does anyone else have twins? ours are 8 mon. old ,identical girls need some help with them. how long should they sleep together? its getting real hard to tell them apart any ideas ? and no we do not dress them alike. we also have a 4yr. old and a 2 1/2 yr. old all girls.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), April 22, 2000

Answers

Response to twins

I have twin sisters, and they slept together until they started conking each other over the head with their toys!! As far as telling them apart, when they have enough hair you could part their hair on opposite sides. For right now, maybe little bracelets, like hospital bracelets? They would stay on more or less permanently, until they outgrew them, or were old enough to know and respond to their own names. Sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun with your little family -- enjoy them, because they grow up SO fast.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 22, 2000.

Response to twins

Hi Renee- My twins (boy & girl) will be 17 in a few days. I also have a 19 yr old son, and I'm a twin myself. Not an expert, but darn close! Let them sleep together for as long as they are comfortable. My twins shared a crib early on, then a bed until they were around 3. Although each had their own bed, in the morning they would be together! Sometimes all 3 kids in one bed, most often, mine- especially thru a storm! Today, they are the best of friends, secure, happy, independent. Give each child her own space, and let life be. I think, we think, too much. Plan on being sleep deprived for a good bit. Wait till they walk! Maybe you could get a break with a babysitter now and then. I used to have my sister come over for an hour or so, and go to HER house to take a peaceful bath! As for telling them apart, I never had that issue, but liked the previous response. I have twin cousins, and their mother marked the sole of their feet with their name. You have been blessed, and you can do this!

-- Kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), April 22, 2000.

Response to twins

I have boy/girl twins that will be 9 in June. I also have a 4 year old boy, 1 year old daughter, & found out 2 days ago that I'm expecting again. I have no advice on the sleeping together. Mine never slept in the same crib. I had 2 cribs up. I would just let them sleep together as long as they want too or as long as it works. As far as telling them apart, I would just continue to dress them differently. Designate a couple of colors for one girl & a couple of colors for the other. That way you will know who is who by the color they're wearing. I always wondered why some people dress them alike. It is rather cute, but each child is an individual. It would also make it that much harder to tell them apart. Have fun! I would love to have twins again!

-- Wendy (weiskids@nalu.net), April 22, 2000.

Response to twins

If you want a "permanent" marking that folks won't notice - try painting the big toenail of one foot with nail polish (different colors of course). And I agree with letting them sleep together as long as they want to. They're probably be most comfortable together, and may eventually play a bit (even an extra 15 min sleep for you will be a blessing)

-- Deborah (ActuaryMom@hotmail.com), April 23, 2000.

Response to twins

Renee: I also have twins, but they were not identical, and are now 30 years old. My grandfather, several cousins, my mother in law, a niece all are, or have twins too. My fried years ago had a set of identical twin boys, her 5th and 6th children, and she took a permanent marker and put their names on the sole of thier foot near the heel, very small, and just renewed that every little while until they were older and easier to tell apart by cutting the hair, etc. differently. Good luck, may the force be with you! Mine slept in the same crib until they were 6 months old or so, and also would get into each other's beds when they were little, but after about age 4 or 5, they wanted thier own "space". Still shared a room, as the house was only a two bedroom, but they did fine. After all, they were used to being together before birth, so they seem to need that extra security for a while. My biggest mistake, although I was careful not to dress them alike, to try to recognize thier separate identities, etc., was to think that if one liked spaghetti as a baby, the other should too. If one ate ten bites of something, I thought the other should too. I soon learned to let them be theirselves, and it worked out fine. Jan B

-- Jan B (Janice12@aol.com), April 23, 2000.

Response to twins

Hi, I have 18 year old twin daughters, as well as a 19 y/o son, and a 2 year old son. My daughters shared the same bed until 15 y/o, and shared a room until 17. We just never had the room to sleep them separately. They have a very close relationship with each other, but each have their own friends (separate) and very different interests. We were always careful to emphasize their individuality, and it paid off. They were very difficult to tell apart when they were little, so one of them wore mostly blue and purple clothes, and the other one wore red and pink, it was just easier to tell them apart that way. We didn't dress them alike, as I mostly sewed their clothes, or got them from garage sales. When they were born, my mother-in-law was very offended that we didn't give them rhyming names, but they are fantastic young ladies in spite of that oversight! Ha!

-- gina (inhock@pvtnetworks.net), April 26, 2000.

I have 10 yr old identical twin boys. They are so identical that even the dna is alike!! The hair curls etc..all alike..the doctor teased that one could commit a crime and the other could get blamed. ;-)They dress themselves mostly right now, and they like to dress alike when we go places, but don't really care about it when we are at home. They still sleep together. They like it that way. They are best friends and share most everything. They also have different tastes, but it usually compliments the other twin, so they don't fight. I have tried to change the hair, but the cow licks are the same, so the hair stays the same. Not much you can do with boys hair anyway. ;-) As to the language, yes, they do have their own language. Not so much now as they used to, but they can still read each others mind now and then. That is what is was more like then actually speaking (but they are autistic), it was like they were reading each other's mind. They would look at one another and then one would toddle off into mischief, and while I was looking into that, the other would get the candy out or something like that. I have 6 children, ages 14-8 yrs.There is something special about twins. NOT that I don't love my other children, we all get a kick out of when they do things totally simulutaniously and don't even realize it. It is such a blast! Or, when they finish each others stories or sentences. When they have to go to the bathroom at the same time and only bathroom . The poor things. hee hee, we have two bathrooms now. They get hungry at the same time etc...but one prefers veges, while the other eats the meat. I am pushing the veges with that one more, I surely don't want a pattern set for heart disease.

This is turning into a novel, sorry..I tend to talk too much. ;-)

Cindy

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), April 07, 2001.