The Story behind the Must-Read Childrens Book "Two Boring Twin Brothers"

Interview with twin mom Katelyn Halko

When twin mom Katelyn Halko entered the life of chaos that comes with twins, she needed to find a way to get the twin boys' brother to relate to the newest addition to the family. With that as goal, supermom Katelyn was able to create the cute childrens book Two Boring Twin Brothers. How awesome is that?

We interviewed Katelyn to learn about her inspiration and journey. Read on to learn about her top three advice for other twin parents, her thoughts on the twin bond and more about her book Two Boring Twin Brothers.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT INSPIRED YOUR BOOK?

My name is Katelyn Halko. I've lived in Madison, WI for the last 5 years, Chicago for 10 years before that, and come from a small town in central Illinois. I taught 4th grade while in Chicago, moved to Madison pregnant, and decided to stay home with my firstborn son.

Right as I was getting restless and ready to go back to teaching, I discovered I was pregnant with identical twins, which put my teaching plans back on hold.

The first year of the twins' life was a whirlwind. My oldest has always been a very sensitive person and really took it hard going from an only child with a stay-at-home mom, to a big brother to two boys. He has always related to books and I sought out a lot of different "new baby" books to find one he would relate to.

However, none of them really grasped the chaos of what it is to have TWO screaming babies, or a mom that's balancing feeding two babies, or just the amount of NOISE that comes with two babies. As the year progressed, I started to realize the need for a book like this and was inspired to provide just that. Two Boring Twin Brothers was born.

I'm very excited for the day they realize their own fame. My oldest, Grant, really likes the book and feels proud to show people that it's about him and his brothers.

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST SPECIAL ABOUT THE TWIN BOND?My twins' bond has been a really special thing to watch. From the moment they were born, they've been a comfort to each other. We'd sleep them next to each other and they'd snuggle and hold hands. They've been best buddies their whole lives and, at only two years old, they know the little ways to make the other one laugh.

They also know how to push each other's buttons and have started fighting a bit more. But even on their worst days of toddler fights, you can still see their bond for each other.

The minute one of them is sad or gets hurt, the other stops what he's doing to retrieve a cold pack for an injury, or the other's favorite stuffed animal that goes everywhere with him.

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER TWIN MOMS ABOUT RAISING TWINS?

My advice for other twin moms? That's a hard one. Mostly because as a twin mom, the last thing you want is more advice, since strangers constantly give it so freely. What has worked for me, for my own sanity, is three main things.

1. Sleep training. It was almost easier to sleep train the twins together than it was my first and it's given me a real schedule with personal time I can count on to unwind. And if it feels daunting, there are so many great sleep training groups on Facebook that give a lot of guidance and support.

2. Schedule. From Day 1, I kept them on the same schedule. When one was hungry, I'd wake the other to eat. It's hectic at times, having two crying babies that want the same thing, but then you also have two contented babies at a time.

3. Know your own boundaries, and it's easier to be comfortable with your decisions. With 2 year olds, they want the blue cup, no the orange cup, no the blue cup, or they want to eat a piece of Valentine chocolate on your bed. Or they simply want a THIRD banana each with their breakfast. When you know your own limits, it's easier to stick to your guns when you have two toddlers throwing temper tantrums on the floor.

Thank you, Katelyn! You definitely prove that twin moms are super moms <3 We find it so inspiring that you took a stressful situation and turned into something fun. And not only for your own family but for any family looking for some fun entertainment. Click here to get your hands on a copy of Two Boring Twin Brothers. 

We love getting to know to know twin parents and their journey, and this is our latest interview in our twin parent series (check out the others, including with twin mom blogger Simple Chic Brunette here and Twin Z CEO here). 

Twinning Store was established by twin sisters K & E in Los Angeles in July 2017. We sell clothing for twins and twin parents, because we want to show the world how twins rule!