twins, anyone?

[oneofthegirls]

Anyone else homeschooling twins??
I have twin girls that have just turned 12 in August. They have always been together- k-4th at public and then 5,6,7th grade hs. We are currently doing the dvd program and the lessons are divided up by lessons and subjects.
Yesterday, my girls surprised me by splitting up and doing lessons individually. I thought it would be easier and faster to share the video classes, but they said 'no'. They seem to be fine isolated, and gettng some breathing room from each other that must have been needed.
They are also in constant 'competition' with each other (grades and everything else) and very sensitive to the others achievements, sometimes feeling insecure.
How do you handle the too much togetherness?? Do you have any suggestions?? Any experiences, suggestions- ideas- would be great.
How do I build them up individually -because clearly they feel threatened by each other sometimes?
I thought maybe splitting them up-one could have a friend over night and the other go away to a friend's house. This would give them some time to be just 'them' and not 'the twins'..
thanks

[Minniewannabe]

I don't have twins myself, but my good friend who does and I were just talking about this recently. Here are some things she does with her 8 year old twins:

1. Each one gets to pick 3 extra-curricular activities. So one takes horseback riding, hip hop, and golf while the other one takes ballet, acting, and art.

2. Since the girls are on different extra-curricular activities, play dates vary as well. For example, when "L" is horseback riding, "D" has a friend over to play.

3. For sleepovers, etc. both girls get to invite one friend each.

4. She does keep them in the same class at a private school, but she says their competitiveness is becoming more of a problem so she's going to separate them next year.

5. For their birthday, each girl gets to pick a theme. The girls have generally all the same friends. So half the invitations go out in one theme and half in the other. There are two small cakes, each with a different theme, instead of one large one. And all the decorations are done in both themes as well.

Finally, my friend's twins are fraternal and each girl has a very different personality. One is girly and the other tomboyish. Therefore, it might be easier for her to separate than someone with identical twins.

I do have a set of triplet nieces and nephew, however, that family is more on survival mode rather than working out individual problems.

[oneofthegirls]

Thanks for the reply-and those are some great tips. For b-days they do have seperate cakes, and themes- all their friends are the same. I do like the idea of involving them in seperate activities, I think it is time.
I'll be on the watch for opportunities and to see where their interests are divided. I think they need their own experiences; they finish each other sentences, and even think the same thoughts sometimes. I don't want them being so much together that they resent each other. I thnk they are competitive and insecure because they are not sure of themselves.
I'm going to have to get creative and call favors in on friends to divide them up, thanks again.

[Glottis]

, just thought it's an interesting situation to be in... i imagine raising twins can be quite challenging, must be a little harder to homeschool twins...

[macro_grp02]

I love twins. In our family, we have twins all the time. My mom's brothers. My cousin's kids. My brothers. My grandads are twins. It must be nice. And they said YES. But the thought of homeschooling them should be really challenging.