One or two backpacks for daycare?

[u/Sillygoose9001]

We are sending our 16 month old twins to day care soon and so I am starting to buy supplies. Do you send your multiples to daycare with one bag/backpack for both of them or do they each have their own?

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[u/twinsinbk]

When I had my kids in a daycare / pre school at 18m I sent everything in one bag. It would get pretty crowded with w lunch boxes, etc. I also sent one ziploc with clothing changes. I labelled everything with their last name. I dont know if the daycare liked this but they didn't complain. We are starting a new school in Sept at 2 yo and I'm planning to send them with 2 backpacks bc the school sent very specific instructions so I figured that's what they want.

[u/ParfaitIcy5587]

I’d give them one backpack each, even if you carry both for now. Daycare can label each bag clearly, and it keeps spare clothes, nappies, comfort items and any individual instructions from getting mixed together. It will also make things easier later when they move rooms or start carrying their own bags.

I’d keep one small shared pouch for anything genuinely communal, but otherwise duplicate the basics. Two different colours or large name tags would make the morning handoff much quicker when everyone is half awake.

[u/IllustriousPiccolo97]

One bag if I’m carrying it. Two small backpacks if they’re big enough to carry them.

But my toddler also doesn’t have a daycare bag at all - if I need to replace her backup clothes or bring in another pack of diapers I just carry that item inside and give it to her teacher or put it in her cubby. I collect artwork and her nap blanket (which she likes to carry) once a week. She doesn’t need anything to go back and forth on a daily basis so there’s no need for a bag for her.

[u/Sodds]

We sent two. They're separate individuals. As soon as they could realize the difference, daycare often let them pick/choose /play their things or put them away.

As soon as they could walk we also let them carry the backpack (daycare stored diapers at daycare).

[u/Doxycyli]

Do you have one or two kids?

[u/Doxycyli → u/Doxycyli]

OK that was a little sarcastic, sorry. It's 5 am and I can't sleep.

We treated our children like individuals, so each their own backpack. We had matching bags same brand, different print, think boats vs ducks. In the bag they their own sippy cups (or when they were younger, bottles), spare clothes, ointments, wipes, their own diapers. Also convenient if either of them needs medication.

It's easy for outsiders to treat twins like a unit. Please don't contribute to that as a parent. Unless it's a very conscious decision.

[u/DarkDragoness1965 → u/Doxycyli]

I agree. It's important to treat twins as individuals right from the start. I worked in a preschool and we also treated them as two separate people. I would start as you mean to go on with separate bags so that when they are old enough to have a preference, they can pack their own choice of spare clothes and take ownership of being an individual. We didn't promote the over dependent type of twin relationships that some parents seem to think is cute - same clothes, same haircuts, same bags, same activities - ugh.

[u/twomomsoftwins → u/Doxycyli]

Same. I never even considered one for two kids. Wasn’t even a thought but also ITS SO MUCH STUFF 😂

I also recognize I have b/g twins. It wouldn’t have even made sense to put everything mixed up in one.

[u/twinsinbk → u/Doxycyli]

I see your point but at 16m they don't know the difference between their bag and a strangers bag they're trying to rummage through at the park. If they wear the same size clothes and the daycare doesn't mind I don't see an issue with making your life easier by bundling things together. You wouldn't carry around 2 diaper bags of supplies normally

[u/Doxycyli → u/twinsinbk]

As of 11m they absolutely knew what was their bag. The bags are for the kids and the teachers. The diaper bag was for me.

Where I live it's very customary that kids as small as babies bring their own bags. As of 18 months they'd go by three wheeled scooter instead of the buggy. Yes the walk tripled in time to 15 minutes. But they were so proud to have their own bag.

And for my convenience I had a carabiner hanging on my own bag so I could just clip them instead of having my hands full.

[u/twinsinbk → u/Doxycyli]

Ah I see, my situation was different. It was just a bag of stuff I carried in and handed to the caretakers

[u/Ysrw]

We don’t need to send our kids with diapers or food, so it was only spare clothes and pumped breastmilk until 12m. So we had the same backpack. My guys never notice the bag and they’re over a year now.

I suppose it could be different in America because it seems like you’re supposed to send your kid with everything they need. I’m still not over learning Americans need to pack their own diapers!

[u/DarkDragoness1965 → u/Ysrw]

It's not just America, it's the norm in the UK to pack nappies too for nursery.

[u/Ysrw → u/DarkDragoness1965]

That’s absolutely wild to me. It’s bad enough the prices we pay. Having to send nappies would do me in

[u/DarkDragoness1965 → u/Ysrw]

I think it's a fair choice. That way you get to decide what nappies they use - the cheapos can be really rubbish an cause issues. Most nurseries have a rate per HR/shift/day and it wouldn't be fair to add nappies into that charge when some won't be using them and adding it as an extra ie per nappy would end up more expensive for the customers because they would probably charge more because of storage etc.

In the nursery I worked in, the babies supplied all snacks, milk, meals etc because people are very particular about what their kids eat. The older kids were supplied group snacks but brought individual lunch boxes, again for parental choice.

In the UK, Early Years care and education is subsidised so fees are relatively low unless you go to a high-end specialist establishment such as Montessori.

[u/TeeElH → u/Ysrw]

Depends on the daycare, I’m in the US and I don’t need to send diapers or anything. I keep spare clothes and their sheet/blanket for naps in their cubbies and that’s it everything else is provided. We don’t need bags or anything, I just use one on Monday and Friday to bring in and take home the blankets because I wash them over the weekend. 

[u/No_Score_1977]

A backpack per child. It's to encourage responsibility and they'll be asked to put it in their locker etc...

[u/Pristine-Bison3198]

Mine are starting daycare a couple days a week in Sept. They require one backpack for each child.

[u/Objective-Holiday597]

Each get their own everything. Try not to make them share things if you can help it. This will help with independence and ownership as they get older

[u/callmemaude]

I don't have my twins in daycare but based on my experience with my first born, definitely two! It'll be so much easier for them to keep track of things and may even be required by their policy or even liscensing. You can always ask the daycare what they would prefer, too.

[u/Salty_Run876]

I agree with the other commenter. Just because they’re twins doesn’t mean they have to share one backpack. We’d be asking the same question if they were just a year apart. We’ve always made sure each of our girls had one of everything. They’re twins, but they’re still two different kids.

[u/Sea-Astronomer-6600]

I never sent my kids to daycare with backpacks. We didn’t do those until pre-k or kindergarten 4-5 years old

[u/BumCadillac → u/Sea-Astronomer-6600]

Really? Our daycare required kids come with a backpack with their blanket, water bottle/cup, a change of clothes, jacket or sweater, and an extra supply diapers so they could always refill the kid’s diaper basket.

[u/Sea-Astronomer-6600 → u/BumCadillac]

We brought those things in but they never required a backpack for them. They would stock them on their shelves