Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect DTS's class teacher to be able to tell them apart?!

145 replies

MadDash · 25/01/2012 21:24

They are in year 5 and, yes they are very similar looking (wouldn't say identical), but have massively different personalities. Their class teacher, however, cannot tell them apart. She's been teaching them since september now and I would have expected her to have got to know them by now. Or AIBU?

OP posts:
Garcia10 · 26/01/2012 20:58

YABU

I am an identical twin and many teachers were unable to tell us apart even when we were in YR 11. In one class we were never called by our first names always Miss Surname.

We still get looks when we are out together and people often ask if we are twins. I quite like it.

FabbyChic · 26/01/2012 21:37

Id get badges made up with their names on, to be fair they should be in different classes.

Firawla · 26/01/2012 22:26

abigailS that is fair enough then really, but i just think as a parent there would be a worry about do the teachers know the child properly if they cant tell them apart as the op said she is telling about something one child did and it was really the other one! which is not on.

seeker · 26/01/2012 22:43

If I can't tell my own god children apart, I wouldn't expect a teacher to be able to!

Original poster
MadDash · 27/01/2012 19:12

AbigailS, their teacher wouldn't be able to do that. It's always 'one of them did this today' or 'one of them did that today'. Sadly school is too small to have them in different classes as that would really help their independence from each other.

OP posts:
EssentialFattyAcid · 27/01/2012 19:15

Just give them different haircuts, it's as simple as that, and the answer lies in your own hands.

Amaretti · 27/01/2012 19:19

The answer,as essential says, is in your own hands. Make them easy to distinguish and give the poor teacher a break.

PopcornBiscuit · 27/01/2012 19:20

If they're identical then YABU to expect the teacher to tell them apart, unless you do something to make it clear (hair/clothes etc.)

CoffeeDog · 27/01/2012 19:34

I am a twin and i have twin boys.... i had it through school name badges etc I fully expect the boys to have it too.
Only difference is tehy will be in seperate classes - non negotiable at school and one has a massive scar down his head from brain surgery - although i guess they will have faded in 2 yrs when they get to school.

I always prefered an initial on the collor to a badge as my evil twin would switch badges and get me into trouble ;)

CupOfBrownJoy · 27/01/2012 19:51

OP you haven't addressed the posters who ask why you can't dress them differently or distinguish them some other way....

TiggyD · 27/01/2012 19:53

Great name CupOfBrownJoy! Wink

CupOfBrownJoy · 27/01/2012 20:49

thanks Grin

altinkum · 27/01/2012 20:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IwoulddoPachacuti · 27/01/2012 21:52

I can't tell my friends daughters apart...and there is 2 years between them!

canihavesome · 27/01/2012 21:58

I went to pick up dd from a party and manically waived at a different girl through the window Blush.

loolooskiptotheloo · 27/01/2012 22:23

i haven't read the whole thread but i actually don't think YABU, i am a teacher and although i do all the time might say the wrong name to child or mix up twins, i would know whether luke or johnny had achieved a particular skill that day.

canyou · 27/01/2012 22:30

I am a twin and we often got mixed up in school when we started work we both worked in the same building but different companies it was a high security area and security for ages thought there was one person working for two companies Hmm
Worse I rang my BIL today and he ans 'Hello DW' erm no it is your SIL
It happens but your DT's teacher will make mistakes as will friends parents and scout leaders and football coaches etc

Original poster
MadDash · 27/01/2012 22:44

Sorry, can't have different colour tops as school has v strict uniform guidlines. Shirts have to be a particular shade etc. As for haircuts, they are a different but could be more so so will make them more different.

OP posts:
NeverKnowinglyUnderstood · 27/01/2012 22:50

I feel bad about this at school, DS has identical twin friends they are very different in personalities but in the playground when they are running round I have NO idea who is who.
DS2 has perfected the art of saying "samorjohn come here"

CoffeeDog · 27/01/2012 22:51

put their intitials on the polo shirt collars - the only thing that worked for us ;)

madliz · 27/01/2012 23:04

Just chuckling over the previous posts. My DTs (girls) are in year 5 now and are identical but have just had VERY different haircuts. They HATE being referred to as the "twins" but have been known to impersonate each other :). Our school is very small and only one year 5 class so they can't be split but the comp that they will go to is very big so I'm going to ask if they can be streamed separately. They are REALLY looking forward to this BTW.
If I'm honest, it's ME that wants to keep them the same although even as very little babies they never wore the same outfits- usually different colours etc.
The head at our school has known then since they were 4 and still has trouble telling them apart- although one now has a bob and other has waist length hair.
I genuinely think that some people just don't remember names or faces.
I also have to admit that they wore their ID bracelets for 8 weeks as I was frightened I couldn't tell them apart when they were born Confused

Original poster
MadDash · 27/01/2012 23:08

madliz, for the first few weeks DT's had their first initial on their feet Blush

OP posts:
lurkinginthebackground · 27/01/2012 23:16

People who know me through dd1 quite often call me by her name. It is nothing like my name either!

randommoment · 27/01/2012 23:18

My DDs are non-identical, but are best friends with a pair of identicals, who for most of primary looked exactly the same. Only in year 5 did one keep her hair long while the other had it bobbed. My daughters have always been able to tell them apart in some ESP sort of way, but until then I just couldn't, and we had them round for tea at least once a week... luckily they all seem to find this quite funny rather than offensive.
My BIL is one of identicals, and weirdly I can tell them apart, but I couldn't say why - they have same haircuts and same taste in clothes.

randommoment · 27/01/2012 23:20

madliz, did you get as pissed off as me at not being able to find the same outfit but in different colours in so many of the reasonably priced shops?