Hello and welcome

I'm so pleased you've found your way to You've got your hands full. I'm Linda Jones, a journalist and I have eight-year-old twins Emily and Melissa. Here they are in Aberporth.

I started this blog as a resource all about twins, triplets and more. These days I'm also adding more general posts - relating to the experience of parents no matter how many children they have! (It seemed daft not to.)

I'm an experienced spokeswoman on issues connected with multiple births and have been interviewed by among others: Sky TV, BBC World Service, BBC News 24, Radio Five Live, Radio WM and Central News. In 2003 I appeared in an edition of Central's Lifeline programme with Emily and Melissa. I've been quoted in newspapers including The Times, The Express and Daily Mail. This has mainly been because of my work over the years with Tamba, The Twins and Multiple Births Association.

So why am I blogging about this stuff? Well because I think it's important. There's nowhere near as much understanding of the needs of multiple birth families as there could be. Times are changing and largely through the efforts of organisations like Tamba, more material than ever before is available to those women and their partners hit with the news they are facing a double or triple whammy.

I just wanted to add my voice and details of my experience, plus a collection of articles that would otherwise stay stuck inside a computer in my back bedroom, all in the hope that they'll be useful to those facing similar challenges to me.

It's a couple of years since me and Helen Forbes from Tamba discussed the possibilty of making some articles available online, and I'd never heard of a blog, back then of course.

Lately, I'd started to post articles that have been languishing on my PC on my work blog when it occurred to me they deserved a space of their own. I really hope that you'll find something to interest you. Some of the material here was written during my time as editor for Tamba's Twins, Triplets & More magazine and the odd one or two are from the early days of Twins Club a site which has gone from strength to strength.

I'll also link to other online articles about multiple births that I've worked on. Inevitably, some links are long lost, but some remain - notably a series of pieces for Babyworld.

You can also read articles by me in a variety of publications, again some are available online and others aren't. Where possible I'll provide a link or republish the piece. This month for example, I have a spread on the realities of having twins or triplets in the NSPCC's Your Family magazine.

I also provide 'human interest' multiple birth features to national newspapers and magazines. In the early days, when my girls were small, I'd tip off top hack Lucy Laing. That arrangement has worked really well as Lucy always treats the families brilliantly and has wonderful contacts. These days I may also supply the stories to the papers and/or magazines myself. One of the most recent exclusives Lucy worked on was the remarkable story of some beautiful black and white twins, which came from a family taking part in a fund-raising calendar for Twins Club and Tamba.

My first task then in compiling this blog is to bring many of these articles together and I will add them as I go along, hopefully in the coming days and weeks. I also very much hope to add pictures to the posts but please bear with me as they are not appearing immediately, for technical reasons I won't bore you with. After that, I'm going to do my best to actually let people know this site exists and start blogging as often as I can with news, features, analysis and fun. I hope that will mean less burning of the 2am midnight oil by then, and Neil will see a little more of me after I've tidied the kitchen!

I'm always looking for new stories so please do contact me if you would like to know more.

But this blog won't just be about already-published articles. I'm still keen to promote Tamba. I continue to work for them on PR on specific projects. They have a constant stream of interesting and useful material that the likes of me'd say merits a wider audience but is often considered 'too specialist' by the mainstream media. Of course I would say that, but then I'm writing some of it!

I'll also add details of books and products that could be useful for families, carers or professionals involved in the care of multiple birth children. And there'll be lots of opinion. Please do leave a comment if you would like to say something that you hope may be of interest to anyone facing a similar issue, challenge or dilemma.

And I'll report on any "high profile" multiple pregnancies. Today's subject for example, could be Marcia Cross, better known as uptight Bree from Desperate Housewives.

Then there are the big "issues" facing families with twins, triplets or more - promoting individuality, how to cope with the workload in the early years and of course what to say when some well-meaning idiot on-looker tells you for the nth time in one day: "You've got your hands full."

Just some quick 'housekeeping' notes before I go. Pictures used will either be those taken by my own family, publicity shots, copyright-free images or those I have sought permission to use. Links are provided to online articles rather than reproducing them here. Advice passed on by other parents is also included here, as are 'real-life' stories originally written for TT&M. 

Posts will be added on a variety of subjects - so you get potty training next to Coronation Street but you can click on the categories on the right hand side to see more posts with a similar theme. I'm also adding links at the bottom of posts where relevant to point you in the direction of older or newer material which 'matches' what you are already reading about.

Bye for now. I hope you'll find something that's useful, thought-provoking or entertaining here.If you know anyone with a multiple birth family or who has just had the news they're having one, I hope they may also like to drop by. 

It's important to note of course that the views expressed here don't necessarily reflect any media organisation or other body, including Tamba, that I work with. 

They wouldn't let me call anyone an idiot for starters.

Linda

Comments

[JoJo]

Nice new blog, L. I don't know anyone with twins or more but if I come across anybody I will send them this way (and I'll be reading because I is nosy!) J x

[Linda]

Thanks Jo, I is also nosey, sometimes too much for my own good.

[Ian Green]

Linda,

Good new effort. A tenant at our office in Wakefield Media Centre has twins to and has set up a self-help group for families with multiple births in Yorkshire - they have members with twins, triplets, quads and quints!
They have website - although I can't remember the URL - I'll besure to send him here.

Good Luck

[Linda]

Ian is it anything to do with Lorraine Anderson and Yorkshire Multiples Group? If so I am on the floor mumbling 'small world, small world.'

[Tracey]

Just to say, great blog - loved the name.

I am sure your blog will show the positive as well as the negative to support those mums who do feel overwhelmed.Good luck with it.

Tracey

[Elaine]

Linda-
Great site you've got here! I'm always looking for more twin blogs (and not just diary entries). And I haven't been blogging all that long, so I'm always up for more links to my site. I'll make sure to write a post about your page sometime. (In case I have UK readers, I'll send them your way).
Thanks!
Elaine

[Andrea Wren]

Linda I love your new blog and it's looking rather sleek, huh? I bet that BlogMeister McGinty provided a few tips here?! Good luck with it.

Andrea

[Lynne]

Love it!! Was meant to be nipping on pc then getting dressed - does the fact that I was still sitting in my PJ's for too long, the kettle wasn't even on, and the kids were getting square eyes (again), tell you that I got engrossed in loads of articles!!

Well done you - although with twins, I don't know how you find the time (she says with tongue firmly planted in cheek!!LOL)

[Kim]

Great website! I could squander my twins' entire naptime reading your blog! Love the links to research and twins-related stuff. Next time I revise my template, I'll have to add you to my links :)

[Linda]

Thank you everyone for your kind words. I do hope I'll see you back again. Now I'm back to bed.

[Hazel]

Linda your blog is GREAT. Have just spent far too long on here.

[Ellee]

Hi Linda, Your twins are beautiful. So clever that you found me, because I am a twin too, I have a twin brother. Many thanks for visiting my site and for your comment.

[Linda]

Thanks so much Hazel and Ellee. Please remind me how beautiful they are when I have had another evening like this - moonlighting as Mum's Taxi Services, Mum's Homework Answering Service and Mum's Digging Up Soil for School Tomorrow Services.

[Oliver]

This is very good website, it helps people whi have their hands full with their kids. I think it will help people let off steam. Love Oli.xxx

[Carmen]

Great website Linda, your girls are lovely.

[leigh+3]

hi linda just wanted to say great work your doing keep it up hun

leanne (leigh+3 from t,c)

[Pete Goold]

Hi Linda,
Great blog! I've passed it to a couple of other young parents (we have a two year old) with twins.
Best wishes
Pete

[RennyBA]

Hello from Norway! Great blog - readable posts - keep up the good work:)

[Bethany]

hi emily and melly it's me beth from school. I love your website and it also looks like you had a great time in tenerfe (if ive splet tat last word wrong sorry!). SO i'll se you tomorrow at school ok.

seya bye
bethy

[Melly]

Hello Bethy and thank you for your comment. see you tomorrow, Melly. xx

[Rosalind Sedacca, CCT]

Hi Linda:

I love the message of your new book and would like to tell you about mine to see if there is a way we can support and affiliate with one another on behalf of separated and divorced parents.

My own experience more than a decade ago led to my writing How Do I Tell the Kids about the Divorce? A Create-a-Storybook™ Guide to Preparing Your Children -- With Love! (My now grown son wrote the introduction.)

What makes this book unique is that I don’t just tell parents what to say. I say it for them! I use fill-in-the-blank age-appropriate templates to show parents how to create a storybook sharing family photos and history as a successful way to have the tough break-the-news conversation.

Therapists, attorneys, mediators, educators and other professionals from around the U.S. and beyond have endorsed the book, attesting to the value of my innovative storybook approach to this subject.(See attachment above.) Six therapists contribute their expertise to the book, as well.

My purpose is to raise the consciousness of divorcing couples so they will stop, talk and create a caring plan of action before having that first crucial conversation with their children. I provide six essential messages every child needs to hear and understand at this time. I also advise parents, for the sake of their kids, to choose to create a “child-centered divorce” and highlight all the short- and long-term advantages in the months, years and decades to come.

I believe we can find ways to promote each other's books and other ventures for mutual benefit. For more information, visit www.childcentereddivorce.com. I look forward to hearing back from you and hope this important topic touches a chord with you and your readers.

Best regards,
Rosalind Sedacca, CCT
The Voice of Child-Centered Divorce