How To Help Your Wiggly Toddler Sit Still During Dinner Parties

It's holiday season once again. It's that time of the year when we shop for gifts, organize/attend plenty of get togethers, and for parents of toddlers, worry about keeping our kids seated during Noche Buena and all those dinner parties.

Audrey and Antonino will be two years old this Christmas and I sometimes feel like telling them to sit still and behave for an extended meal like Noche Buena is a lot to ask. After all, they're both typical toddlers with short attention spans and plenty of energy. We're lucky that we have family and friends who are more than happy to play with the twins whenever they get restless during gatherings so that Joey and I can finish our meals. But of course, we still have to come prepared with some form of entertainment which is why we're always ready with our bag of tricks. And no, it's not just an expression. We really have a huge bag filled with all sorts of toys and supplies that can keep the twins occupied during parties. So today I'm going to share with you what we usually bring with us along with some things we keep in mind when packing our bag of tricks.

Packing A Diaper Bag For Twin Toddlers

I always feel like I'm packing for a weekend trip whenever I get the twins' diaper bag ready. I was under the impression that they would need less stuff once they they get past the one year mark. I was wrong! Toddlers still need A LOT of stuff. What more when you have two?  Take a peek below and see what I always pack, along with some tips.

5 Twin Parenting Hacks (Infant Stage)

A year ago, I was taking care of my 4-month old twins wishing I could activate the Carry Four Flo boost. If, like me, you were hooked on Diner Dash many years ago, you will remember this as the boost that allows Flo (the game's main character) to carry up to four items at a time in order to serve more customers quickly. In a way, parenting twins is like Diner Dash. You have to complete numerous tasks and feed (then burp, bathe, and dress hehe) demanding customers. Luckily, I've learned a few things in my first year of twin parenting that can help fellow twin parents navigate life with twin infants without having to grow an extra pair of hands. (Wow, that's a lot of "twin" for one sentence!)

7 Tips for Eating Out With Toddlers

The first time we took the twins out to a restaurant, they behaved impeccably simply because they were only 4 months old and slept through the entire meal. We took them out a couple more times after that but only for really quick meals in restaurants within our neighborhood. They were pretty manageable then. We just had to be really quick in whisking them outside of the restaurant until they calmed down. After which, they would fall asleep for the rest of the meal. But now that they're over a year old, dining out with them has definitely become more challenging.