I not the parent of twins, but have three very separate children all a little more than a year apart. My two daughters are not quite fifteen months apart and when they were younger, people tended to assume the two of them were twins. Age, individuality and the fact that there is more than 6 inches and very different body types that separate them has taken care of that—but at the ages of 17 and nearly 18, there are still those people who try to treat them like two-of-a-kind. They are neither of them very happy about it either…
My girls have always tended to share things on their own accord—they will swap clothes and they used to share shoes and toys. There is enough of a difference between them, however, that they have very different tastes, friends, and interests and they no longer wear the same sizes in shoes or anything else. However, there are those who still tend to give them “matching” gifts—sweaters, slippers, robes, bedding, etc. and they have been tired of it for years!
Yes, they are sisters and yes, they are of “similar” ages—but that is where a lot of the similarities end. By the time siblings hit the middle school years, most are doing anything and everything they can to differentiate themselves and carve out their own identities. They do not WANT to match or even have similar bedspreads and pillow shams. At least, that is how things have gone in our family! So, while they do have manners and are rather patient with those relatives and people who give them matching gifts—they are not particularly thrilled about having to adjust or return them. I know there are families out there who stress the similarities and the matching and kids who don’t seem to have a problem with it—but in my little family, my kids do NOT want to be lumped in with their siblings.
Also: Gasp! My Older Children Help Their Little Siblings
Report Says Sibling Spats Are Inevitable
How to Deal with Sibling Rivalry