Tom Rich had done his share of changing diapers, babysitting and other responsibilities growing up while taking care of his younger brother and sister.  So, how much more prepared would he have to be as a father raising two children of the same age?  That question was soon answered after the birth of fraternal twins, Hayley and Erik.

“When you have kids the same age, you’re dealing with children who at the same time are developing their own personalities, which are constantly in flux,” says Tom.  “A big challenge as a father is to encourage each of their personalities to grow, but make sure one of the twin’s personalities doesn’t dominate the other.  That often creates learning lessons for all of us – especially in our case having a boy and a girl, and how different they would be.”

Dealing with ongoing personality changes simultaneously is just one situation Tom and his wife Lise have encountered in raising their children, now three years old.  Along the way, both had to figure out the best way to incorporate multiple feedings, napping, traveling and bathing into a healthy family atmosphere that would nurture their children’s development.  For Tom, building such an environment came down to two words: consistency and organization.

“Lise and I determined early on that creating a routine would be critical,” he explains.  “It’s important that you do the same things day to day, so kids know what to anticipate.  Part of doing that means we need to organize and pre-plan – whether it's going for breakfast or visiting relatives.  And, especially with twins, being organized is helpful when you inevitably have to deal with the unexpected, which happens to all parents, but becomes more intensified with multiples.”

Tom and Lise also make constant communication a priority.  With their jobs naturally allowing them to take care of the twins at certain points during the day (Tom is a licensed real estate agent for Century 21 AA Realty in Seaford; Lise is an assistant nurse manager at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola) the two constantly speak with each other to make sure that they’re on the same page.  That makes a big difference when having to address any issues or logistics in advance.

While being a father of multiples remains never a dull moment, Tom feels that the system he and Lise have in place has gone a long way to establish the positive household environment they want for Hayley and Erik – one where each knows they are loved for who they are now and the kind of person they’re becoming.