AIBU in thinking that you rarely (if ever) see an attractive pair of....

[KeepItPrivate]

identical twins?

I've always thought that identical twins were usually quite plain looking but obviously kept this to myself. Recently a friend of mine found out that she was expecting twins and rang me up all excited to tell me. During the conversation she said "my Mum is upset cos they are going to be identical and that means they won't be as attractive their older siblings"

I asked her how she felt about this hurtful comment and she replied that her mum was right - how often do you see good looking twins? and you are lucky if one is even attractive.

I know obviously that looks are such a small part of a child's make up but I'm the wrong person to try and boost my friends confidence on this even though I have tried.

What do other Mumsnetters think?

Rhubarb - I haven't had a chance to answer before now as I work. I can't really see how what I asked was offensive and it certainly wasn't mean't to be.
Yes I realise that hundreds of Mumsnetters will be mothers of identical twins - I am one of them!!

Apart from the two men in army uniform, the examples you have given me are all of heavily made up , not particually attractive young women.

Obviously due to the amount of people who have posted who know attractive twins , I am happy to accept I may be wrong and that it is just my opinion.

So you don't think your own are attractive? What a bizarre and totally puzzling thing to say! What do you class as "attractive"? Blonde and bimbo-looking? How would your twins feel about you thinking they were plain? Is this attractiveness all important to you?

Most mothers are just grateful that their babies are healthy both mentally and physically, but you seem to want catwalk models thrown into the bargain!

I think you need to reassess your priorities and tell your children, every single day, how beautiful they are. Because in your books my dd would also be plain, but to me she is beautiful and I tell her so, because her heart is pure.

did you know you can have identical triplets?

images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.twinsrealm.com/othrpics/mikeandsteve.jpg&imgrefurl=http ://www.twinsrealm.com/othrpics2.htm&h=375&w=542&sz=50&hl=en&start=11&sig2=a5ZNLNWywuB71dC2-y8M-g&um= 1&tbnid=l7ZS3FVWUCrBFM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=132&ei=BkhaSJyxJZvo0QSDpYSNDA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Didentical%2Btr iplet%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGEUA,GEUA:2006-07,GEUA:en%26sa%3DN

i know of some gorgeous identical twins. one is slightly more attractive than the other and always has been from about 6 months ish when they started to look a little bit different. by the way the olsen twins don't count - they aren't identical.

Just to add - I know a spectacularly attractive pair of teenage identical twin girls - plus a good looking set of boy quads!
Although to be fair I think only two of the quads are strictly identical - can never tell the difference between them tho, partly cos they run around so fast

Gorgeous little girl twins at dd's tot group.

My friend recently asked me if I realised that identical twins have to be the same sex. She'd only just found this out.

Oh, and for some reason I expected the next word in the sentence to be "... goths". I was about to get all huffy on behalf of my lovely goth friends.

i get asked all the time if me and my bro are identical i always have to say well no because his a boy

here

here

and of cousre the krays

that you think twins are less attractive yet you have your own!-your lovely

allwomenstalk.com/wp-content/thumbs/39366.jpg

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i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/WilliamTuttle/F13pic23.jpg

www.financialpost.com/small_business/196472.bin?size=404x272

Surely your prejudices are all down to statistics. I'd say that staggeringly attractive people are probably in a small minority compared to the rest of us mediocre lumps. Therefore, as identical twins are relatively rare, the chances of coming across some stunners are also drastically reduced. In proportion to the rest of the population though, they must be the same.

I don't know why I'm even giving mental effort to such a ridiculous suggestion to be honest.

The very idea that you would not be able to bring yourself to tell your friend that her children will be gorgeous is shameful - go away and think about what you've done immediately.

Rhubarb - am I disputing that being healthy is of more importance?
Every one of my children (I have a large family) are valued and cherished for who they are and the contribution they make to our family and others. In answer to your question - no attractiveness is not important at all to me.

Every parent thinks their children are special but they can't all possibly think that their children are attractive, surely?

You do not need to reply in such an aggressive manner

i always remember the saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them

Beauty, like supreme dominion
Is but supported by opinion

Fruitstick - I have told her and I have also told her how blessed she is to have them.

The point of the original post was because I had always thought of identical twin children as unattractive, I thought it was just me. Then when someone else said it (my friend), i wondered if others were of the same opinion.

Now I know that we are in a small minority and will never dare to mention it again!!!

I've never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.

Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.

Beauty comes as much from the mind as from the eye

But KIP, you've just said that you always thought of identical twins as "unattractive", yet you have twins of your own, so you think they too, are unattractive? That's what I don't understand, how you can make such an assertion and not expect people to get upset about that?

I don't even have twins, but I certainly feel very uncomfortable about any mother labelling her children as unattractive. That's just weird.

That's lovely bubblagirl and so true

KIP, surely to goodness you can see what a sweeping generalisation it is to say that all identical twins are unattractive? Of all the identical twins in all the world, you are the expert on their attractiveness?

My God, again if you'd have said "black" there would be an uproar.

My twins are less attractive looks-wise than their siblings, yes. This isn't just my opinion, it's a fact, that has been mentioned (discreetly) by both sets of Grandparents at one time or another.

Yes Rhubarb - it was a sweeping generalisation and on reflection thoughtless too