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There's nothing unusual these days about a dad staying at home to bring up the children. But when you're a father of twin girls things become a little more challenging. "There's a certain synergy attached to twins, particularly when it comes to mischief" says Mark. | "From day one the logistics of having multiples in the family are distinct." | | Mark Watson |
"We've had plenty of flooded bathrooms, pen on walls, fairy cake carnage. That particular day, a trip to a well known farm for children in Letchworth was withdrawn." And, as Mark explains, it's not just behavioural challenges that he has to overcome. "From day one the logistics of having multiples in the family are distinct. Obviously with twins you have double of everything; milk bottles, high chairs, nappies and car seats, at one point we had six." "Caryn my wife had two in her car, I had two in mine and the child minder had two in hers" he continues. "Childcare is expensive, full time nursery could come to £1300 to £1400 per month, that's a lot of money.
 | | Mark Watson and his daughters. |
"One of the things that occurred to me was the prospect of sending two daughters to university at the same time, which raises some interesting financial concerns" explains a potentially worried Mark. He's been looking after his three-year-old twins Charlotte and Chloe at home for over a year. "Some might wonder about the impact of a male role model on two little girls, I know I do myself. And they do like Barbie, they like pink, they like dresses and they like stories about Princesses" he says. "But the fact that I'm at home looking after them doesn't affect us in any shape or form" he says. The question people ask Mark most frequently is, "does it get any easier? We say to people "frankly it doesn't get easier, it just gets different" he reveals.
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