I get asked this question ALL the time. And can I start by saying I don’t mind one bit? I see and hear a lot of twin mums who complain about the endless questions and comments from strangers but I have to say I love it. I always have, well for the last two years anyway. Some might say I’ve always been an attention seeker (shocked Emoji face)…
Here are some classic comments I get on a practically daily basis:
- Are they identical?
- Are they twins?
- Double Trouble!
- Two for the price of one
- You’ve got your hands full there
- Can you tell them apart?
- I can tell he’s the thinker…
- I bet that was a shock!
- Starting a five a side team?
- A boy and a girl?
I don’t get offended by any of the above, mostly I just find it quite funny… Its never happened to me but I have heard of twin mums who have been asked if their identical twins are ‘two boys??’ Ummmm yep! The most common one is Double Trouble and this really upsets some twin mummies but I mostly just think yes they can be double the trouble sometimes but they are also and mostly double the joy! I mean I get two kisses, two cuddles, two hands to hold, two smiles and two little humans calling me ‘mama’ and gazing up at me. How could that really be trouble??
Oh yes and in answer to the question above… No they are not identical. They are fraternal boy/boy twins. I can’t even believe I get asked this, I think they look completely different. I suppose even mums of identical twins think they look different but mine really do. You can see in the main pic here that they have totally different builds. Fletch on the right who is the younger twin by 1 minute is taller than Dougie. They have different body shapes, Dougie looks more athletic already with his little waist and big shoulders and Fletch is straighter with longer legs and is much heavier as well.
The only time I can remember not liking something someone said to us was ‘I bet he’s (pointing at Dougie) the evil one.’ He was moaning in a coffee shop because he was bored and tired after baby sensory, this does not make him ‘evil’. I can’t imagine anyone making that comment to a single baby making the same noise as Dougie but because he’s a twin its OK?? Hey guess what, it isn’t!
On a brighter note one of the nicest comments I received from a stranger was when the boys were about 7 months old. I had had abit of a stressful morning with them and managed to get them in the buggy and out for a walk, I was feeling a little bit down but a man who was walking towards me didn’t stop but as he walked passed us he smiled at me and just said simply ‘ah what a blessing’ and do you know what they really are. A complete blessing.
NJ x
nicola jayne 