We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
When you have twins, you double-down on everything, from cooing to crying.
In the first year with our newborns, my husband and I had a few notifications on our phones that warned us we were in an extremely loud environment—usually something reminiscent of a concert setting at an arena—except, we were at home with our young twins.
All of their needs were met. And still, in those moments, they cried. Sometimes, you aren't moving fast enough for what two babies want right now.
Other times, babies just cry.
Loudly.
And when there are two of them, it can REALLY amp up quickly because they feed off of each other's vibes.
And when there are two of them, it can REALLY amp up quickly because they feed off of each other's vibes.
An interesting thing happens when you have identical twins; while their voices are slightly different, when they get crying—like, REALLY crying—their wails harmonize and find an equilibrium. And then, somehow, as if by Mono/Di Magic, the length of their cries sync up and it literally sounds like you have only one baby…one really loud baby.
In those moments, it can be incredibly hard to focus. It's akin to when you're driving along in your car and you suddenly need to focus, so you turn down the volume of your music, in order to be able to hear yourself think.
Except, when you're in a confined space with two babies who are belting it out with everything they've got, you can't just magically dial down the decibels.
Except, when you're in a confined space with two babies who are belting it out with everything they've got, you can't just magically dial down the decibels. Though, wouldn't that be lovely?
At that exact moment, you might be thinking, "Please, just stop…" and you just know that—if your toddlers could talk—they'd both just sing-scream back at you, at the top of their teensy, little lungs, "Don't…stop me now!"
Which is exactly what you want to be singing along to in this scenario, it turns out.
The feel good formula
A study conducted by Jacob Jolij, a cognitive neuroscientist from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, determined that Don't Stop Me Now by Queen is the most effective song for having a positive effect on one's overall mood and well-being.
Commissioned by British electronics brand Alba, the research investigated 126 songs from a 50-year period and analyzed various factors, including the song's tempo in beats per minute, the key, the chords, and the lyrics of the song.
...the research investigated 126 songs from a 50-year period and analyzed various factors, including the song's tempo in beats per minute, the key, the chords, and the lyrics of the song.
From these factors, the Feel Good Index was born. This equation, which includes the sum of all positive aspects, was then used to calculate which songs were more likely to enhance the listener's well-being and positively impact their mood.
Among the discoveries made during this study was that the average tempo of a "feel-good" tune was much higher than the average pop song.
While an average tune is about 115-120 beats per minute, the feel-good songs had an average tempo of about 140-150 beats per minute.
In addition, positive lyrics and a major third musical key were factors that helped listeners perceive the songs as positive. You can read more about the study, here.
Top 10 songs that put you in a good mood, according to the study
These quicker, boppin' tunes enhance energy, boost confidence, and subconsciously make people happier by stimulating endorphins and specific parts of the brain and benefitting blood circulation.
- Don't Stop Me Now by Queen
- Dancing Queen by Abba
- Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys
- Uptown Girl by Billie Joel
- Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
- I'm a Believer by The Monkees
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
- Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi
- I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
- Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves
Stream, not scream
We've tested these songs out on our twins when they've been less-than-impressed, and almost every single song made a positive impact on their moods before the first chorus kicked in.
If you want to be able to drop these beats at the drop of a hat, set yourself up with a device you can ask to pump up the jam while you pump out their breakfast.
We've tried out a variety of different devices over the years and have liked them all. The one that will be the right fit for your family may depend on which digital assistant you've welcomed into your home.
Before we dive into the devices, I want to talk about how awesome the Belkin SoundForm Mini Headphones are. They're wireless and connect via Bluetooth to many devices. They have a built-in microphone and Belkin's Signature Sound with audio tuned specifically for kids; it doesn't go past 85 decibels, which helps protect your child's hearing. Plus, they come with stickers, so your little ones can personalize their own headsets.
Belkin SoundForm Mini Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for Kids
These are Belkin's SoundForm MIni wireless bluetooth headphones for kids. They feature Belkin's Signature Sound, which prevents audio from surpassing 85 decibels.
Another great headphone option, specifically for twins, is the two-pack of kids headphones by iClever. These lightweight headphones are foldable, have a built-in microphone, and have soft, hypoallergenic ear cushions. But most impressively, they come with a sharing splitter, which allows you to connect both sets of headphones to the same audio player.
This is a game-changer. It means no more fighting over who gets to wear the headphones or having meltdowns over being forced to take turns with the connected set. Each twin can have their own headset connected to the same device at the same time.
iClever
This is a two-pack of kids headphones by iClever. They come with a sound-sharing splitter, so both headsets can be simultaneously paired to the same device.
If Alexa is your go-to-gal, the Echo Dot can be your go-to device for calling up music. Just ask You-Know-Who to play Don't Stop Me Now in your time of need.
Amazon Echo Dot
This is the Echo Dot by Amazon. It's a smart home hub that allows you to stream music from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and more.
If you're an Apple aficionado, then the Home Pod could be just what your home needs. The powerful smart home hub allows you to ask its intelligent assistant, Siri, to play whatever song comes to mind in high-fidelity sound that will hit the high notes you wish you could.
Apple Home Pod
This is the Apple Home Pod. It has an intelligent assistant and maximizes acoustic performance to give you a fully immersive listening experience.
The Apple Home Pod is also available in a mini, but mighty, format that also works seamlessly with iPhone, like its full-grown counterpart. The mini version has five different colors to choose from.
Apple Home Pod Mini
This is the Apple Home Pod MIni. It is a smaller smart home hub that also features its intelligent assistant, Siri.
If you're a Google guru, the Nest Hub will take good care of you. It's great for calling up songs (Livin' on a Prayer first thing in the morning, anyone?), finding out the current UV index before you venture to the park, or getting to see all of the adorable pictures you take of your twins and add to the digital album.
Google Nest Hub
This is the Google Nest Hub. It has a built-in assistant feature to call up songs, check the weather, or answer the random questions you think of throughout the day.
Turn down the decibels, crank up the tunes
Next time you see your twins filling up their lungs to maximum capacity with what you are sure can only be an onslaught of upset, remember the Feel Good formula and use it to turn those frowns upside down.
Keep this playlist at the ready for those tough moments when your twins are crying and feeding off of each other's energy, and with any luck—wait, no more luck—with science on your side, you can keep those babies' wails at bay.
No more Livin' on a Prayer. Tell yourself, "I Will Survive," and, call up your Feel Good Playlist. Pretty soon, you AND your twins will be Walking on Sunshine.
After trying this out for myself, I must say, I'm a Believer. And, hopefully, you will be, too.
What was your go-to solution for pressing pause during dual-crying moments with your twins? What's your go-to song to get amped up? Let us know in the Comments section below.
Read more
We Go Together: The Most Creative Halloween Costume Ideas for Your Twins
It may still be a while away, but I'm of the mindset that it's never too early to start planning for Halloween costumes. Finding all of the right elements to pull off just the right look for whatever you're dressing up as can take time, and when you're trying to find costumes for your little kiddos, especially newborns, it can be hard to track down the right sizes of whatever you need...
A Checklist of Everything You Need for Your Diaper Genie
If you're a first-time parent or if it's been a while since you last had a newborn (or two), it can be hard to know where to begin and what all you need to get through those early days with your wee ones. One of the biggest things to tackle with any brand-new baby is diaper duty. Or in the case of you and your twins, dual diaper duty. Beyond your diaper of choice, your favorite brand...
The Best Diaper Pails for Every Scenario
If you have children, you have to deal with diapers…no ifs, ands, or buts (read: butts, very much so). Diapers are just part of the deal, and since there's no getting around that, you might as well make diaper duty as easy as possible. One way to do this is to invest in a diaper pail that will take whatever you throw at it. With newborn twins, you'll be throwing those diapers double-...
How to Give Your Twins the Million Word Advantage
As parents, we want to give our children every advantage possible in everything they do. And everything they do has an affiliation with words. I don't know if you've ever thought about it, but there are a lot of words floating around out there. Vast vocabulary According to Merriam-Webster, there are an estimated one million words in the English language vocabulary (give or take a...