Twinship

Being a twin has distinct advantages. My memories of growing up as a twin are almost all good ones. When I was young it was great to have a playmate my age 24-7. I was never alone when it came to new adventures--be it going to the dentist, attending a friend's birthday party, joining Girl Scouts, starting grade school, or moving cross-country. I liked having a twin sister.

However, after spending time with my infant-aged twin grandchildren I am forced to admit that there are also some distinct disadvantages to being a twin that I had forgotten. The down side to being a twin is that there often aren't enough adults available to keep two babies happy.

When your dad leaves to go to work (to keep the mortgage, formula, diaper, and doctor bills paid) and your mom is the only adult on call, you can scream as loud as you like, but sometimes you have to wait quite a while for assistance. Even when the grandparents come to visit, the standard of care still isn't up to par with that given an only child. If your twin is showing off new baby tricks (smiling, kicking, rolling over, grabbing, cooing, grunting, etc), every adult eye in the room will be on them. Even asleep your twin can be a distraction for the adults in the room. You always have to compete with the OTHER baby. Would you want to compete with this baby?


Or this baby?


I would not.

All those annoying things like waiting for a bottle to be prepared, getting a diaper changed, or being strapped into a car seat or stroller take twice as long when there are two babies. Sometimes when you're hungry or wet or just wanting to be held, you have to out scream your twin for adult attention. Misery does NOT love company.


And if having a twin weren't enough of a handi-cap as an infant, try having an older sibling like Bentley. He's a hard act to follow. (Fortunately being a twin is its own brand of fame so that evens the playing field somewhat.)

Yes, life is not easy for an infant twin. However, once they are a little older, they will forget the early trials of twinship (I have!) and only remember the wonderful benefits of having a built-in best friend. It's going to be so much fun! They will quit competing with each other and start collaborating.