When we got to know that we were having twins, I was over the moon. But one part of me soon got me thinking about how we will manage them. Raising a kid in today's world is hard, and we were expecting two! When they came, obviously, they were not easy to manage. But I soon realized that there are so many advantages of being a twin parent which a single-kid parent is missing (read 2X fun, joy, laughter, and entertainment). I have five years old twin girls, and they rock. Here's how:- Happiness is a state of mind: First of all, if you were planning two kids, the whole parental struggle of a kid growing up cycle is done at one go – right from pregnancy, multiple trips to hospitals, and managing an infant while the other kid is a toddler or a grown-up kid. But, most importantly, getting done with all the 'sleepless nights' in one go is such a relief! Needless to say, as parents, we get double the kisses & hugs (meaning double the joy & happiness 😊).
- Two to Tango – best friends for life!: Since they grow together, they always have each other to play with. Yes, they love, shout and fight, but most importantly, they always have company. So, they are mostly engaged. Also, since they are in the same age group, they quickly gel together and become best friends for life. In today's world of gadgets, most kids are hooked on to mobiles, tablets, or TV. Having twins helps reduce the dependence on these 'idiot boxes’. According to a global study by Sapien Labs, a Washington-based not-for-profit entity, kids' later use of smartphones or tablets directly correlates with better mental health in their late teens to early twenties compared to early use.
In a nutshell, they entertain each other, and hence much lesser need to resort to gadgets. The most interesting thing is one should observe and listen to their chatter. It is fun, entertaining, and heart-melting! You will be amazed to listen to their conversations at such a young age. - One is a learner, and the other is a teacher (and vice versa): Many things that one learns also teach the other and sometimes better than the parents. For example, a rhyme or a song that one learns, they try to teach the other. They teach and correct each other, and that is how they learn and grow. The other examples I have seen are learning numbers, the alphabet, ways to solve jigsaw puzzles, and playing new games. Again, they learn in a particular way and try to teach each other. They understand teamwork and cooperation very early in their life which is one of the most important personality traits as a professional or grown-up. This way, they push each other forward, which is exciting and heart-warming to see.
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Sharing is caring: They learn to share at a very early age. Wherever it was not required, we did not buy two of the same kind. Now you must be thinking they will end up fighting, but we saw this as an opportunity to teach them 'sharing' things with each other and playing 'in turns’. An example I can cite is we bought one magic car and one scooter between the two. We did not buy 4 of these. Initially, they used to fight over it at different moments, but soon they began to understand the joy of sharing and about putting your sibling first.
- Each penny saved matters!: Sharing also saves us economically often while the expenses are through the roof. However, for siblings with age gaps, the process starts all over again where certain stuff just needs to be purchased, or the younger sibling uses 'hand-me-downs.' To come to think of it, in today's rising inflationary environment and especially education costs growing much faster than overall inflation, having a child one after another is way too expensive than having twins at one go! To put things in perspective, the fee I paid for my junior kg child (1 kid) is more than the overall fees that my parents incurred until my engineering. Whoa!
- Caring is loving & happiness in a package: As human beings, they care for each other and help each other. For example, many times, when one gets hurt and starts crying, the other one immediately consoles her and tries funny things to distract the other from the pain suffered from that moment.
- Reading is the ultimate education: My girls read to each other. They know the storyline on each page of their picture storybooks that they have heard or seen at home or school. So even though they do not fully understand how to read, they become storytellers for each other. This helps in developing cognitive function and imagination in twins.
- Each person is unique, and twins are no different: The two grow up to be different personalities, just like any other sibling pair. People assume twins are similar in most ways, which is a pure myth. We appreciate that genes play a vital role even though the two are literally born simultaneously under the same roof. In a way, it sometimes helps that they have different interests and likes, which means there are fewer quarrels over one toy or a book! Besides, one's interest often rubs off on another, thereby encouraging exposure to multiple hobbies and activities.
- You achieve military-grade discipline: You can achieve things you never thought possible in your dreams. Having twins make you more disciplined and organized. You become champions of multi-tasking and time management (to a point that you realize there is no 'me time' 😉). The human adapts to the tough situation and tries to manage it one way or another. We cannot imagine what we went through to bring up our twincesses, and looking back, we smile and take pride in what we have achieved. We often discuss that if we had one kid, we would have managed it like 'sailing a smooth river' (we keep hearing about single-child parent's struggles…. I wonder why!).
- Everyone wants to be a celebrity: Lastly, we enjoy the attention that twins attract (you are no less than a celeb). Everywhere we go, strangers get intrigued by our kids and want to enquire more. The common question we get is whether they are 'identical' twins (they are not). If you make a new contact or connection, they will surely remember you!
Raising a child is a unique experience, let alone twins. Every experience is different. It is quite challenging to raise twins but also rewarding and fulfilling. The most important thing they say is 'happiness is in the journey, not the destination' 😊.
Got twins? Tell us your top reason of why having twins rocks
