I’m an identical twin AMA

[AWellTroddenPath]

Not sure if this is interesting or not but AMA!

At what age did you start to have separate lives? I.e. going to different education facilities, not living together etc etc

Do you speak every day now? (How old are you?)

It's fascinating. Can you predict, with reasonable certainty, what the other will think in any particular situation? And how often are you right/wrong?

I'm not sure how old you are, but how identical are you now? I've known identical twins who have either become very different or were quite different growing up. For example I've known identical twins who are about 2 inches apart in height. I wouldn't have thought that was possible, but they were definitely identical twins.

Also, what are the strangest questions or comments you get about being identical?

Do you like it?
Whats your relationship like now and as children?
Did your parents have a favourite ?
Whats the time difference between you ?
Do you have other siblings and if yes what’s your religion like with them?

So many questions ( I’m an only child !)

Probably when we left school and made our own friends / lives at university.

Yes we speak every day!

Yes I think so. We can read each other very well, although is that biology… because we are twins, or is that because we are so close friendship wise and always have been? Who knows!

I think we are quite identical. Not as much as when we were children. Our hair is the same, same body shapes, we like the same clothes etc etc.

People tell us we are very alike but we don’t see it as much as other people obviously!

At school, could teachers tell you apart, or were you just considered to be a ‘Trodden Twin’?

Hmm not really questions but when people try to find differences in us that allow them to tell us apart / comparisons… it’s usually always positive to one individual and negative to the other

I love it but don’t know a life without my twin. We have been through a lot and I don’t think I could’ve done it without her. We’ve never felt lonely but also rely a lot on each other so probably don’t put ourselves out there as much as other people

We have always been extremely close. Best friends!

No I don’t think they did. Probably our younger sibling as they were easier!!

1 minute (c-section)

1 younger (4 years) sibling who we are close with and have a great relationship with but obviously not as friendship-close.

We were always in different classes but we were always known as the twins to lots of people. I guess because we stood out for that

In what way? How are you different? Did you get irritated being referred to as the twins?
I was in school with identical twins and I tried really hard to tell them apart but struggled.

Things like… oh you must be Y because X has a bigger nose (made up but this sort of thing!). X might not have known / thought that their nose was bigger

I was always known as the quiet one and it made me conscious of my shyness growing up. Whereas if a non-twin was shy it wouldn’t be made into a “thing” as much. Maybe I’m wrong!

Although understand trying to tell twins apart does require comparing them so it is tricky!

I didn’t mind being known as the twins, that’s what we are

Does your younger sibling feel pushed out / left out as you're obviously so close to your twin?

I know 2 separate sets of 1 girl 2 boy triplets and in both, the girl felt really lonely and left out as the boys were naturally drawn together with interests and hobbies and invited to loads more parties etc.

Do you think that being a twin was the biggest influence on your life?

Also, do you ever get fed of people asking you what’s it like being a twin?

Do you notice people staring at you when you're together? I'm absolutely fascinated by identical twins and try not to stare when my colleague's sister drops by! 😂

Have you joined the St Thomas's Twin Study?

Do you live close to each other?
If you both have children, do they look similar?

My youngest and my twin sister's youngest look quite alike, despite our husbands looking nothing like each other.

If I ask you a question how do I know it's you that'll answer it and not your twin?

Do you and your twin share the same favourite chocolate biscuit?

What's the most significant difference between you in your own opinion? Do you think your twin would say the same thing?

Did you ever swap places for a joke?

Do you believe in psychic connection between twins - such as knowing when the other one is injured or sad?

My best friend has identical twins and we often talk in detail about how to treat them like individuals. Lots of people refer to them as “the twins” rather than their names etc (this is just one example). It can’t be helped ofcourse, but do you have any advice from your perspective on how to support them embracing their own identities as well as being the twins?

Any funny mix up stories?
have you done similar things with your lives?

Not pushed out but I’m sure they’ve felt left out at times! They have more friends than my twin and I and I think because they are 4-5 years younger than us, they were far enough removed from us age wise growing up to know which parties we were or weren’t invited to