To hit the next person who tells me I have double trouble

[Handsfull13]

I have twins - I prefer to say two babies. They are lovely and I'm so proud of myself for coping with them.
But why oh why does everything have to be a negative.
I'm sick of hearing 'you've got your hands full' and 'oh look double trouble'
You would never go up to someone with one child and tell them they have trouble. The same as you wouldn't say 'double trouble' to someone with two child of different ages so why is it perfectly acceptable to tell me I have 'double trouble'.
How can I respond to these comments without killing someone?

Hmm I thought that was quite sweet... I often call friends/DP "trouble" as a term of endearment!

I've got two DDs 20 months apart, people say this to me, but I never feel they mean it nastily, in fact I get the impression people love babies and are just looking for a way to start a conversation. Relax OP, and enjoy the fuss. Many an old lady had made me feel like a rock star by fussing over my kids

Ikwym but agree you need to chill and accept people don't mean it negatively but in an affectionate way. To a PP l too used to get the Irish twins remark and also the 'pigeon pair' or 'million aire couple ' type remarks as l have a boy and a girl 17 months apart. But the remarks about having the 'ideal family' and 'you won't need to have any more now you've got one of each' used to annoy me as l had two boys at one time and was quite happy thank you but lost one ( stillborn) and then decided have another. But l would've been quite happy with two boys as much as l am with a boy and girl a day two isn't perfect as l would love to have kept all three !!......yes people can be arseholes when they say stuff like this but as pps have said they don't mean any harm and just think they're being nice so try and just hold that thought next time.

Do you have twins?

Your reply is, no I have triplets

Both you and they look down at the buggy and you moan dramatically
oh ffs I have left one at home alone again.......
Have to dash bye now

hehehe

I'm thinking of having a top made it shall read

Yes they are twins
Yes they are both boys
No they are not identical
Yes I'm sure
Yes I can tell them apart
No I didn't have IVF

I love talking about them but only if someone actually wants to know and not because they feel they have to ask just because I walked past them in tescos

Except those people who think having a close age gap is just like having twins. I just nod and agree with these people, I'll often say it must be so much harder because then I don't have to engage in the one-upmanship!

....'and anyway'... not 'a boy and girl a day' :D

Wow you are being so precious about this OP, YADBU.

Mostly it's said because it rhymes. They're not saying your children are trouble in a negative way. It is just an expression. Take a chill pill

Have you tried 'why do you want to know?' as a response?

I find it focuses peoples minds on not asking inane questions for the sake of flapping their mouths.

He has also thrown a fake hissy fit about the fact that there "should be three.... where's the other one gone"

This is hilarious

Haha or you could direct them to Specsavers and insist there's only one of them and they must be seeing double

My DH says this to people with twins but in a very friendly, co-conspirital way.

He is speaking from personal experience! He has a twin sister and they are STILL very much double trouble in their sixties.

Please try not to be offended, OP. Twins are a real blessing and people love to acknowledge them in a friendly, jokey manner.

I understand where you're coming from OP although I don't have twins. My dd1 is v bright and academic and I have had constant comments about how much younger dd2 will be a handful, trouble, cheeky etc etc. In fact, she seems to me to be every bit as bright and lovely as dd1 at her age. People like to be negative about everything!

Handsful my DH and I once seriously considered printing up a sign for the front of the buggy in a similar vein to your proposed t-shirt.

Our twins are 9 yo and get on extremely well (just in case the other posts are scaring you!)

I'm thinking of having a top made it shall read

Reminds me of this

"This is light work. The other two are at home." And walk on, leaving the speaker resembling a goldfish.

'Do they run in the family' - euphemism for did you have IVF. That's the one that used to annoy me. Would you ask a singleton parent what position they used to conceive their baby?

I'm with you OP all the way ( DT's and two more because 'television was broken' ....)

i have twins, now 5. the comments are never ending but generally you will find its people just trying to make small talk, they dont really mean anything by it. you just have to have to learn to take it as a compliment even if it isnt:

Them: i'd hate to have twins
You: (big smile) god job its me not you then, i love it!

Them: Are they natural?/Did you have IVF?
You: Does it matter? (this really floors them - my twins are not IVF but i still think its awful to imply IVF twins are 'not natural')

Them: Are they identical?
You: No, we had them tested to be sure (even if you didnt)

Them: double trouble
You: and double the love/fun/hugs

Them: which is the good twin?
You: today it's A as he ate all his lunch but I expect it will change by bedtime.

Them: Are they twins?
You: Nah, this one's the stunt double

you see, there is always a way to turn it into a compliment/jokey situation.

9 times out of 10 comments are meant in a nice way, honest!

OP, I do get what you're saying, and I got to the point where I said I was going to have leaflets handed out, with almost exactly the bullet points that you are going to have on your top

I'm 8 years down the line, and I can appreciate now that it's just people being friendly and generally fascinated by twins, but at the time it did get a little wearing.

I really, really wish I'd thought of the "there's supposed to be three of them" response!

I'm glad people understand and I kind of guessed it would never change but the alternative answers are amazing so worth the comments telling me to get over it.

My partner likes to tell people we had three but only got a double buggy so we leave one at home but don't worry we gave him water and cracked a window before we left

I have twins ... I get it can be annoying ... although personally I've always agreed 😂 I have 4 in total, all within 4.5 years and I really do have my hands full. Doesn't mean I over them any less.

• love

I'm an "irish twin" only 8 months between my brother and I and my father's response was always "no they're triplets but we leave the ugly one at home"