Category: Connections Corner Page 1 of 2

Most of us know that Luke Skywalker’s twin sister is Princess Leia Organa, but did you know that Hello Kitty has a twin sister named Mimmy? Or that Mario and Luigi are fraternal twin brothers? Did you remember that Superman’s biological father Jor-El has an identical twin brother named Nim-El? Even Boss Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard had a twin!

Stories of twins date back to Romulus and Remus of Roman mythology, as well as the Olympian god Ares and his twin sister Athena. Multiples in fiction have given us The Wonder Twins from Super Friends; Dr. Seuss’ Thing One and Thing Two; sweet Raggedy Ann and Andy; triplet chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore; superheroes He-Man and She-Ra; the creepy Grady Girls from Stephen King’s The Shining; twin Transformers named Mudflap and Skids; and even Alice’s Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Sometimes the fact that a character has a twin isn’t central to the story’s plot, but it adds opportunities for twists and intrigue. A few of my favorites are Sheldon Cooper of the CBS television sitcom The Big Bang Theory and Lisbeth Salander in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium novel series.

Multiples are a source of fascination for fictional writers. They offer storytellers an ideal mechanism for presenting common yin-and-yang contrasts. Remember when Austin Powers discovered Dr. Evil was his twin brother? Funny stuff, but thankfully art doesn’t always imitate life.

LITERATURE
William Shakespeare is credited with some of the oldest twins in literature. In 1601, Shakespeare created Viola and Sebastian in Twelfth Night. Two sets of identical twins are central to the plot of mistaken identities in Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.

Hansel and Gretel are often portrayed as twins, although it isn’t clear in the original tale by the Brothers Grimm published in 1812. Charles Dicken’s Nicholas Nickleby, published in 1838, featured identical twin brothers Charles and Ned Cheeryble who, as the name implies, offer a kindness and generosity that ensures Nicholas a happy ending.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, feature a number of multiples. Another fantasy series is A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin – its popularity led to the television adaptation Game of Thrones. Other popular novels involving multiples include the Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga, Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles and Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides.

 Looking to young adult novels, we find identical twins Sam and Eric, featured in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, who are so in sync they are known as Samneric. Jessica and Elizabeth are central characters in Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High series, which includes several hundred books written primarily by ghostwriters. The television series quickly became popular, as well as numerous other Sweet Valley book and TV spin-offs.

Popular twins Fred and George Weasley are found in the Harry Potter series. Born on April Fools’ Day, Fred and George are fun-loving yet trouble-making. A running joke throughout the novels (all made into movies, of course) is that they look so alike even their parents can’t tell them apart. Twins Padma and Parvati Patil are also J.K. Rowling’s creations.

Children’s books also feature plenty of adventurous multiples, including triplets Snipp, Snapp and Snurr and The O’Sullivan Twins. Erich Kastner’s 1949 novel Lottie and Lisa features twin sisters separated shortly after birth who, as teenagers, are reunited at summer camp and begin a quest to reunite their divorced parents (the basis for The Parent Trap Disney films).

One of the longest running series of children’s novels is The Bobbsey Twins written by Edward Stratemeyer under the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope. First published in 1904, the series had approximately 100 books to follow over the next 100 years. The books tell the adventures of a family with two sets of twins.

COMIC BOOKS
Comics have produced more twin tales than perhaps any other genre. Multiples found in comic books have included the Apocalypse Twins; Lightning Lass and Lightning Lad from planet Winath where twins are common; Northstar and his twin sister Aurora; as well as the mutant supervillanous Kleinstock triplets.

The list goes on to include Ferro Lad and his twin brother Douglas, members of the Legion of Super-Heroes; Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver of X-Men; Green Lantern’s boy-girl twins Jade and Obsidian; the Great Gambonnos, identical twin acrobats who work for the Circus of Crime; and superheroine Mary Marvel, twin sister of Captain Marvel.

Let’s not forget these enemies of Spider-Man: two supervillains named Fusion who became a radioactive two-headed being after a nuclear accident. Luckily, both personalities remained intact and Spider-Man was eventually able to separate them.

Too much? We’re not done yet! The Collective Man is an identity shared by the Tao-Yu quintuplet brothers. They possess the mutant power to merge into one body and also share a psychic link that allows them to communicate telepathically.

TELEVISION
Twins Lance and Cally Stone believe their fates are set by a comic book – they are the main characters in the television series Dark Oracle. Skins offers twin sisters Emily and Katie; and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gives us twins Dee and Dennis. Niki Sanders one of three identical triplets on NBC’s Heroes. In the more recent Heroes Reborn, Claire’s twin children Malina and Tommy team up to save the world.

Since identical twins share DNA, numerous crime dramas have used multiples for clever plot twists. You’ll find plenty of multiples in comedies as well: Phoebe Buffay from NBC’s sitcom Friends spun off from her identical twin sister’s character Ursula on Mad About You.

The Simpsons has a few multiple sets: Marge’s older sisters Patty and Selma Bouvier, and Bart’s classmates Sherri and Terri Mackleberry who are later revealed to have a third triplet.

Daytime soaps have given audiences plenty of multiples over the years, probably because they naturally add intrigue and interest. Too many to list here, but know that the characters are countless and plot twists are endless.

In the live-action sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch that began in 1996, Sabrina was an only child, but she had an evil twin (somehow by different parents) named Katrina Spellman. Background trivia: Sabrina actually debuted in the Archie’s Madhouse comic strip and also appeared in the Archie Comics’ animated series and TV sitcom.

Younger viewers can’t turn on the television without catching a set of multiples: from Liv & Maddie and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody to Dipper and Mabel Pines on Gravity Falls. And many of us remember Jesse and Becky’s twin sons on Full House, Nicky and Alex, who are now grown up on the new series Fuller House.

For many decades, we’ve enjoyed Daisy Duck’s triplet nieces April, May and June, and Donald Duck’s triplet nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Current animated series include CatDog, Shimmer and Shine, The Powderpuff Girls who are triplets with superpowers, Princess Amber and Prince James on Sophia the First, Kim Possible’s younger twin brothers, twin steam locomotives in Thomas & Friends, Phil and Lil on Rugrats, and Dora the Exporer who has younger twin siblings.

FILM
A few adult comedies centered around multiples include Big Business, Twins and Stuck on You. Don’t forget the henchman twins in The Matrix Reloaded.

Many Disney movies feature multiples: The Bimbette triplets fawn over Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Si and Am are twin Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp, Flotsom and Jetsam are eel minions in The Little Mermaid, then Cloak and Daggar appear in The Little Mermaid II. Pixar offered identical triplet boys in Brave, twin Mazda Miatas Mia and Tia in Cars, and twin pill bugs Tuck and Roll in A Bug’s Life.

Disney has called multiples all sorts of annoyingly wonderful names, including triplets Fluffy, Muffy and Tuffy; twins Zin and Zang, triplets Ned, Jed and Fred; and the Twirley Twins named Chaz and Jaz.

Many of the situations fictional multiples find themselves in, thankfully, are far beyond the scope of reality. Soap operas have offered as many unrealistic plot twists as science fiction! No matter where we see them, or what their superpowers may be, both live action and animated multiples sure are fun to watch, aren’t they?

By Sara Barr
(originally published 2016)

Postponing retirement, buying a larger house, trading in for a bigger car and becoming a stay-at-home parent — these are just a few of the plans that may change when parents discover they are having multiples instead of a singleton. Other changes include saving for simultaneous college tuitions and purchasing extra life insurance policies.

One of the first plans I changed was the decision to find out the gender of our twins, a surprise my husband and I were hoping to save for the delivery room. Finding out you are pregnant with multiples is life-altering, to say the least, and the impact on each family is different.

One twin mom in New Jersey claims the word ‘shocked’ is an understatement when her and her husband found out — just five short weeks after their wedding date — that they were expecting.

“We didn’t expect to get pregnant so fast,” she said. “And during the eight-week ultrasound, we were surprised once again that it was twins. I cried, I laughed, I shook my head. My husband looked thrilled, but I felt like a deer in headlights.”

After the initial shock, the couple was ecstatic. “And then, of course, reality set in,” she said. “We needed two cribs, two car seats — actually four, with two in each car — two pack-n-plays, two high chairs, 800 bottles and tons of formula!”

The couple immediately discussed plans related to daycare, their jobs, and where they were planning to live. “After the twins were born, we had to learn to function as a new family unit.”

Rainbow Babies
Another mom in New Jersey lost a set of twins in a previous pregnancy, and having struggled to conceive, she was thrilled to find out she was having twins. The couple donated a lot of their furniture and possessions to make room for multiples and all their necessities. Her twins were born two months premature, so the family had to adjust quickly.

“Both babies had RSV and received nebulizer treatments every four hours for five months,” she said. So she adjusted her plans and stayed home for their first year. She recently hired help so she could return to work full time. 

Finding Out You’re Pregnant with Twins
Finding out about multiple births early in the pregnancy isn’t always the case, and certainly wasn’t common a few short decades ago. In fact, more than 40 years ago, a mom in New York found out that she was having twins on the delivery table just after her first identical twin son was born.

“It was quite a shock,” she remembers. “We had picked only one name: Benjamin. We kept trying out other names every day. My husband insisted we could not leave the hospital until we had another name.”

Her parents were in town to help with what they thought was going to be one newborn baby. Instead, those grandparents found themselves shopping for ‘one more of everything’ to prepare the household for twins. 

Another mom in New Jersey found out she was having twins just a month before delivery. “Needless to say, we needed to do a lot of shuffling around,” she said.
Jill, who lives in Maine, found out at 18 weeks gestation, when she had a barely one-year-old already at home.

“There was a lot of shock, prep and organizing in a short period of time,” Jill said. “I imagined it would be busier and take us more time to get out of the house, but otherwise I was naive.” She admits she didn’t know how the twins were going to affect their family.

“It took us an hour to get out of the house,” she said. “So our expectations of how much we could do in a day drastically changed. Beyond having to purchase a new car, own three cribs and reduce travel for work, much of that first year was just embracing the chaos of three kids under two. It was key to find the humor in it all!”

When Multiples Don’t Change Your Plans Right Away
Therese learned during her first ultrasound that they were having twins. However, she was told that one was very small and may not survive.

“After about three months, it looked like the small twin was here to stay,” said Theresa, who underwent five attempts at in vitro to conceive the twins. “We were happy, excited and a bit scared that it was twins.”

The couple put an addition on their house to make room for the twins. And they started early preparing their children to expect student loans for college. “If we just had a single child, we would be able to help much more with college tuition,” she said.

The Decision to Stay at Home with Twins
Many moms of multiples never planned to stay at home, yet find themselves doing just that after giving birth to multiples. One mom explains, “I was a teacher at the time, and daycare costs would have been my whole paycheck. I don’t regret the decision to spend the days with my twins. It’s been amazing to be home and watch them grow up!”

Another mom in New Jersey planned to work part time, but even that changed after hearing the news of twins. “I thought of finishing my master’s degree, or going back to school for nursing, but it’s hard to go back after so long,” she said, admitting her career path may be completely different than she previously planned.

Financial Impact of Raising Multiples
Kimberly, who is raising twins and a singleton in New Jersey, agrees the most significant changes involve finances. “The costs of raising multiples can be overwhelming. Double the furniture, supplies, equipment, clothes and shoes. Not to mention diaper and formula costs. Daycare costs alone are double our mortgage payment.”

The same day they learned they were expecting twins, her husband emailed Kimberly real estate listings for bigger houses. But instead of moving, the family came up with plan B: home renovations. They enlarged the kitchen, renovated the dining room and converted the office into the twins’ nursery.

“We struggle every month to pay outrageous daycare costs. And we are on payment plans for 15 different doctor’s bills per month!” she said. “But our home renovations were worth every bit of debt we accrued. When we hear footsteps of three little toddlers, the joy and laughter they share running back and forth and all the room they have to play, we know it’s the best decision we ever made.”

Laurel has two sets of twins four and under. She jokes that they will be forever broke. “We will have four kids needing cars and four kids in college. Having four kids in two years is hard,” Laurel said.
“My husband and I try to stay connected despite having four toddlers constantly needing something.” The couple still has date nights, and they make family time a priority. “Overall, our goals are still exactly the same, they just may take us a little longer,” said Laurel.

Another mom has six-year-old boy/girl twins, along with a set of newborn boy/girl twins. Her and her husband learned of the first set late in the pregnancy, so they had to “scramble to get two of everything,” she said.

Fast forward five years, and she is pregnant again. “I was so excited. I remember thinking that after twins, a singleton would be a walk in the park. Then we found out it was twins AGAIN!”
When asked about his mom’s pregnancy, her oldest son told a teacher at school, “My mom only has them in pairs.” 

Raising Twins Often Means Plans Change for the Better
Most of us parents of multiples may not have planned to have our kids in pairs, but as the saying goes, ‘life is what happens to us while we’re busy making other plans.’

by Sara Barr

Our multiples enter this world as a set. When young adulthood takes over and they begin to follow different paths, as parents we’re often caught off guard. But in truth, many multiples will choose a direction in life vastly different from his or her siblings. Many will choose a road less traveled, a path misaligned with what their parents have in mind. The challenge for parents is offering guidance and support for each child’s decisions, all the while allowing them to find their own paths to happiness.

Twins Who Choose a College Path May Change Their Minds
Sometimes a career path begins with higher education, and sometimes it doesn’t. It can be difficult for parents of multiples when some children choose college and others don’t. One mom in Pennsylvania has triplets who graduated high school in the spring. All three planned to attend college in the fall. Then the day after high school graduation, her son, Sam, changed his mind.

“I thought I’d have all three in college,” she said. “Sam’s siblings left for an adventure, and he was left behind. It was hardest with his brother not being around, since they are very close and had planned to room together in college.”

After a year at home, Sam enrolled and the brothers both attended college. Their sister Kyra, however, withdrew from college before the end of her first semester and now works part time.

This proves that early academic performance isn’t necessarily a good indicator of future interest. “My daughter’s academic prowess became apparent in elementary school. Kyra was an avid reader, performed well on tests and was very conscientious about her homework. The boys were never great students.”

This mom explained to her children that she is proud of each of them, even though their paths and decisions have varied. “The biggest challenge as my children chose different paths was acceptance,” she said. “I worry about them, and I’m trying to prevent them from some of the struggles and mistakes that I made.”

As a parent, it’s tough to watch your children make choices that could have a negative effect on their futures. Without a degree, a child’s options for a career might be limited, but they still would have choices.

Twins Who Choose a Skilled Trade
Another mom of multiples from Oklahoma says, “My sons are very different and always have been. My biggest challenge is accepting the fact that my boys don’t communicate or see each other often.” Travis works in the automotive department at Wal-Mart. Patrick completed his bachelor’s degree then joined the Army.

Travis and Patrick have been able to choose their own paths without being influenced by the other’s choices. “To be happy, it is very important for young adults to do what they want and not what somebody else wants them to do, whether it is their twin, sibling or other family member,” she said, while offering advice to other parents whose children are headed in different directions. “Recognize that they are individuals. Encourage them to do their own thing, and don’t hold them back from what they want.”

A mom of twin girls in Indiana faced a similar situation. In college, when the girls were separated from each other for the first time, the family noticed that real differences were emerging. One daughter excelled on her own, dedicating all her free time to her schoolwork. The other wasn’t challenged with college, finding it boring and lonely. To make matters worse, her roommates weren’t motivated in their schoolwork, and they served as a poor influence. However, she liked the city life, so she chose to find a job rather than continue with college.

“We support both our daughters, knowing that they cannot succeed if they are not happy with what they are doing,” their mom said, recognizing that many parents wish their children would make different choices. “That is our problem to deal with, not theirs. Our job is to love them and nurture them and teach them right from wrong, and hope that they grow and flourish on their own.”

Kids these days know that a college degree won’t guarantee financial stability, and many college graduates face outrageous student loan debts. Many of those working in skilled trades can earn a decent living straight out of high school, which is an attractive path since most young adults aren’t thinking long-term.

Multiples Separating, Often for the First Time
The parents interviewed for this article agree the biggest challenge for their multiples is not seeing each other as often as the they would like. Separate colleges or different career paths often place the kids in different cities. School calendars don’t always coincide with work holidays and time off.

The daughters of that Indiana mom live four hours apart, but their bond has strengthened in recent years. “They are on different paths, but are excited to share what they have learned or accomplished in their individual lives,” she said. “They actually enjoy spending time together now. What more could I ask for?”

Taking Different Paths to Motherhood
Another scenario parents may face with their multiples is one starting a family at a much younger age than the other. A mom in Arizona has identical twin girls, now grown adults, one of whom became a wife and mother of two during her teen years.

The twins, Tina and Cheryl, began developing separate interests during the middle school years. During high school, the girls finally wanted their own bedrooms, “and we kind of went as far from each other as we could,” remembers Cheryl. “Tina got into heavy metal, wearing all black and being a bit of a troublemaker. I was a square, good girl.”

“In high school, partying and hanging out with my friends was my priority, and Cheryl chose the straight and narrow path, Tina said. “It was then that the jokes began that she was the good twin and I was the bad twin.” To this day, the family still refers to that time in Tina’s life as her ‘black phase.’ Despite having her first child at 16 and her second at 18, Tina graduated high school.

“It was tough to see Tina make her choices, which I thought were not good choices,” said Cheryl, who attended college for one year, then got married and had her first child in her late 20s.

Ironically, Tina makes the same claim: “The hardest thing for me was not judging Cheryl for her choice to remain ‘square,’ as we called it in high school. We joke now about meeting in the middle as far as being wild and being square. Now, we both support each other on our different paths, and we are each other’s biggest fans.”

A turning point in their relationship occurred when Cheryl was pregnant with her first child. She told Tina that if she didn’t ‘change her ways,’ Tina couldn’t be a part of Cheryl’s pregnancy or parenting. “There was no way I would allow that to happen,” recalled Tina. “So I did change my ways. While it was hard for Cheryl to say that to me, it was a good decision because I needed something to snap me back to reality.”

Cheryl confirms it was a tough thing to say and tough thing for Tina to hear. “But it worked because that was when we started getting closer again,” Cheryl said.

Twins Supporting Each Others’ Individual Paths
Cheryl believes that twins should be encouraged to follow individual paths, and her sister agrees. “Being a twin is an amazing thing,” said Tina. “However, we are still individual people with different likes and dislikes, different strengths and weaknesses, and different interests. It would be boring to have a twin who was exactly like me.”

The early entry into parenthood didn’t deter Tina from working toward her goals in life. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting in her 40s, then enrolled in a master’s program. Tina now works for an accounting firm where she does bookkeeping, payrolls and tax returns.

Cheryl and Tina agree they will always be there for each other, and they feel fortunate to be so close at this stage in their lives. Cheryl said, “We joke about dying at the same time, sitting on our porch in our rocking chairs.” Tina confirmed the joke, “We still will be together when we are 90, sitting on our porch with our cats, laughing about life.”

No matter what paths in life our multiples take, we can only hope they all have happy endings.

By Sara Barr

About one-fourth of all children in the United States live in a single-parent household. In fact, the second-most common arrangement for children living in the U.S. is living in a home headed by a single mom.

Single parents often find themselves stressed out and exhausted. From financial concerns and sole household duties to navigating shared custody, there’s no doubt single parents face extra challenges. But what exactly are their unique challenges, and how can we — as friends and fellow club members — offer our support?

“My biggest parenting challenge is that the challenges are forever changing,” explains single mom Tonya Neville of Hutchinson, Kansas, who is raising her four kids: Jaelynn, 13, Eliana and Amalia, 10, and Micah, 8. “By the time I think that I’ve got things worked out, ages and stages change once again.”

The Joys of Family Life and Mothering Twins
“My biggest joy in parenting is watching my children become amazing little people. It is the simple things like sitting on the couch and watching them play with the new toy I gave them for their birthday, listening to them play together in another room, and looking out my kitchen window to see them in the sandbox or on the tree swing just enjoying peace,” Tonya says. “Not all of our time together is easy, joyful or peaceful, but when I see my kids in their own element at school or in their individual sports, they are kind, hard-working and talented. It is a joy to witness them implementing the things I have taught them, as well as their individual uniqueness.”

The Hidden Benefits for Single Parents
Research shows there are a number of benefits to single parenting, including the chance to form a closer bond with your children and the fact that children aren’t witnessing daily conflicts between the parents. Single parents are able to make all the decisions regarding household rules, technology use, medical treatments and other issues (although the flip side is lack of control when the kids are staying in another household). If other caregivers are routinely responsible for the children, single moms may enjoy some alone time to recharge their physical and emotional batteries.

The Struggles Faced by Single Moms
Despite these few potential benefits, most single parents need help from others, and financial concerns usually top the list of single mom stressors.

“I have only myself to make family decisions. Only one brain to think through, plan for, and accomplish life as a family.  I must be extremely intentional in everything from how I spend my time to how I spend my dollar. Worry and guilt are my constant companions,” Tonya says. “My current parenting challenge is better learning who I am so that I can better support each of my kids in their individual needs.”

“Single parenting is incredibly hard,” she admits. “It’s an everyday battle and a talented juggling act. I cannot be the mom I want to be, in numerous ways. I cannot get enough hours in for work, and I cannot get enough hours in to be mom. There is only one of me, no one else to fill in the gaps. It’s all on me!”

Local Clubs Can Provide Much-Needed Services for Families
Being the only adult in a household can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. This is a great opportunity for a local club to step up and show support for members. One idea is to form a Single Parents subgroup that can gather for playdates, adult-only dinners or weekend breakfasts (bonus points to club members who babysit during these times!).

“My local club gave me a place to turn to for support and encouragement during my new years as a twin mom,” Tonya says. “I gained friendships with older, experienced moms that I still have today. Those moms lived through many challenges outside of parenting twins, and they were there with smiles and positive attitudes. That was comforting for me. One of the things I appreciated most about my local club was their desire to serve new moms and meet them where they are at. My confidence as a mom of four, mom of twins, and a mom of a special needs child was boosted.”

Friends and leaders within a local club need to keep one important thing in mind: the parent may be struggling with whatever condition led them to be single. Death of a spouse and divorce are both traumatic events, and we need to be sensitive about these issues. For grieving spouses, Multiples of America offers a number of resources on our website, including the Loss of Spouse brochure and one-on-one support from a National Worker volunteer who provides bereavement support.

Tonya has advice for anyone going through a high-conflict divorce. “There are many important things you need to do to make the best of your new life,” she says. “Join the single parenting groups, healing groups, court system help groups, read the parenting books, write in a journal and ask for help. Make time and space to grieve and heal.”

Single Parenting Tips
– Find a way to enjoy some alone time. Easier said than done, but crucial to any mom’s mental health, which in turn impacts our children’s mental health and stability. Maintaining friendships and nurturing adult relationships can give you an emotional boost when you need it most.

 – Build a network of support for help when you need it. Your local club is a great place to start, or contact Multiples of America to learn about other resources. Team up with other parents for babysitting,  sleepover swaps and carpooling. “You must gather a support system, because you will not survive on your own. I have an incredible support system that is the reason I am still growing today,” says Tonya.

– Don’t hesitate to ask for help. This includes expecting your kids to help with chores, which research shows leads to increased self-esteem and better work-ethic as adults. A win-win!

– Show yourself some grace. “People do not understand how society works against single parents,” says Tonya, adding that single parenting means “learning to accept that just doing your best is good enough.”

– Manage your stress. Healthy eating, sleeping and finding a little time for physical activity can go a long way in keeping your stress at lower levels. “When I am healthy and whole, I can keep up with whatever comes our way,” Tonya says.

– Learn to say no. “Do not forget that you are a human too! You can’t do it all, and you are going to make mistakes,” says Tonya. Set some boundaries and try to stick with them. That includes recognizing your limits and saying no at times — to your kids, neighbors, the school PTA or whoever is demanding more than you can give.

– Find your village. “You need to come to terms with the court system entering your life and taking away some of your power as a parent,” she says. “You must find mentors and counselors to help guide you through all of the forced changes. It takes a village, and you will have to create it. Hopefully, one day, you will see beauty in the changes and feel peace.”

– Make rules and be consistent. “You are always out-numbered by your kids as a single parent of multiples, so make clear rules and be consistent with any punishment,” says J. Susan Griffith, MD, of Bluegrass Parents of Twins & Multiples Club, KY, who was a single parent since her fraternal twin sons were 8 months old (they are now in their 30s). “Usually the result of breaking a rule was being put in time out (or grounded when they were older) or they had a privilege taken away for a specified time (TV watching, computer games, etc.). Once when my twins were 17, one was being grounded for not coming home by his curfew time. He continued to mope and complain the entire weekend he was grounded. I asked, ‘Why are you acting like this?’ and he said ‘My friends at school say if you complain enough your parents will let you out of being grounded’ to which I replied, “Has that ever worked for you before?’ He sheepishly replied, ‘No!’ so I told him to quit complaining or he would be grounded for longer. My sons told me their friends at school really respected that I was so consistent and fair.”

By Sara Barr

Around the time I registered my twin girls for kindergarten, I heard about the nationwide trend of parents holding back their children from starting kindergarten to give them the advantage of increased age and maturity. Since my twins’ birthday is late July, I became especially interested in this issue. The idea of “redshirting” originated in sports, giving an additional year for athletes to become bigger and stronger, and the term is now applied to academics, where the trend is rapidly growing. An article in The New Yorker reported that in 1968, 4% of kindergarten students in America were 6 years old; by 1995, the number had grown to 9%; and in 2008, it had risen to 17%.

On the surface, redshirting makes sense, following the assumption that a 6-year-old brain is more capable than a 5-year-old brain of handling a classroom setting. Often this assumption is true, and some kids need that extra year of development. It’s when the decision is made for competitive reasons — trying to give a child an edge over other students, regardless of readiness or maturity — that it causes concern for education leaders.

Some experts consider redshirting to be “gaming the system,” since delaying entry is not an option for families who can’t afford to pay for another year of daycare or preschool when the child can legitimately attend a free public kindergarten. No doubt, the trend to hold kids back is primarily exercised by affluent parents.

REASONS FOR REDSHIRTING

The reasons parents state for redshirting vary from unpredictable (holding back a boy in hopes he’ll be taller than the girls; advancing a girl so she isn’t more physically developed than her classmates; or concern a boy won’t be able to go on dates if he can’t drive as early as his classmates) to extremely valid (a child being emotionally, academically or socially immature).

Donna Miller, of GEMS (SC) Mothers of Older Twins, has been an elementary school teacher for more than 30 years. She is now retired and often substitutes in kindergarten classes.

“The oldest kids in the class are more social, better able to separate from Mom, more focused, and more interested in learning,” said Donna, who sees “a vast difference” among the oldest and youngest children in the class. “I didn’t see as much of a split among 5th graders, but it makes a huge difference in kindergarten.”

In addition to age, gender often plays a role in maturity rates. “It could be wise to give boys especially another year to get ready. Boys tend to take a little longer to get into the idea of school and sitting in a classroom,” Donna said. Obviously, this complicates the decision for parents of boy-girl multiples.

THE COMPLICATING FACTOR OF MULTIPLES

Deven Kane of Northwest Suburban (MI) Mothers of Multiples has triplets (two girls and a boy) who will turn 5 in mid-August and immediately start kindergarten. “The people in their preschool all communicate that they are ready to move forward with reading, mathematics, physical and social skills. Our children have participated in sports; and none of them stood out as being less physically ready than the rest of the team. Mostly, we are trusting the opinion of the professionals.”

Making the decision for two — or in Deven’s case, three — children at once isn’t easy. “The biggest concern is if one falls behind, can we really make a decision to hold the one back while allowing the others to move forward?”

Since they were toddlers, Deven realized they would be younger than their classmates, so she took steps to boost their readiness. “Team sports help kids develop maturity, learn cooperation, follow directions and learn to take turns, all of which is essential in kindergarten.” Deven believes that enrolling young kids in team and individual sports can have a much bigger impact in the long run than holding them back a year in school.

“As an educator, I had a difficult time making this decision,” Deven continued. “I have seen students who started school young and never filled in those gaps in learning. I don’t want to see my own children struggle. At the same time, parents know their children best, and we know our children’s capabilities.”

Beth McGuire of Multiples of the Midlands (SC) has twin boys in kindergarten. “They turned 6 in late September, so we missed the cut off. And I was relieved! In preschool they were some of the smaller boys in their class, and both were sensitive about it. While there are taller boys this year in kindergarten, they like that they are no longer the smallest. Parents need to look at their individual child’s needs and maturity. Kids are much more resilient than we often give them credit for being. Children are little sponges. I worried incessantly about going from the small, nurturing Montessori environment to a large, public school setting. Now I laugh when I think about those worries because my boys are doing great.”

A YEAR OF TRANSITION

A great option for children with summer and fall birthdays are “transitional kindergarten” programs offered in some states. These programs — often called Young Fives — feature a modified curriculum tailored to children who may not be ready for the challenges of regular kindergarten, or who seem ready but don’t meet the state’s age requirement. California and Michigan are two states offering this option, and it is free in some areas and tuition-based in others.

Kim Dahring of Northwest Suburban (MI) Mothers of Multiples has 5-year-old fraternal twin girls. They have a late-August birthday, and Kim enrolled them in Young Fives. “I didn’t see any disadvantage other than cost. The pros outweighed the cost exponentially. My twins will have an additional year to build skills and perhaps avoid unnecessary struggles. We believe they also may have more confidence and maturity. One year can bring a lot of growth mentally and physically. We have older daughters who were young in their classes, and we firmly feel they would have benefited from an additional year before going to college.”

Depending on a state’s specific laws, at the end of the transition year, children may be recommended for traditional kindergarten or 1st grade, depending on their readiness. And public schools in some states offer summer programs to help kids prepare before kindergarten begins.

My twin daughters are thriving in a small, private kindergarten that meets four days a week, for less than five hours a day. Our twins will begin 1st grade in public school in the fall, only two weeks after they turn 6, and others frequently question me about our decision. While I have normal concerns that most mothers feel as their children start “big kid” school, I believe they are ready for the challenge of 1st grade, despite being younger than most of their classmates.

NEW RESEARCH FINDINGS

Children who were redshirted years ago are now old enough for researchers to measure the impact of their delayed start. One study found that “while earlier studies have argued that redshirted children do better both socially and academically … more recent analyses suggest the opposite: the youngest kids, who barely make the age cutoff but are enrolled anyway, ultimately end up on top.”

At least three other studies have similar findings, including a 2008 study at Harvard University, whose researchers believe “the younger students experienced positive effects from being in a relatively more mature environment: in striving to catch up with their peers, they ended up surpassing them.” For years, Montessori and other independent schools have structured their classrooms around this premise: younger students benefit from having older peers.

It’s hard to deny that being bigger, quicker and more mature is a good thing. And many studies have supported that hypothesis, showing higher scores, better teacher evaluations and improved social skills for older students during the elementary years. But those early advantages may disappear by high school and college, where multiple studies show younger students outperform their older classmates and have higher graduation rates. These researchers agree with those in the Harvard study: if you are always bigger and smarter, you may be more likely to get bored and think that learning should come easily. If you’re relatively younger, you are constantly forced to reach for your limits. This research indicates that teaching our children to deal with and overcome obstacles can have a long-lasting effect that could serve them well throughout their lifetimes.

Kindergarten teacher Alyssa Metze is married to a twin son of Christina Metze of Multiples of the Midlands (SC). She points out there are dangers to making blanket statements that apply to all children, as researchers often do. “The decision needs to be made on a case-by-case basis. Parents must closely observe their children’s behaviors and judge their readiness as best they can. All children are different. They walk, talk, learn and do everything else differently,” said Alyssa.

Connie Christie of the Capitol Area (MI) Mothers of Multiples is mother to 25-year-old twin girls and younger singleton. Connie’s twins have an early October birthday and were older than many of their classmates. She believes being older than their classmates helped them settle into a leadership style of behavior. However, she warns if children are way ahead of their peers, they can become bored in school, which isn’t good.

Alyssa agrees it can be a delicate balance. “On one hand, you want your children to be ready for school so that they can learn the most they possibly can,” she said. “But on the other hand, you don’t want to wait too long to put them in school.”

Those of us in Generation X are often accused of sheltering our children. We need to question our motives if paving an easier path is our sole reason for redshirting. The issue of kindergarten readiness is not simple, and making the decision for multiple children adds incredible complexity. Like all issues related to parenting multiples, there is no right or wrong answer — we each need to make the best decision we can for our families, and not look back.

Connie jokes about a height spike her twins had in 5th grade that made them basketball stars, but the stardom ended quickly when their teammates grew really soon after. Connie’s advice? “Make the decision based on your children’s ability to handle school and social situations, not for your own desire for a star athlete or student. We all have our places in life; let your children have their place as well.”

REGULATIONS DIFFER BY STATE AND SCHOOL

In many states, attendance in kindergarten is optional, with compulsory attendance beginning in 1st grade. If you’re considering redshirting your child/children, be sure to check for restrictions in your state and school district. Some public elementary schools, or their principals, have strict guidelines dictating a child’s admission. For example, one South Carolina mother told me that her child was tested for kindergarten readiness and, since the child passed, the principal would not allow delayed entry for her child. Some schools simply require a meeting with the principal for parents to explain their reasoning for wanting to delay their child’s entry. Other schools allow complete parental discretion, but parents need to contact their school before they make a decision, in case any paperwork or specific requirements need to be met.

ADVICE FROM A KINDEGARTEN TEACHER

Kindergarten teacher Alyssa Metze offers advice to parents trying to make the decision about redshirting. “Pay close attention to your children’s behavior and maturity level. If they seem as though they can handle working with other children, sitting in one place for at least 25 minutes, following directions, and are ready to learn more than just the basic alphabet and numbers, then you definitely need to put your child in school no matter their age,” said Alyssa.

Alyssa explains that a child who may seem a little behind can actually benefit by starting school on time and accessing the free resources available through public schools. “If you’ve been working with your children on learning the basics, like the alphabet and numbers, and they seem to be having difficulties, consider putting them in school by the age of 5 so they can get help and interventions earlier rather than later. Difficulties and developmental delays are best caught early.”

“No matter when you decide to enroll your children in kindergarten, please prepare them for school,” Alyssa advised. “Teach them the alphabet, colors, numbers, and to count. Hold conversations with them. The more you talk together the better vocabulary your child will have. Read to them at least once a day, but more would be great. Like little sponges, children learn the most within their first 3–4 years of life, before they even enter school.”

by Sara Barr
(originally published 2014)