremendously this past year. But there are a lot of fun. They're very similar, but also very unique and the same same time.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 3:40
Wow. So that sounds like you got a lot of different personalities, both your son your daughter's a lot of new things going on. So love to hear a little bit more in just a moment. So So Thanks, Kerri. So we're going to take a short break. And when we come back, we'll be talking about some of those initial dynamics both when they're born to consider when you first learn that you're adding twins to the mix

And we're back with our guest today talking about how to set the tone when bringing twins into a family that already has young children. So let's dive in. So okay, so Kerri, I have to ask. So sounds like your your son was probably about two years old when you were having when you knew that you were having twins and I'm just curious when you first found out that you were pregnant that you're having twins, not just a singleton. What was your reaction?

Kerri Otto 4:47
It's it was interesting and I it was so funny. I knew from the moment I tested to see if I was pregnant. I had a feeling it was twins which was just, I don't know I had an idea and a vision And when I went in to get checked and confirm the pregnancy, I actually had my husband come, which I never came to not one scan with my son, my son and my singleton ever. I didn't care. I'm like, I'm good, I'm pregnant, it's fine. I'm gonna go get confirmed the pregnancy when I had our first child, and every test went on my own. But with the twins, I just had such a feeling there was too. You need to take off, we need to go together. And we did. And I was in shock. I cried. I was not even though I had a feeling it just, they're the best thing that ever happened to me, of course, but he was happy tears elated. And I was just oh my gosh, like not, this is insane. And I actually have a page in my twin book coming up of that moment. And I remember telling my illustrator, you need to make me a little different. Just the finding out of twins on the ultrasound picture. You had both parents smiling and glee. And I'm like, no, no, let's just make a shocked face for teaching emotions in this book. And I want to be honest with the readers, you know, there's surprise men, there's happy and that's what we were we were super, super surprised and shocked and happy at the same time.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 6:17
It was definitely you had a you had a gut, you had a really gut reaction that just something is really different from the first time around. So you just you just knew and you're listening to that?

Kerri Otto 6:27
Definitely no, and it was still wasn't didn't keep I still got very emotional. I still had a very, very strong feeling that. Yeah, just didn't happen that way.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 6:39
And knowing what the singleton pregnancy was like, and and I don't know if that was, you know, eat an easy one. Or if it was difficult. I mean, did that put any kind of emotions or just concerns into the twin pregnancy? So, I mean, would you were you worried that it was going to be much harder and having a twin pregnancy?

Kerri Otto 7:03
Yes. Yeah. I mean, in the beginning, I said, I'm going to do everything I did with my son like I had a very textbook pregnancy with my son, he was born 40 weeks on the dot, literally, on his due date, he came to the world, which couldn't have been easier. I worked out and lifted weights and went running like every single day, pretty much throughout my whole pregnancy with my son until I couldn't when that last like few weeks, my daughter's I took that same, you know, initial attempt to do all of the same elements, all of the same exercises I did, or swinging kettlebells for a while. And I got up to you know, I was still very worried and concerned because as soon as they tell you, you're pregnant with twins, you're like, Oh, now you gotta wait, go back in the waiting room. And let's meet with their high risk doctor. And we're going to talk about your, you know, process now. So it's very different. And I was worried but also cautiously optimistic because I had such a typical normal pregnancy with my son. But it was very different. And I ended up going on bedrest from 21 weeks on because I apparently had an incompetent cervix. So that was a whole lot of fun. And not so much fun. But it was I remember joining every single twin parent page, every incompetent cervix page, trying to read everything I could possibly learn about all of that, and, you know, focused on nutrition, worked from home on my couch from 21 weeks until I delivered them at 35 weeks. And so it was different.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 8:33
Yeah, so being on bed rest, then. I mean, I'm sure that I mean, I know a lot of our twin moms here have experienced bedrest, but to be in the middle of that, and then, you know, you're you're, you know, you've got your son and I mean, I'm sure he was probably not understanding all the different changes. So when did you like, you know, actually talk to him and explain that, okay, we're actually going to have two babies and what life is gonna look like?

Kerri Otto 9:05
We did. We told him. So I we waited to tell. I told to my best friends. And that's pretty much it until I was 12 weeks pregnant. And that's when we told my son, we told our families, we surprise them. We was on Easter and I had like these huge jumbo sized easter eggs and I put in a little note, we're so excited to announce that we're having twins. So super cute. And everyone was freaking out. We've recorded the whole thing. My son found out that way too. So it was a very fun video. My mom was a little annoyed that I did not tell her in advance. It was what we wanted to do. And, and my son, he was just he was so excited. And you know, we're just two babies in mommy's belly too. And it was the cutest thing like that. He was very excited. Didn't really know what to make of it. Obviously. He was still so little. But he he was a champion and I remember Because of the bed rest there, I have a video on my phone of me asking him what does mommy do for a living? And he's like mommy sits on the couch. That's not fair. It was so cute. And I still have video. It was such an innocent like answer. And he's like, Mommy sits on the couch and daddy goes to work and Daddy does all the cooking. Little like little kid twin voice it was so innocent and sweet. But like, that's not what Mommy does. Do you not dizzy like, you know, desk, pulled over on my big belly, like with my computer on it. It was just cute. It was very cute. Like when he was used to me doing everything. You know, when I was worked full time. I you know, taking him to daycare picking him up from daycare taking him to every birthday party. I mean, all of a sudden I wasn't cooking. I wasn't driving. I wasn't you know, I literally didn't leave the couch.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 10:54
So did he. I mean, so did he equate the bed rest to the fact that you're having, you know, two babies? I mean, did he did he understand that? This is like the fact that you're not able to do all these things that you had been doing is because of the two babies that are going to come?

Kerri Otto 11:13
Yeah, we told him that. And he was so so sweet. I mean, he was never angry or resented it at all, like throughout the pregnancy, you would just I would sit and read on the couch, we would have dinner on the couch. We just did everything on the couch. And he he was cute. He just really joked me I've joked about it. But he would, you know, we would try to make him feel special. My husband would do everything on the weekends, take him to the sports classes. And he would do sleepovers with my mom and my in laws. And, you know, he had a very fun and fulfilling like life. And he was also in daycare, you know, eight hours a day he was out having fun and playing with kids and being very independent. Having his life like continue on like he didn't have to pause and sit at home with me, he was still out there and very fulfilled as a child. So I think that helped him stay, you know, level as it as everything progressed.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 12:08
So it sounds like it's a during the pregnancy in the bed rest. Here it had sort of a routine to go to. So he's in the preschool and had his friends and activities. So it wasn't a huge adjustment that he's relying just on you. He had other, you know, types of support to rely on during pregnancy. And I'm curious to like, so when your twins were born? I mean, you know, I'm sure you know, so he probably sounds like he's probably staying in preschool. I mean, did you did you like what kind of plans did you have in place for the arrival was that hospital.

Kerri Otto 12:49
So I remember when I was a kid, I was traumatized when my brother was born. I did not want to do that to my kid at all. And I remember we were four and a half years apart. So I was very much aware of life. And when my mom left and she was not here and my dad was on here. So I was, you know, left with grandparents like, and I just felt abandoned as a kid. And I did not want that for my son, especially like I already had a lot going on throughout the pregnancy. So, you know, my husband, I took I've kind of ride to the hospital when I was in when I thought I was in labor by a friend's husband because my husband was working my son was a daycare. Like, this is like I put my out of office on like in labor and delivery. Once they said, Oh, they're coming today, like, okay, here we go. But you know, my husband obviously made it for the delivery. But then after the delivery happened, I made him go home, like do not stay in the hospital. And I really think people with any extra kid and you know, if you have a first or a second and you're having more kids like I think that consistency. Keeping one parent home with your children or child is so important. And he didn't feel like yes, I wasn't there. But I couldn't physically go anywhere, obviously. So those few days that they were in NICU, and I was I had some complications from my C section. So I didn't move for five days. Anyway, but my husband always went home and he was constant was my son and he'd visit when he was at school or if it was the weekend, you know, he would have my in laws and everyone helped out but my mom was always home, which was helpful for his brains.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 14:26
So it sounds like your husband was really key in creating kind of a transition for your son to have that feeling of this is this is just normal and you're just your husband was kind of holding his hand in becoming, you know, embracing this new role of becoming the Big Brother.

Kerri Otto 14:47
Yes. Absolutely.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 14:56
And did you do anything like you know, when the twins are I like how did you actually do the Act?

Kerri Otto 15:08
The introduction of okay, you know, here's the two new girls, you know to to him, we it was cute, he came to the hospital to meet them. And that's the only people we can't we allowed at the hospital I didn't really want anyone else visiting like grandparents mom, like, I just it was special for my son. So he gave me that his big brother to twins shirt on, he got to meet them. And he felt special. So I felt like we always tried to keep him, like our trio, you know, really strong and like he was allowed to come to the hospital to see mommy and the babies and, you know, with daddy, and that was like his special moment. And I felt like that made him feel more like empowered and part of our team versus, you know, you're not allowed to come or you're coming with all these other people. Like it was just him. It was just us and I felt that helped his transition to to being you know, one of three versus just the one.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 16:00
Yeah, so it sounds like so you made him really the central point, rather than oh, here's the you know, the the parent, the grandparents extended and oh, by the way, here's the brother. Oh, now this is this is our central family. And he's amuse wearing his shirt. So like, here's your role. And there's like the so there was at that point, the the five of you, you know, as a family unit, so he was and he was the, the central point of that. So, yeah, that's just so wonderful. Ah, well, let's take a break. And when we come back, we're gonna continue our discussion about how twin parents can help their older children adapt to having new siblings.

Welcome back to Twin talks. Before the break, we were talking with twin mom, Carrie Otto, about how to help your older singleton adapt to a new life that brings twin invaders. And even long after the twins come into the family, we know that these older children must continually adapt to having younger twin siblings. And then they often command so much more time and attention from the parents and from strangers. So Carrie, I, you know, I have to ask, I mean, I love what I've been hearing about how you really helped your your son become the central point in the transition. And so I'm curious, you know, fast forward to today. So you had mentioned that your son's you know, he's got his interest. And he's very different than your than your daughters. So maybe you can tell us a little bit about the dynamics in your family, like how, as parents, how do you plan to spend time with each your children? And, you know, does it end up being the same amount? Do you do the same things?

Kerri Otto 17:48
Yeah, it's different. I mean, he still gets more of our time, I would say even in as far as extracurriculars because he is this like, stud of an athlete for eight years old. It's crazy how good at lacrosse, he is he's playing, he's got tournaments, he's always on the field. He's just busy, busy, busy. We try to do you know, we try to spend time evenly with everyone. And it could be the most simple thing as if like, my son is going to a birthday party, I'm gonna take one twin with me to drive him. And just having that one girl with me while he's busy, and we're just wandering around target, but it's just she and I, she feels special. So it's any little moment that you can do with any of your kids, helps all of their independence and their confidence and all of that. So, you know, backtrack, like yes, Colton My son always has, he definitely has more of our time, I would say, because he's, he needs more of it. The girls are still young. So they're not quite there yet. As far as you know, all the extra stuff that they do, or they want to do. They've been transitioning into that slowly, but surely this past year. So I think that's why he can really handle the attention they get all the time, just by being who they are and what they were born into, versus who he is, you know, because it is very different.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 19:13
That's something I wanted to ask you to is just like dealing with the attention because, I mean, I've got identical twin girls, and I have a singleton as well, younger Singleton. And, you know, I have to say, I mean, you know, when the girls were really young, and we'd go around into, you know, the stores at Target or, you know, Costco and everybody notices that they're identical, you know, you got them sitting on the cart, and you know, right at eye level, and it's like, oh, you know, Are you twins and you know, and and I and I can say like I know when I had my girls and I knew I was having a third one I'm like, Oh my gosh, I just like I wouldn't wish that on anyone to be living in the shadow of this, you know? Twin, you know, identical twin set. And I mean, my my singleton she she handles it really well. She's learned she's actually much more outgoing than the twins. And you know, I remember like we'd go, we'd be shopping and people would ask the, you know, the typical questions, Are they twins, identical yada, yada. And they like my, my twins would just like, they hated it. They hated getting all that attention. And so my single 10 Even though she was three years younger, she you know, by the time she could talk, I mean, she would just pipe in and go, Oh, yeah, she started answering the questions. She's like, yes, you're twins. Yes. They're my sisters. Oh, you know, that's Julie. That's Alexa did it um, she just like, she had her little thing going. And she rolled with it.

Kerri Otto 20:48
So yeah, that is great. But that's, that's like what my son is always done to it's like, yeah, like, come on, like stop. I think in the beginning, when he was really like younger, he kind of sometimes would bother him when people would really fuss over them. But, but then he just started to just it also bothered him like, Alright, enough was enough. Like you were just saying like there but and the girls and that's that's why I wrote my book, The twinchanted tails, the power pair, because like they it's how do you help the children understand, like, what it feels like, when everyone's doing this to you at every moment of your life. And like, that's what that that was the whole purpose behind it is to try to try to make them understand and connect the emotional dots on what it feels like to be an identical twin and like really what it means to the world because there's such a fascination and unfortunately, fortunately, unfortunately, that'll never change because that's how humans are. Everyone's just, they're fascinated. So how do you prepare the children to like for this fascination, you know, and that's, that's why I did what I did with my little book. And I wrote it. I read their them story every night for two years, just helping them get through it. They're like, Mommy, read your story. Mommy, read your story. And I decided to make this publish up publicized for more for everyone so that everyone can help have this help them. But my son, yes. Like he, he constantly will talk back and tell people to just know, they're not twins. Like, that's our job now to like, sometimes I myself, and my son will just like no, they're not no like, wait, what? Really? They're not like, Well, what else do you want me say? I don't know. And my girls like they have fun with it, too. You know what? Because of my book, like they'll sometimes say no. And they'll say they'll they'll give the opposite name like, Oh, you're Charlotte, right? No, I'm Madison. And they'll outright say it with like, snow like joking, Matt, like her. Their faces are dead straight serious. Like they will completely pull your leg if they can, they started to go to kindergarten last year, they had two different classes, I split them up. And like we're gonna switch places and they've never seen you know, The Parent Trap or like anything like that. This is all because of the fun little like book that I make is I reference all of this, like, have a fun play a twin game of Guess who. And so, you know, there's pages in the story that play that make it playful, because it is fun, and it is something you can celebrate, but like instead of being so depressed over it, because that's how they have been really for years, and they still get attention everywhere they go. It's never gonna stop. I mean, I'm sure. I'm sure eventually it may be will quiet down, but I don't know.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 23:31
Yeah, did you have an idea of the amount of attention that you would get? Because obviously, it's no family? No,

Kerri Otto 23:39
I've never, ever did. And I that's something like, I've joined every Facebook page I have for twins, you know, every every single platform I could find on Facebook. Now Instagram is obviously bigger. And you know, I tried to network and meet twin parents just to understand how do you do that? Like, because it's so different. It's just it's so different raising them from the moment they're born to, you know, as they're older now, I mean, sure. They're learning how to read trying to teach two kids how to read at the same time, it's very difficult for me, yeah, but yeah, there's nothing that can really prepare you and I bought every twin book I could find for twilled children's twin books, you know, and nothing spoke to this, nothing spoke to the enchantment of who they are, and what surrounds them every day. And, you know, it's so different now.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 24:29
How do you deal like so to how do you talk to your son? I mean, it sounds like he's been become pretty resilient. And, you know, he's joining in on the kind of the, you know, the the teasing and, you know, a little bit of a, you know, kind of the answers and what so, like, how did you you know, talk to him about that, or did he just pick that up on his own?

Kerri Otto 24:52
He's, I just think because we've always treated him you know, I feel like we made him fast chart to being a little bit of a mess. We're mature kid, and he just is more mature. And so like we've always treated him like he's one of our free like the trio of my husband and myself and him. And so like, I'll take him to lunch by myself, that's like our special thing. Well, we'll get pancakes on Sundays, every once in a while just to get out, just he and I, and we have our little like, Day date, and he loves it. So I think like, consistently giving him specific time apart with me, and then my husband takes him to all these lacrosse games all the time. And that's like, his passion. And, you know, just constantly having him have his own time. He's just built his own confidence throughout that, you know, we try to have that foundation of just, he has this special times with us, you know, his room has different things that the girls don't have at all yet. But you know, he deserves it. Because he's, he's, he's such a leader. And he's just evolved. I even have him. I told him, like, I wrote this book for the girls, and I kind of was worried about it. Like, how was he going to handle this? The twins are on the cover of my book. He's in the book, too. I did make a page and I've had to put him in, because how could you not because he's one of our family. Like, I can't publish a book without my son's character. So I wrote a page to just integrate him and so that he didn't have his feelings hurt or didn't feel like less important. He loves the fact that this is even happening. And he's like, I told him, like, I want to write a story with you. And I want, I want to write a story about what it feels like to be a sibling, a Big Brother or Big Sister to twins. And like, he's writing in his iPad. Like all he's writing his ideas, and it's very sweet. Like, it's just anything that may even if I don't do it, like I will, my goal is to do that next at some point, but it just makes him feel like stronger, independent, important. And it's just constantly finding ways to you know, empower the sibling of twins in any way you can just so that they're they continue to be competent, and they build that confidence. And the twins really do need a fortress of people around them and their sibling is has to be strong when you've got that constant chaos around the two. Yes.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 27:09
Sounds like you've been trying to, like, just continue to, for him to have his own activities. And you mentioned that he's a part of that original, you know, Trio. And sounds like that's like that's kind of a kind of a central theme that okay, he's he's an OG, right.

Kerri Otto 27:28
Exactly. He is. And he totally knows. Have you ever met him? He will like he, he captivates the room. Like, that's just who he is. And he we, I don't know how I still sometimes I don't understand how I made him the way he is. But he's just such a force. He really, he really, is it just through every little thing that we've been really calculated and what we've done, and how he's grown.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 27:56
He's, you know, do you also protector who? Oh, he's the protector? Oh, that's, oh, that's a great role. That's a fantastic for as a boy and girls, but, um, so I'm also thinking though, so with the three of them, I mean, with with kids, I think parents of all ages, just from a from a time management, I mean, often, you know, we have to you know, like as parents, we got things we need to do is we're like, okay, what can we help the kids do? So is it easy to find activities that they can do together? Or is it tough because their interests are so different?

Kerri Otto 28:28
Now, they, they play so well, like, sometimes it's too much, and I'm like, You got to pump the brakes, let's quiet down. And like, they just, they all get very in sync with each other. Even though there there is the age gap. And there's the boy versus the very girly girls that want to play with baby dolls, like But he'll like, play pretend with them in the house all the time, like just they go into this, they just get into the mindset of playtime and together and occasionally, they'll obviously have their own time. But, you know, they they look up to him so much too. And, you know, they'll play outside together, they'll play they'll ride their bikes and pretend they're police officers in my driveway just because that's what's fun, and they'll put cones out and make obstacle courses with each other. It's very cute and whether it's outside inside play, they they just get into such a good groove that I asked friends of mine and like dear kids I'll play with you play with each other as much as mine because it's not just the twins. It's totally the three of them. And it gets loud. And but they have so much fun with each other and it's I think that's also like another positive with my son even when he was the only one I wanted always wanted him to like know how to play on his own. I didn't want to only be his like best friend that always played with him. I really didn't at all like he was just I taught him that independence since he was an infant. And I think that's why he takes control and he organizes play whether it's just with him or with his friends or with his sisters you know, it's just constantly pushing that independence at a very, very, very young age is just how you set your children up to just really succeed and thrive.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 30:08
Yeah, that I mean, that's just that's just really great parenting advice just to get help them define their own roles, whether or not they are a sibling of twins are night. But just to know that their their identity is not tied into someone else. It doesn't have to be tied to, you know, the, the success or the the, you know, of other family members. So, I know I we could do a whole episode on, for sure. So, so I just wanted to go kind of go back to your book. So. So tell us about so your book, it's I think it's coming out soon. But tell us a little bit about that.

Kerri Otto 30:51
It's on on Amazon and Barnes and Noble on my website for pre sale, it comes out on September 17. Of this this year, is when you can buy it. Yep, yep. in 2024. So a couple months, we're really close. It's exciting. So I launched twin chanted, I created this store, I wrote this book, wrote the story initially, like I said, mentioned earlier for my daughters, and it was really just a memo on my phone, and they connected to it so well. And it meant so much to them. And it helped them build this confidence because it it teaches twins like what it means to be a twin, like what kind of in a fun, jovial way, you know, I make the analogy of unicorns like spotting a unicorn spotting a butterfly spotting a rainbow that's like what people feel like when they spot twins. That's, and that's how I made it relatable to the girls. So you know, when you're reading the book, it talks about the enchantment of twins and spotting them or why people look a little extra when they see you. It's like, it's like you've got this mirror power. And you know, I have a page in the book where they're flying on unicorns, wielding mirrors, and just having this like superhero moment, it's very cool, and it makes it relatable, it connects the emotional dots on what it feels like when people are looking what it feels like when somebody will call you the wrong twin name, you know, the teachers who sometimes mix you up it kind of touches, like all of those situations that real situations that nothing really prepares you for, but if your child for it.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 32:28
It's really it's really to help the twins themselves just understand the dynamics of the world around them and how the world is has this fascination and attraction to twins and for them to realize that how to how to like the this this fascination the interaction is unique and how they can handle it in a in a healthy way.

Kerri Otto 32:53
Yeah, exactly. You know, it, it makes it fun and makes it relatable I always with with the girls, if they asked me who's who and these pictures. So in the book, it references that and now I have my illustrator draw Baby Twins. And you know, look at pictures of when you were brand new. Do you know who's who like, this is why people make, don't get upset when someone calls you the wrong name. You know, it just makes you feel good. And you can see the book in the beginning, where there's the challenges of the social settings with friends on the playground and the challenges with you can have with your teachers when your teachers mix you up. But then you see the emotions on the kids faces as the story continues and how they're building their confidence as it grows, and then they're having fun with the fact that they're twins. They're not thinking it's like, oh, I'm dreading going to the grocery store because people are gonna bother me and people are gonna stare at me, you know, it makes you have fun with it. And it's just an important message that every identical twin twins need to read because that there is a fascination and how do you how do you get them ready for that? I think it's important to have before you know school aged kids go into kindergarten and pre K it's, it's helped the girls immensely.

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald 34:06
It's such a great topic because I do have to say I don't think there are too many resources that really are for the young twins themselves on how to handle the attention that they get and how to really address that. So so thank you for writing that and just say this has just been such a great discussion. And so thank you Carrie for sharing your experience and insight and for everyone. If you'd like to learn more about Kerry's new book twin chanted tails power of the pair, please visit New mommy media.com and we will have links to the book website and all the twin talks podcast episodes plus videos and more.

So that wraps up our show for today. Thanks for listening. If you like twin talks as much as we do, please consider are checking out the amazing businesses that sponsor a show week after week. And we'd also love for you to tell other twin parents about this resource, which of course is absolutely free. So if you want to check out some of our other parenting podcasts such as newbies, it's everything about newborns. Parents savers, so you could think about parenting hacks the boob group, the lowdown on breastfeeding, and preggy pals everything you could possibly need to know about pregnancy. So then visit our website at New mommy media.com. Thanks for listening to twin talks parenting times two.

Disclaimer 35:36
This is a new mommy media production. The information and material contained in this episode are presented for educational purposes only. Statements and opinions expressed in this episode are not necessarily those of new mommy media and should not be considered facts. Will such information and materials are believed to be accurate. It is not intended to replace or substitute for professional medical advice or care and should not be used for diagnosing or treating health care problem or disease or prescribing any medication. If you have questions or concerns regarding your physical or mental health, or the health of your baby, please seek assistance from a qualified health care provider