It's 2024 Already and they are almost 16

 What a wild ride it's been.

Looking back at this blog I am kicking myself for not being consistent because it is nice to look back at the snapshots. I can't believe I haven't posted in 10 years.

Still this isn't my only record of parenting twins through their childhood. What is interesting as I look back is how important different issues were at different times.

I seem to recall a low point when they were about 10 or 11, or was it 12? It was the monumental fights—not physical fights (not much), but constant bickering.

As the parent and referee, I found it was soul-destroying. 

It drained away any pleasure from life. I didn't want to do anything with them as it was always marred by bickering. 

Are all twins like that? Perhaps it's not a twin thing, I seem to remember being the same with my sister: SORRY, MUM!

If your kids are in that stage, I feel for you. 

My twins are completely different from each other, so I don't think they'd ever share any common interests.

Nevertheless, I can finally assure you it does get better. As they get older, their dialogue becomes more friendly and constructive. They discuss homework and other things. 

I'll try to not leave it another 10 years before writing again.

The Difference Between Girls and Boys at 6 years of age

Is it biology? Is there a female and a male brain or are our differences down to our life experiences from an early age?
The truth is, despite trying to treat them the same I have found for many reasons my twins have had different lives from an early age.
1. The way other people treat them.  Other people give them toys to play with based on gender even if I do not.
2. Their personalities make them so different that they way the rest of the family interact with them is unique for each twin.
3. Medical issues have impacted on one child's life.

Now that they are 6 my daughter is maturing that little bit more than my son and I guess I can expect to see quite a gap in maturity and behaviour as they approach the pre-teen years.  Perhaps the difference in age for entering puberty (younger in girls and older in boys) also affects our brain but hard to know whether that affect is due to biology or life experience?
http://mrstaraplumbing.com/2014/09/30/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-male-or-female-brain/

Only one twin with allergies - are the first year & stomach bacteria important?

As one of my twins has multiple allergies - peanuts, pecans, walnuts and contact with nickel, I was fascinated to watch the recent Horizon TV programme, evidence was presented that gut flora is important and this is colonized during the first year of life.

What was interesting to me is that as far as I can recall my fraternal twins had the same first year: both breast fed, both natural birth, stayed together in the Special care baby unit for the first two weeks and mum did have antibiotics at least once (may be more) in that first year, whilst breast feeding.

These things may all impact on gut flora but in fact, as stated, only one of my children has allergies so there must be more to it.  I think there may be something in his genes, as studies among identical twins have also found strong evidence of a genetic link.   The bacteria hypothesis is a way of explaining the incredible rise in allergies, however, so that now about 30% of the population may have some allergies.  

Moving on Day 3 kids all in new schools tday

I'm not the only mum thinking about her children today.  It is moving up day so my big boy gets a taster day in his new school and the twins get and hour an a half (really!) in reception class in their new school.

 Thankfully I do not need to be dropping off and collecting all at the same time.

Unfortunately darling daughter is a little poorly today so we just went to see her class AFTER dropping twin brother in his.  He is none the wiser, she has come home again with me.  

Just looking at the uniform shopping list - it all seems so complicated.  And I couldn't possibly do mail order as DD is in age 7 or even 8 clothes! Yes she will be 5 is September. No she is not a giant - she is average.  So I need to take them to try on clothes in the Uniform shop - I am not looking forward to that.

The twins are almost 4

Still a year to go before they start school when they will probably be the oldest in the class.  Their September birth puts them at a great advantage when it comes to education and to think that if they had been born just a couple of weeks earlier we would be shopping for school uniforms now.

My boy is now out of nappies - it seemed it would never happen but success was achieved easily when he was just passed his third birthday. But like many he is still in nappies at night - I can't see that changing any time soon.

The Twins Have Started Nursery

It seemed like for ever before they would reach that age of almost 3 and a half and qualify for 15 hours each free at nursery. But that time is here and they have started. 3 full days I can drop them a little after 8am when on the school run but be home again before the rush hour congestion is really under way.
What luxury - a new life, eating my porridge in peace listening to the Today Programme at about 8.30am.

Unfortunately, it seems I (we, that is, husband and me) may have inadvertently upset granny as the twins are at nursery on the afternoons that she used to have them - I hope she does not think that was deliberate. I think she doesn't approve of the choice of nursery either as it is across town not within walking distance. But when I say across town it would be less than 2 miles away and takes 5 (or less) minutes to get there by car.

The decisions we make might not suit other people but we choose this particular nursery and these particular days because we think they are the best for us - my husband and I and the children.

The facilities for children 3+ are far better than at the other local nurseries that we looked at. I was also impressed by the staff on my visit.

I work from home and I am my own boss. A common problem is that other people don't seem to realise I work, and I know I am not the only one with this.
I am not at home doing housework and wondering how to fill my time.
The house is a cobweb filled jumble!
And I have not had enough hours in the week to think about things like painting my toe nails. So getting the extra hours at nursery for a few full days has made a great difference. I always just about reach my business deadline but perhaps now I'll be able to get more on top of things.

Do twins develop slower than other children?

I don't know whether this is a FACT but i have been told it is generally true that twins children are often about 6 months behind other children in development.
That would certainly account for the slow potty training, which I have mentioned before.
There are other things:
Son didn't walk until he was 18 months! Daughter was just about 11-12 months.
Neither of the twins had smiled at all when they were a few months old and should have reached that milestone.
In her early months my daughter hardly openned her eyes.
And throughut his first year my son rarely smiled.

Now they are 3 and certainly over the past year I would say they enjoy books that my fist singleton child enjoyed when he was perhaps a year younger.

I hink they could catch up. They are growing well now. So my daughter is massive (not fat) and my son, who is more danty, is also wearing clothes for his age, this wasn't the case a year ago.

And they start nursery soon