Tiny Wins, Tired Days and a Few Plot Twists

March hasn’t been about fixing anything. It’s been about trying things, noticing what helps, and accepting that sometimes a small change just shifts things slightly rather than solving it completely.

One change we’ve made this month is around bedtime for H. On non nursery nights, he’s now allowed his tablet in bed. He still goes upstairs around 6 or 6:30, but the tablet switches off at 8.

I know that’s probably a bit of a controversial one, especially with how many people are strongly against screen time, particularly before bed. It’s not something I ever thought we’d be doing, but right now it’s something we’re trying because it’s helping in a small way.

It hasn’t made him sleep longer, but it has meant that when he wakes up, he’s happy to stay in bed playing educational games until it’s a more realistic time to start the day which has made mornings feel a bit calmer (and a lot less like a 5am wake-up call for everyone else).

Like most things here, it’s not a perfect fix, just something that takes the edge off.

We’ve also had to make some changes around safety.

Early mornings were becoming really difficult, with H previously letting the girls out of their room before the day had even started, ready to reunite with his partners in crime before 6am. So we’ve had to put a lock on the twins’ bedroom door overnight. It’s not something I ever thought we’d need to do, but it has made those early starts a bit calmer and a lot safer.

That being said, Twin A is still very much living up to her Houdini reputation.

No matter what we try, she’s still managing to get out of her clothes most nights. Backwards babygrows, different fastenings… nothing seems to outsmart her for long. At this point it feels less like a phase and more like a skill she’s fully committed to mastering.

The slightly nicer weather has made a difference this month too.

The kids can finally be feral in the garden instead of the house, which has honestly been a bit of a godsend. When they’re outside, they play really nicely together and things feel calmer. It’s one of those rare moments where everything just flows a bit easier, less chaos, more fresh air, and a bit more space for everyone to breathe.

Although, like everything else, it’s not without its challenges.

Twin B has absolutely no intention of coming back inside once she’s out there, which makes transitions interesting, to say the least. And because of her hypermobility, her legs get tired quite quickly, so I’m always half watching and half worrying she’s going to trip and land face first again which is something she’s unfortunately done more than once.

Sibling dynamics have felt a bit more noticeable this month too.

It’s funny sometimes I find myself thinking it should have been H and Twin B that were the twins. Their energy matches so easily, both of them full-on and boisterous, while Twin A often feels like she’s on a completely different pace.

That’s been hard at times, especially because it often feels like Twin A is the one getting hurt or left out. Twin B has started copying some of H’s behaviour, particularly hitting, and because Twin A and B share a room, it’s hard to separate. There have been quite a few moments of shouting, hitting, and stepping in, usually while trying to stop things tipping into full chaos.

It’s one of those parts of parenting multiple kids that no one really prepares you for how quickly behaviours spread and how hard it is to untangle it all.

There have also been moments this month around trying to navigate support.

I met with the SEND outreach team about the girls, and that felt like a really positive step. It was one of the first times it felt like someone was really listening to what I see day to day. A referral is being put in so they can spend some time with them, which feels like a step in the right direction.

At the same time, some parts of the process have felt harder to navigate, particularly where things look very different in different environments. That’s been a bit of a challenge in itself.

We also had parents’ evening for H this month, which was really positive. He’s on track across all areas of development, which is lovely to hear, but also a reminder of how differently things can look depending on where he is.

Some support is starting to come in from other places though, including Home Start and help with things like forms, which feels like it might take a bit of pressure off in a different way.

So it’s felt like a bit of a mix this month.Some things not moving, while others are just starting.

We also had a bit of a hard moment around staying away from home.

H went to his nana and grandad’s and had a really lovely day, but when it came to bedtime, everything tipped. He became really upset and just wanted to come home, so he ended up being brought back. It was one of those reminders that even when the day goes well, transitions especially at night can still feel like too much.

There have also been days this month where everything has just felt like a bit too much at once.

Days where nothing quite settles, everyone needs something different, and you’re just trying to keep things ticking over without it all unraveling. Not every day is a good day  and that’s just part of it.

On the brighter side, there have been small moments that have mattered.

Being outside more has made a big difference. When the kids are out there, they play nicely together and things feel calmer. H has also decided he wants to start learning to read before starting school in September, and it’s been really nice to see that naturally pull Twin B in too. She’s picking up letter sounds just by being around it, which has been one of those quiet reminders that even in the middle of everything, learning is still happening.

March hasn’t been about everything improving.

It’s been about small changes, noticing patterns, and trying to make things feel a little bit more manageable where we can. Some days feel calmer. Some days still feel like a lot.

But we’re still here, still adjusting, still learning, still doing our best.