How do you talk about more than one dd on mumsnet?

[3bunnies]

I have two dd, sometimes I want to talk about them together but make it clear that there are two of them - e.g. My dd1 & dd2 want to go ice skating. My dds want to go ice skating sounds too much like my ds who is particularly dear to me. It is even more confusing if talking about a friend with dss as that sounds as if she has one step son rather than two sons. I often end up saying 'my girls'. I have just posted to enquire about two different posters daughters and ended up saying 'your dd are'. I can't bring myself to add an apostrophe.

I would say my dd's it doesn't bother me but my ds's does

I tend to capitalise the "DD" bit, then add a plural "s", apostrophes etc as appropriate eg:

My DDs are going swimming later
DS's team are doing well
DSD is spending Christmas with us
I have 2 DSs and 3 DSSs
DSS's red hair is just like his dad

I vary whether or not I capitalise, except in the case where it is unclear, eg dss, in which case I would type DSs for sons plural. If it's really ambiguous then I use 'sons' rather than abbreviate.

As for apostrophes, I think I treat the abbreviations as words: "my children's toys" becomes "my dee cee's toys", hence "my dc's toys" and not "my dcs' toys", even though dc could be singular or plural. Again, if it's really ambiguous then I don't abbreviate.

Aha it seems capitals are my friends. lazy on phone emoticon

I would use the old fashioned term 'daughters'.

Sprog Don't be daft, that's just too obvious, has your 'flu made you delirious?

Sorry, last post sounded unintentionally snarky. It should have been followed by as well, but now also .