Last updated on April 29th, 2024 at 08:37 pm
Any parent of twins can tell you that having twins is not all sunshine and rainbows. This stuff can be HARD. No joke. There are plenty of tough times, crying, fighting, and time outs. But most parents of twins will agree that the hard parts are definitely outweighed by the parts that rock!!!
1. They have a special bond like no other.
What are they even saying half the time? Who knows? THEY DO. They seem to understand every word. Sometimes even just a touch or a simple gesture can calm the other’s fears. Their dynamic is unique and only between the two of them. And they always have someone to play with, which gives you a little more “me time” as they get older. “Go play with your brother!” is one of my favorite phrases.
TRUE MOM STORY by ND: “My little dude had a speech delay. A pretty significant one. He would grunt and make noises, but no real words that I could make out. I remember he would come up to me and say “blu di ma pa” (or something like that), and I would say nicely “Can you say that again, but slower.” and he would repeat “Bluuuuu diiiii maaaa paaa” while looking at me like I’m a moron. After asking him to repeat himself one more time, his twin would stomp up to us and say “MOM, HE JUST WANTS AN APPLE!”. And just like that, his twin had no idea he had a speech issue. They communicated flawlessly and I was the odd man out. (Update for those of you who have kids with speech issues, he’s 15 now and we can’t shut him up. He gives wonderful speeches in high school and is articulate and awesome. Therapy rocks!)
Nat
2. Those moments when they look out for each other.
Asking for an extra banana or cup of milk to give to their twin so their sibling doesn’t go without. Giving each other hugs if one gets hurt. Standing up for the other twin if another kid gets rough at school. They have each other’s backs.
3. It’s like living with a comedy team.
Martin & Lewis ain’t got nothin’ on these kids! Spinning in circles until they fall all over each other in a fit of giggles. Pointing each other out when I ask, “Who pooped?” Running laps around the house after bath time, naked as jaybirds, squealing with glee, with their hooded towels flowing behind them. COORDINATING HALLOWEEN COSTUMES! The effort you put into raising twins pays back exponentially in entertainment value!
Martin & Lewis ain’t got nothin’ on these kids! Spinning in circles until they fall all over each other in a fit of giggles. Pointing each other out when I ask, “Who pooped?” Running laps around the house after bath time, naked as jaybirds, squealing with glee, with their hooded towels flowing behind them. COORDINATING HALLOWEEN COSTUMES! The effort you put into raising twins pays back exponentially in entertainment value!
4. Knowing that they’ll always have a best friend.
You fall in love with them, and then they fall in love with each other. It’s really the sweetest darn thing you’ll ever see. Through the years they will always have someone who just “gets” them. The love between twins is indescribable. They have a forever bond that no one else will ever fully understand. It will be really, really hard when the day comes that they leave for college, but knowing that they have each other to lean on will make it a tiny bit easier.
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5. The morning giggles coming from their bedroom.
I sometimes watch them on the video monitor and catch them snuggling in the same bed. It’s moments like that that make all the hard work pay off!
6. Double the hugs, laughter, snuggles, and love.
The wave of love that washes over you as they stampede into your outstretched arms — it just makes it all worth it. And just think, you’ll always have your own kid to cuddle, tickle, and throw up into the air, because when you have two you don’t have to share.
7. The cuteness.
Matching outfits, watching them running side by side… and watching them high five each other after using the potty is cute beyond words!
8. Instant family.
For us, we always wanted 2 kids. Overnight we went from married couple to family of 4. Insta-family! Bonus – I only had to go through pregnancy once (which was enough for me!)
9. A real-life nature vs. nurture experiment.
You get to see first-hand just how different they are even though you raised them the exact same way! Even when it comes to identical twins, every child is unique and nowhere is that more apparent than with twins. You also get to see the similarities they form simply by having another child the same exact age to model behavior.
10. The pressure of being the perfect parent is a lot less.
When I found out I was having twins, all bets were off. I knew that I would have so much work ahead of me that it allowed me to set the bar a little lower for myself. I have always worked hard to raise my kids the best way I know how, but I don’t stress as much as some of my singleton moms do about the little things. Just getting through the day with both kids alive and well is a big accomplishment for me!
Julie Burt Nichols is Twiniversity’s Dean of Parents, serving as Editor-in-Chief of Twiniversity.com, Account Manager, and Instructor for Twiniversity classes. Julie is mom to twin 6-year-old boys, Desmond & Alec, who were born on Halloween. Julie loves her job as the “Wizard Behind the Curtain” at Twiniversity — the #1 global resource and support network for parents of twins. She loves serving as a resource and support for parents of twins in the Chicago area. Julie is proud to be a certified child passenger safety technician.
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