I'm an identical twin AMA

[DENMAN03]

As the title suggests!! Fire away...

Yes, definitely character building!

Did you ever switch when you were younger? We had twins at our secondary school and they were forever switching places with each other, so twin A would got to B's classes and B would got to A's classes. How they got away with it was a mystery, they weren't even that identical.

Only the once and that was in junior school. Didn't dare try it at senior school!!

Is it the closest bond you have with another person? I mean stronger than your bond with mum and dad, partner or other sibling?

It's fascinating to me that twin bond maybe the closest bond a human can have and most of us will never experience that kind of connection.

I am a twin but was always told although we looked similar that we were fratnal as two placentas. People get us mixed up when not together but we look different in my eyes. Anyway we had the dna test and we are actually identical!! So there goes my 30 odd years of saying we aren't when we are 😂

Yes, definitely.. I have a great relationship with my parents, other sister and also with partners in previous relationships, but times that feeling by 10! I don't have children but think it must be similar to the bond and love people feel for their children..

My sister and I have the same birthday but are not twins (I am 2 years older).

However, we have regualarly got each other the same birthday card and very similar gift - this year, I got her a voucher for H&M and she got me the same.

We both met up for dinner shortly afterwards wearing the same dress that we had bought with our voucher.

Is quite spooky!

Did you ever go through a phase when one of you was perceived as more interesting/fun/nicer/attractive than the other in your social group, & if so was it really difficult?

Asking because I was at University with identical twins. Both lovely & i was friends with both, but A was outgoing, flirty & very interested in her appearance, whereas B was quiet, shy, lived in leggings & scruffy tshirts, & was still going through a 'spotty with puppy fat' stage.

I remember a bunch of us telling off a male acquaintance who referred to A as 'oh yeah, she's the fit one, right?'. Couldn't help thinking that B must be aware that A was more 'popular' & it can't have been easy.

I've been the one in the shadow of a gorgeous, confident best friend - is it worse if you're twins do you think?

Do you think your other sister finds it hard sometimes? I always thought the 'other sibling' to twins must feel a little out the loop.

I’ve always wished I was a twin (obviously one with a great bond, so apologies for those who don’t get along with their twin) and this has just reinforced it. As second best, I’d love to have twins to see them have that bond. DD1 and 2 are very close in age and sometimes people think they are twins (helped by the fact they ask to wear the same or similar clothes as each other).

On a really superficial level I'd love to have been a twin because I'm vain and would find it useful to see what suits me without looking in the mirror!
DS' dad is an identical twin but they deny it, they hate it so much. DS dad didn't even tell me about it, I found out when he introduced me to his brother after several weeks of dating. They have a strange relationship, have done some evil things to each other and ended up having physical fights but always end up unquestionably back together and share the same best friends.

Purple, that's a really interesting question. I always think my sister is loads more appealing than me. She is fitter , slimmer and generally I think she rocks at everything! She us very successfull in life and happily married. I am overweight, single, live on my own with cats but strangely I never feel jealous of her or that I am worth any less. I'm very proud of her. Strangely she is also really proud of things I have done... I'm very adventurous and have always followed my dreams, which although haven't always been great financially means I've also never had regrets and she envy's that side of me. Our friends love us for who we are, so no, I guess I never feel in her shadow, more that we compliment each other.

It's nice, yes I think when we were kids our younger sister found it hard. We did leave her out of things but our relationship is good now although she knows she will never have that closeness. I don't think it bothers her though. She has three lovely children to keep her occupied!

Is it significant that neither of you have children, OP? I ask because I’m one of four and the other three are childfree — as was I untilI had a baby at 40 — and people seemed to find that quite strange.

Countess, I'm not sure. Neither of us have ever wanted children of our own and too old now. I think my sister would have done if her husband had but he wasn't fussed either so they never did.

purple we definitely did which I think has led to our competitiveness. She was the cooler one at school, I was a bit square . She went on to be the life and soul at uni, I was probably the more adventurous one as I lived abroad at 19/20. We were similar a academically but it came more naturally to her. I think it's definitely easy to label twins as the "thinner/funnier/more intelligent one".

On a slightly lighter note, seeing my twin with her hair perked at 13 wad brilliant for a real-life mirror (cancelled my appointment the same day )

*permed, not perked!

Did your parents know they were having twins

Yes they did but it must have been a shock when they found out!

I bet. My bil is also a twin.
As far as their parents know they are the only twins in the family. Mind you they have to start somewhere I guess.
Are there any other twins in your family.

"We are like polar opposites in personality.
We're like a person spilt in half."

Well yes that's exactly what identical twins are. A person spilt in half.

My mum knew she was having twins but was laughed at in a nice way by her best friend- the usual 'how are you going to cope?" Only my mum's best friend to find out after delivering baby 1 that another was in the way.

Sounds bizarre now but 40+ years ago scans were effectively photos and her twins were back to back.