How are 'The Twins'?

[Diamondsareagirls]

Does anyone else get annoyed/irritated at people who mainly refer to your children as 'The Twins' instead of using their names? It is really getting on my nerves and I always reply with their names and tell them something different about each of them as, well, they're different people! Am I being silly or does anyone else find this annoying?

[strawberrie]

My close friend has twins and this bothers her too. I have always referred to them by name, or occasionally 'the kids' in texts and the like. I notice in Topsy and Tim everyone seems to call them the twins!

[Diamondsareagirls]

Referring to them as 'the kids' or 'the babies' doesn't bother me at all. I'm not sure why; I think it is just something about the suggestion that they only come as a pair that annoys me!

[poorbuthappy]

I am guilty of this.
My twins hate bring called twins but I usually can't get my brain to catch up with my mouth in time to say the right name.
It's awful

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

If they were different ages it would be 'the children', 'the boys' or 'the girls'.

[mummy1973]

Diamonds - presumably they are still babies? As they get older and people see their individual personalities it may lessen. Try not to be annoyed...they are after all interested to ask after them. (I would answer the same way you do.)

[AryaOfHouseSnark]

Yes I noticed that in Topsy and Tim, it's strange, with singletons you wouldn't say come along now brothers /sisters / siblings. Even my Dts were like why don't they use their names ?
Occasionally people will ask me how my twins are, most people just say the boys / kids/ children.
It doesn't really bother me tbh, I know there is a lot of evidence out there that shows it isn't healthy to always call them the twins, which is why we haven't done it, but I don't think it matters on the odd occasion.
I always refer to them as the Dts on here though, does that make me a hypocrite ?

[OscarWinningActress]

Yup. It's shorthand...don't take offence . Are they identical? Sometimes people do this if they can't tell them apart. I have two boys (not twins) and I don't think it's any different than people calling them 'the boys'. I do it myself because it's just easier to refer to them that way in many scenarios.

[GiniCooper]

But they are twins. They are individuals obviously but they are also twins.

[Redcoats]

It's annoys me a lot. I don't mind 'the kids' but never ever 'the twins'.
DH's auntie does it all the time. At Christmas my two were at in with their cousins at her house party. She said 'cousin x would you like a drink, orange or apple?' 'Cousin y, orange or apple?' Then to me 'would the twins like orange or apple?' A. You know their names and which one is which b they're 11 they can answer for themselves c. They like different things! She's very lovely and kind to us all, but I wanted to throttle her.

[Diamondsareagirls]

I know it's not the end of the world I know but I feel like I am trying to avoid them being lumped together as one package! It is only with close family and friends that I feel frustrated as they know their names!
They are not identical; I have a boy and girl so it really isn't a case of not knowing who is who.

[PotOfYoghurt]

It annoys me, and I'm a twin. Being at high school and constantly referred to as 'the twins' instead of our names always seemed so impersonal and as if we didn't have identities separate to that of being twins.

[2014TwinMummy]

I realise my username on here might make it seem hypocritical that I get annoyed by this too (MN seem to have tightened guidelines and would not allow my numerous attempts at being called anything else I tried - lack of inspiration on my part!). I too try to refer to them by name or often as 'the babies'. MIL recently sent a card to us, DS (insert name) and 'the twins'. May start sending everything to 'The Grandparents' but suspect she won't take the hint! People don't mean to offend though and it is nice that they are showing interest. Since having twins, I think I find it more annoying that people can't seem to think of anything else to ask me about!

[Artandco]

I think it's ok. I always call my children ' the boys', even though x2 different ages. Obv name if only one, but usually they do or have done everything together as close in age so similar things appeal

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

DF has twins and she always insists on the girls or their names, not the twins.

Totally pointless as they are simply referred to A&B* in a single breath and still thought of and invited to things as a single entirety.

*names changed to protect two lovely girls, but think Arabbella and Bethany and you get why DD took to shortening it.

[goofygoober]

I don't like 'the twins', I am an ID twin, and have ID twins. For this reason, I've always encouraged people to use their given names. I must admit, I do call them 'the hunks', but they don't really mind

[cannotbebloodyarsed]

Yes Rudy I only have twins. T'was such a bloomin shock that the DH was dispensed to the hospital for THE SNIP to stop it happening again

[Redglitter]

I'm not a twin but my best friend for the past 30 years has the same name as me

we spent our school/teenage years as

The redglitters
The 2 redglitters
or Redglitter & the other Redglitter

some people didn't even know which was which. Drove us nuts

[hoppingmad]

I have twins and older dc's. I don't find it offensive or annoying. It's succinct. They are boy/girl twins so can't say the girls or the boys and to be honest I don't see how identifying them by gender would be any different to identifying them by d.o.b

I don't have any desire to be so easily annoyed

[redspottydress]

I have twins. I have no issue whatsoever with them being called the twins. I honestly don't see it as any different to calling them the boys or the children.

[chutneypig]

I have twins too, it doesn't bother me at all. I probably equally often refer to them as the twins/ children/ their names/offspring. I find people only tend to refer to them as the twins in the context where they'd ask how my children are.