The Second Year with Twins 18 Months Old

Last updated on February 28th, 2024 at 07:51 pm

Learn what to expect with your infant twins 18 months old, including tips, tricks, and advice from real twin parents who have been there.

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Your Twins 18 Months Old

Welcome back returning twin parents! Hello and welcome to the new twin parents who are just finding us today!

You made it through your first 17 months as a twin parent and you’re now heading into your 18th month of twin parenthood. What a huge accomplishment! Little known secret: we knew you could do it!

Now what? Well, this is a good place to start. We have plenty of information and resources to help you navigate twin parenting with your twins 18 months old.

Our twin parenting tips come from our very own experienced twin parents from around the world! These parents have all been there, done that, and are ready to share their tips and tricks with you.

This second year is full of excitement, questions, and even some anxiety. Not to worry, we’ve got your back. We’ve laid out all our best tips, tricks, and advice for twins 18 months old.

Got preemies? Make sure to consider your premature twins’ corrected age when reviewing whether or not they are meeting their milestones at appropriate times. In the vast majority of cases, preemies catch up by school-age and go on to succeed at the same level as their peers. Learn more about preemie developmental milestones here

The Second Year with Twins 18 Months Old — Twins 18 months old

What to Expect with Twins 18 Months Old

Your only halfway to 2, but they seems far older than 1½ years. By now, your twinnies probably have plenty of developmental tricks to show off, like walking, scribbling and climbing.
Their sense of humor may also be blossoming — they may laugh when you catch them hiding under the table, or squeal with delight when they recognizes their reflection in the mirror.
They probably still have a stubborn streak — which can be just as maddening as it is maddeningly cute!
By this age, most toddlers tend to know what many household objects are and what they do — a hairbrush is for your hair, a shoe is worn on your foot, and so on.
Right now, it might be hard to talk on the phone or with a visitor — your toddlers want to be the center of attention, and they’ll letting you know it loudly and clearly.
This is the age when children start to test boundaries. Your twinnies may say “no” to any new situations or start to throw a tantrum to get their own way.
Your little ones are sporting an almost-full set of toddler teeth, your brushing routine is more important than ever.
At 18 months, your child should also be tested for autism as well as for general development, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This would be particularly important if they show signs of developmental delay.
By the time your toddler reaches 18 months, they may drop their morning nap. Keep in mind, it’s perfectly fine for an 18 month old to still be on a schedule with two naps, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their night time sleep.
If you haven’t already, look into joining a local moms of multiples club (aka twin club). Read about local twin clubs here or join our Twiniversity monthly twin club on Zoom by signing up for a Twiniversity Membership.

Want to be the first to know about giveaways, deals, and more just for twin parents? Sign up for the Twiniversity email list! Subscribe today to get emails about giveaways, events, weekly article roundups, and more! Pregnant with twins? We’ll be sending you a weekly twin pregnancy email to keep you on track with your pregnancy to-do list! Click here to learn more… and while you’re at it, check out our Complete Baby Safety Course and Twin Parent Memberships.

Common Concerns From the Moms Who Have Been There With Twins 18 Months Old

What can I do to encourage my twins to share?
How delayed is too delayed when it comes to twins and language?
How can we cut costs with twins?
How do I deal with double tantrums?
How to deal with biting?

The Twins Tale Podcast by Twiniversity is an intimate look into the lives of twin parents and their twins at all ages and stages, from birth through college. We interview twin parents in the trenches and ask all the burning questions you want to know about raising twins: schedules that work, feeding your twins, getting out of the house, finding sanity, and so much more. Subscribe for FREE today!

Milestones & Developmental Leaps Parents Have Noticed With Twins 18 Months Old

What’s going on with development in twins 18 months old?

Tries to say three or more words besides “mama” or “dada”
Follows one-step directions without any gestures, like giving you the toy when you say, “Give it to me.”
Moves away from you, but looks to make sure you are close by
Points to show you something interesting
Puts hands out for you to wash them
Looks at a few pages in a book with you
Helps you dress him by pushing arm through sleeve or lifting up foot
Drink from a cup
Eat with a spoon
Stack two objects or blocks
Help undress themselves
Hold a crayon and scribble a line

Inform your doctor if your child:

Doesn’t point to show things to others
Can’t walk
Doesn’t know what familiar things are for
Doesn’t copy others
Doesn’t gain new words
Doesn’t have at least 6 words
Doesn’t notice or mind when a caregiver leaves or returns
Loses skills they once had

Challenges You Might Experience With Twins 18 Months Old

There are some challenges to look out for with twins 18 months old

Struggling with tantrums? They are no fun! Here’s tips to handle them.
Are your twins biting? This is a common complaint around this time. Read more about how to deal with biting here
This is often around the time that your twins may begin fighting over toys and even you! Learn how to encourage your twins to sharing here
Twins escaping the cribs? It might be time to move to a bed. Read about making the switch.

Tips from Parents of Twins 18 Months Old

Take some tips from experienced twin parents!

Use positive words and give more attention to behaviors you want to see. Give less attention to those you don’t want to see.
Encourage “pretend” play. Ex. Give your twinnies a spoon so they can pretend to feed her stuffed animal. Take turns pretending.
Give simple choices. Let your twinnies choose between two things. For example, when dressing, ask them if they want to wear the red or blue shirt.
Expect tantrums. They are normal at this age and should become shorter and happen less often as your twins get older.
Play with your twinnies by rolling balls back and forth, pushing toy cars, and putting blocks or other items in and out of containers.
Take more pictures than you think you should. They will LOVE to look at them with you soon!

Got twins? Us too! The Twiniversity Podcast with Natalie Diaz was created BY parents of twins FOR parents of twins, from your pregnancy days through your twin’s teenage years, this podcast covers it all. It’s all about parenting twins, offering plenty of strategies for making life better, parenting hacks, and, of course, humor. We are laughing WITH you every step of the way.

Feeding and Nap Schedule for Twins 18 Months Old

You’re really going to want a schedule for your twins! Be adaptable, but try to be as consistent as you can. Here is a suggested feeding and nap schedule for twins 18 months old. You will notice that milk is primarily given in addition to a meal, not used as a meal itself now.

7:00 am — Wake up time!
7:30 am — Breakfast with Milk
8:00 am – Playtime
9:30 am — Snack Time
11:45 am — Lunch with Milk
12:30 pm — Quiet Time before Nap Time
12:45 pm — Lights out for Afternoon Nap
3:15 pm — Wake up from nap
3:30 pm — Light Snack
3:45 pm — Playtime
5:30 pm — Dinner
6:30 pm — Bath and Bedtime Routine
7:30 pm — Lights Out

Do the best you can every day to keep them on the same feeding and sleeping schedule. When you get off track try again for the next feeding or nap.

Do everything in your power to feed your twins together to make sure you get breaks. If they are on opposite feeding schedules, you will never get a break — and you deserve one!

Are You a New Twin Parent?

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The Twin Survival Guide From Pregnancy Through the First Year”

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When to Call the Doctor

It’s better to overreact 100% of the time than to underreact once.
Natalie Diaz, Twiniversity Founder and Mom of Twins

When it comes to calling your doctor or seeking medical advice, you have to learn to trust yourself. If you feel something isn’t right, it probably isn’t when it comes to your twins. When in doubt, call. That’s why the offices have an answering service and staff on call at night or on the weekends.

That being said, there are a few guidelines to follow. There are a few circumstances under which you should call your doctor and get medical advice, or even call 911. When you call you should have a pen and paper handy and be prepared to give the following information over the phone:

Immunization records
Any medications, dosages, and times last taken (even over the counter drugs)
Medical history
Your baby’s temperature
Mention that the baby is a twin, in case of a contagious illness

Any time you see the following symptoms with your twins you should contact your pediatrician immediately.

Blood in vomit
Blood in stool
Seizure
Suspected poisoning
Bleeding you cannot stop
Unable to move
Limpness
A rectal temperature of 100.4 or above
Sleeps more than usual or will not wake up
Yellow skin or eyes

Call your doctor as soon as possible if one or both of your twins experiences any of the following.

Refusal to eat for multiple feedings in a row
Diarrhea or vomiting
A cold that will not resolve itself or gets worse
Unexplained rash
Signs of dehydration (no tears, no wet diapers, sunken eyes, sunken soft spot)
Ear drainage
Will not stop crying

When to Call 911

Please note that when you call 911, you and your baby will be taken to the nearest emergency room. This may or may not be located at your preferred hospital.

Your baby is turning blue or taking more than 60 breaths per minute
Your baby has a seizure which lasts more than 3 minutes or you cannot reach their doctor by phone immediately
Suffers from convulsions, unconsciousness, or irregular breathing following a fall or from bleeding
You think your baby may have a skull, neck, back, or pelvic fracture (DON’T move your baby)
Your baby suffers from a compound fracture where bone is sticking out from the skin (cover it with a clean cloth and do not touch it)
Your baby has bleeding you cannot stop after applying pressure for 10 minutes

Again, learn to trust your gut. When in doubt, call and see what your doctor thinks. Believe it or not, they’re happy to help.

What You Should Read for Twins 18 Months Old

Need some twin parent friends? Get the support you need with a Twiniversity Membership. Benefits include a monthly twin parent club meeting on Zoom, access to a private Facebook group just for twin parents, and a video library of twin parenting lessons. Visit Twiniversity.com/membership to join today!