When my wife and I found out we were expecting twins, I felt an equal mix of excitement and panic. The idea of raising two babies simultaneously sounded like stepping straight into the eye of a hurricane. And when they arrived, life quickly went from organized and predictable to formless, chaotic, and sleep-deprived. Everything felt overwhelming—like the universe in the first verses of Genesis: “formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep.”
But as I reflected on the lessons in Genesis Chapter 2, something clicked. The opening story of creation isn’t just about how the universe came to be—it’s about how structure and purpose emerge from chaos. And as I learned to navigate my role as a new dad to twins, these lessons became my blueprint for survival.
1. Defining the Chaos: Creating Clarity in the Unknown
Genesis begins with God bringing order to disorder, separating light from darkness and naming the elements of creation. In the same way, I realized that the first step to surviving twin parenthood was breaking down the overwhelming chaos into smaller, manageable parts.
For me, this started with naming the priorities in our day-to-day life. Feedings, diaper changes, tummy time, and—if we were lucky—snatches of rest all needed their place. My wife and I quickly adopted a “divide and conquer” system. She’d handle one baby, and I’d take the other, and we’d switch off when needed. There was even one night when we joked about being a two-person production crew, each with our roles clearly labeled: “You’re on bottle duty; I’ll handle burp patrol.”
Naming tasks and dividing responsibilities gave us a sense of clarity and control in a situation that often felt overwhelming. It didn’t eliminate the chaos, but it made it feel less like drowning and more like treading water.
Takeaway: Parenthood with twins is chaotic, but breaking it down into priorities—defining what needs attention—helps make it manageable.
2. Gradual Progress: One Day, One Step at a Time
Genesis unfolds day by day, with each step building on the one before. Light before life, dry land before vegetation—everything in the story follows a logical sequence. This taught me that big challenges, like parenthood, are best tackled incrementally.
With twins, there’s no such thing as instant mastery. I can’t count how many times I fumbled with a swaddle or failed to sync their schedules. But I quickly learned to focus on progress, not perfection. I’ll never forget one particular week when both babies decided to stagger their cries through the night, like a perfectly rehearsed relay. My wife and I barely slept, and every day felt like a blur. But when we managed to get them both down for an hour-long nap at the same time, we celebrated like we’d just won the lottery.
It was in those little victories—figuring out how to tandem feed or finally getting them to sleep longer stretches—that I found my confidence growing. Step by step, day by day, we made progress.
Takeaway: Parenthood, especially with twins, is a marathon, not a sprint. Celebrate small wins, and trust that progress comes with time.
3. Rest is Essential: The Power of Pausing to Reflect
The creation narrative doesn’t end with endless work—on the seventh day, God rests. And as a dad of twins, I’ve learned that rest isn’t just a luxury; it’s a survival skill.
There was a point early on when I thought I could power through everything: helping with every feeding, taking over household chores, and still showing up for work. It didn’t take long before I hit a wall. One night, I was so tired I poured formula into my coffee instead of creamer. My wife pulled me aside and said, “You need to take a break.”
From that point on, we built rest into our routine. Whether it was a quick nap or a few quiet minutes sitting in the driveway after a diaper run, those small pauses made all the difference. They gave us room to recharge and reflect, to look back and say, “We’re doing okay.”
Takeaway: Don’t underestimate the importance of rest. Even brief moments of pause can give you the strength to keep going.
4. Embracing the Responsibility (and the Joy)
In Genesis, humanity is created with a special role—to care for creation. As a parent of twins, I felt the weight of responsibility from the moment I held them both in my arms for the first time. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about me anymore—I was responsible for shaping their world.
At first, that responsibility felt overwhelming. How could I possibly be enough for both of them at the same time? But then came the moments that reminded me why this role is the greatest privilege of my life. Like the time I figured out how to soothe them both to sleep at once, holding one in each arm. Or the first time they both smiled at me—those goofy, heart-melting baby grins that made every sleepless night worthwhile.
I realized that being a dad isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about showing up, giving your best, and finding joy in the little moments. The weight of responsibility doesn’t disappear, but it becomes lighter when you focus on the joy it brings.
Takeaway: Parenthood comes with great responsibility, but it also brings immeasurable joy. Embrace both, and let the joy carry you through the hard days.
From Chaos to Structure: The Genesis Blueprint
The first story of Genesis isn’t just about the creation of the world—it’s a guide to finding structure and meaning in chaos. For me, it’s been a powerful reminder that parenthood, especially with twins, is a process. It starts with disorder, but with clarity, progress, rest, and a whole lot of love, you create something incredible.
To all the twin dads out there: you’ve got this. Take it one step at a time, lean into the chaos, and remember—you’re building something amazing out of the mess.