If you’ve been around a while you know that I have a set of 2 1/2 year old boy/girl twins. It has been a roller coaster ride, and I know there are lots more twists and turns along the way. Although I may not be a “seasoned” twin mom yet, there are a few things that I have learned.
- Although they are twins, they are NOT the same. I know this may seem obvious, but I get asked all the time, “Do they have the same personality?”, “Do they do the same things?” and the reality is that they don’t. They are completely different people. My boy is more relaxed, goes with the flow, and does his own thing. My girl on the other hand runs the show. She is bossy, independent and doesn’t take no for an answer. It works better that way, I guess, because I don’t think this house is big enough for more than one boss.
- Just because they are twins, doesn’t mean they always want to be together. My twins, are best frenemies, as we call them. There are times when they get along, but they fight like crazy too. I also heard that so many twins liked to sleep in the same crib/room from the beginning. That because they are connected, they liked to stay close, but my twins are the opposite. They didn’t want to be in the same crib and to this day, they can’t sleep in the same room. They keep each other up and think it’s a party.
- Having them on the same schedule did not work for us. My boy required more sleep from the very beginning, he is definitely his mamma’s boy, and my girl doesn’t require much sleep, just like her dad. So getting them on the same schedule just wasn’t feasible for us. They didn’t sleep for the same amount of time, and often didn’t want to eat at the same time either.
- Sharing is still something that doesn’t come easy. Even though they have had to share their parents their whole life, they still don’t like sharing. They get mad when they have to sit on my lap together, or when I hold both of their hands. You would think that since they have shared their whole life they would be more used to it. But they definitely are not.
- Although being a twin mom is so exhausting, it is doubly rewarding. When they do interact and play, it is the cutest thing in the world. The bond they have is amazing, if they are apart for too long, they start looking for each other. Just the other day, my girl accidentally locked herself in a room. I didn’t know until my boy came up and asked for his sister and said she was crying, and sure enough she was. I think this is just one instance of the twin bond, that I am so excited to see grow.
