Starting school is a really exciting time for kids, but for families with twins, it comes with its own unique challenges. From fostering their individuality to celebrating their special bond, there are plenty of ways to ensure your twins have a fantastic start to the school year.
Here are some helpful tips and tricks that might make the school transition for twins twice as smooth.
Tips for twins starting school
1. Encourage Individuality between twins
We all know that twins share a special connection, like no other, but it’s important to treat them as individuals. If you're a twin parent, you're probably already very conscious of this, and the key is to continue celebrating their unique strengths as the school year progresses.
Let them explore different activities that interest them, and encourage them to find things that are uniquely 'theirs'. This could be something as simple as fostering their reading skills with books they uniquely enjoy or practicing their counting with items that they love.
2. Foster teamwork between twins
Twins have a built-in teammate, and school is a great place to nurture that bond. Encourage them to collaborate on homework, help each other with things that they don't understand, and cheer each other on in their achievements.
Better yet, navigating the school yard can be a little daunting for our tiny little school-starters, so make sure they are given plenty of opportunities to find each other, if they need it, during break times and work with their respective teachers to achieve this.This might be really important for twins who are separated in the classroom.
3. Let your twins coordinate their outfits for special events
Matching outfits can be a fun way to celebrate their twin status (I'm biased here of course, but I do so love this!)
There are plenty of free dress opportunities throughout the school year (think Book Week!) that will give them the opportunity to really go all out on the matchy-matchy, if they want to.
You know of course that I can't pass on the opportunity to give a shout-out to our Two Cool for School Kids T-Shirt or the Cool as a Cucumber Kids T-Shirt to make these dress-up days a little more fun!
4. Plan together for the school year
Involve your twins in planning for the school year. From picking their own lunch boxes and school bags, to packing their own lunches and organising supplies, working together can build excitement and a sense of responsibility. Bonus: it’s also a great opportunity for some quality family time and they can express their unique interests through their choice of stationery and other school supplies.
Better yet, encourage them to check-in with each other to make sure they haven't missed any important things, like homework due dates!
5. Communicate with teachers
Teachers play such a big role in helping twins adjust to school life. Whether your twins are in the same class or separated, discuss their needs with their teachers and maintain a dialogue with the school leaders, particularly in the early parts of the school year. If you feel that something isn't working as well as it should, seek help from the school early.
Sharing insights about their personalities and learning styles can help ensure both children feel supported, no matter what their learning environment, and most schools will do a tremendous job of supporting them in conjunction with your input.
Common challenges for twins in school
1. Managing comparisons between twins
Twins are often compared, whether academically, socially, or athletically. Maintain an open dialogue with teachers, in particular, if you feel that comparisons in the classroom are becoming problematic.
Otherwise, your twins might choose to dress differently or engage in different activities to showcase their unique strengths, and this can be a wonderful opportunity to help them establish their own unique identity.
2. Balancing time between your twins
It’s important to ensure both twins feel equally supported and valued. This might mean spending one-on-one time with each child or balancing their schedules to accommodate their unique interests.
Spending one-on-one time with each of your twins can be logistically challenging, I know, but I'm always amazed at how much I learn about each of my children, even with the smallest amounts of uninterrupted time together.
Struggling for ideas? Don't make it complex - pick one twin to take with you on errands, and let them chat freely and uninterrupted in the car on the way. Kids tend to forget their inhibitions a little bit in the back seat of the car, and will usually have a good old chat if you let them.
3. Is it hard for twins to make friends?
Each child and each pair of twins will be different. I know my girls have developed some key common friends, but they also have individual friends and I'm super supportive of arranging play dates with the broader group of friends, as well as individual friends.
This can be hard, I know, but encouraging them to talk about their friends is so helpful to understanding how they are feeling about their friendship groups.Try not to play into small grievances between friends, chances are all will be forgotten the next day!
Additional resources for twin parents of school-aged children
Navigating school life with twins can be a learning curve, but you’re not alone!
A big shout-out here to the Australian Multiple Birth Association's page about school-aged multiples is a fantastic resource filled with tips, advice, and support for families with twins and multiples.
They also have a very helpful position paper available with their resources which discusses issues related to separation of twins at school.
Organise your special event matching t-shirts early
I love giving you heaps of options for matching tees for your twins! If you're looking for some cute options on free dress days, check out some of our favourites below:
- Two Cool for School Kids T-Shirt: It's all in the name, too cute!
- Can't Spell Twin Without Win Kids T-Shirt: Well, you can't!
- Cool as a Cucumber Kids T-Shirt: For twins who are super chill.
Share Your Twin School Stories!
I'd love to hear your school tips and stories! Share them in the comments below or tag us in your school photos on social media @twinnerly.
Need more ideas for twin-themed outfits? Check out our twins and multiples collection for more goodies that celebrate your one-of-a-kind family.
Here’s to a fantastic school year filled with learning, laughter, and twin-tastic adventures!
