Gifts for Twins and Triplets
Holiday and Birthday Gift Ideas for Families with Multiples
Nov 13, 2007
If you know a family with twins, triplets, or higher-order multiples, you might wonder about the ideal gift to give the family for birthdays or holidays. Whether you’re looking for a practical gift or whether you’re shopping for a keepsake, choose something that acknowledges the special blessings multiples bring into a family’s life.
Books and Magazines
Parents of multiples face many issues unique to having two or more children the same age, and adding to the family’s reference library can provide answers and support. Many books deal with the subject of expecting multiples, but the titles about raising twins or triplets are fewer. Some popular titles include, “The Multiples Manual,” “Parenting School-Age Twins and Multiples,” “Raising Twins,” and “Mothering Multiples.”
A subscription to TWINS Magazine can bring topical information about raising twins and higher-order multiples to the recipient’s mailbox all year. Articles address such issues as breastfeeding multiples, physical and language development, rivalry, and discipline.
Clothing
Consider clothing for twins with a humorous bent. You can buy shirts that say “Frick and Frack,” “Thing One and Thing Two” (from Dr. Seuss), “He did it/She did it” (with an arrow pointing to the offending twin), or “1 of 2, 2 of 2.”
Think twice about buying identical outfits for twins of walking age. When twins are running away from their mother at the park, sometimes the color of clothing helps the mother identify which name she needs to call out. A more practical idea may be coordinating outfits in different colors.
Don’t forget clothing for mom and dad. Parents of multiples can let the world know they’re proud of their brood with shirts that proclaim, “Got Twins?” or a cheeky maternity shirt that declares, “Two Buns, One Oven.”
Scrapbooking and Photo Albums
All new parents wear out their digital cameras in the first years of a child’s life, and parents of multiples are no exception. Help parents of twins and multiples organize their memories with brag books, scrapbooking supplies, and photo albums geared especially to multiples. Photo storage boxes are especially helpful, as sometimes a year or two passes by before mom or dad have time to arrange the pictures of their multiples in an album.
Strollers
If the parents of twins, triplets, or quadruplets don’t have a stroller yet, this is a must-have item. Most manufacturers make double strollers, and you can increase the mobility of twin parents by picking up a second specialty stroller that meets their needs. If the parents have a front-to-back double stroller that accepts infant car seats, perhaps they’d also like a jogging stroller for rugged terrain or a lightweight twin umbrella stroller to leave at grandma’s.
For parents that have triplets or twins and a sibling close in age, a quality triple stroller makes life so much easier. Choose a front-to-back stroller so the parents can push their triplets through standard sized doors. Runabout makes rugged inline strollers for triplets, quadruplets and even quintuplets. If the family already has a triplet stroller or greater, they may appreciate a hitch mounted carrier for their car so they can haul their large stroller with them on vacation or on trips to the zoo.
