Are twins crazier than singletons?

I haven't been on in a while - this new pregnancy is still kicking my butt and the only reason I'm still up is that I JUST finished my taxes :blush:, but since I'm sitting here with the laptop and no one trying to pull it off my lap, I figured I'd ask!

My kids have become mountain goats. Seriously. Climbing EVERYTHING. My DD scaled her play kitchen and as I was trying to talk her into coming down herself (instead of just grabbing her), she proceeded to step from the kitchen onto the baby gate that we have behind it separating another part of the room...walking on it like it was a tightrope! Who knew she had that kind of balance? Now I'm kicking myself for signing them up for these gym classes...they've both become crazy climbers!

I had a few friends over with singletons (one each) and it was just so amazing to see their kids actually listen. Mine follow some directions, when they want to, but they also really know how to ignore me. They love to tell me "no" as they go to do exactly what they know I don't want them to do. I know, we're getting close to two and I should just get used to this, but it's been such a dramatic change. They always had some crazy wild streaks, but now it just seems constant...pushing pushing pushing to see how far I'll let them go. Maybe it's just easier for parents with only one child to stay on top of them? I do my best not to have too many things to say no about, just the biggies like not scaling over the couch, not playing with wires, staying away from the stove, playing in the yard not the street (the BIGGEST challenge lately - they just want to run down the driveway because they know I'll scoop them up and drag them back if they get too close to the street)...but it seems like they are now crafting new ways to test me.

I'm sure all kids are nutty in their own way...just needed to get it out. Any comiseration would be appreciated

 

Hi there :wavey:

I don't have any advice, just commiseration The general consensus in our house is this: our kiddos get constant reinforcement for their naughty behavior from their sibling! That is why your friends with one kiddo seem to behave...they don't have the negative influence from their other half! If they can get their brother/sister to laugh and play along, then that is TOTALLY worth it...even when the nanny/mommy/daddy seem to be going blue in the face with constant reprimands.

And I don't think this is going to get better anytime soon :blink:

 

I agree with PP. And yeah, add me to the list. My twin boys are much "crazier" than my oldest DS ever was. They are always (or it seems like always) in entertainment mode. What can I do to get one of my brothers to laugh at or copy me? And when it is successful, they do it again - and again - and again and then maybe they throw in another "trick". They completely bounce things off of each other and get each other all wound up and into the "wild" mode.

My oldest DS had no one (but us) to entertain - and you can believe we weren't dying from laughter when he screamed TWINKLY TWINKLE LITTLE STARRRRRRR at the dinner table every night like Sullivan's brothers do right now. And now, my singleton gets in on the action too! :laughing:

Hang in there. :hug:

 

I don't have a singleton to compare my twins to, so here's my 1/2 cent...
In my house it's a case of monkey see, monkey do and what one does not think of the other one will. I also find that when I am disciplining one, the other takes that opportunity to do something naughty :faint:
I am not sure if that makes my twins crazier then singletons but I have never heard friends with singletons share this kind of problem either...

 

That's what it's like in my house. I can tell one "don't touch" and and he will stop but the other one will do the exact same thing! :headbang: I think it's a way of getting my attention.

I only have the twins but when I see others in my family with only one child (or one child of a certain age) they seem to behave so better than my two. My niece has a son who is 5 months older than mine and I swear he does not do some of the things my two do.

Another thing that has been happening lately is that if my one son gets hurt, he'll come over crying and needing a hug & kiss. The other one will bang his head on the floor, begin to cry and then will come over wanting a hug. :rotflmbo:

This weekend I was at my sister's and my brother was there also. My sil was saying "I don't remember Miranda doing things like this at that age".

Well A. she is a girl and I do believe there is a difference between boys and girls and B. she's an only child. All attention has always been on just her.

 

Welcome back Mamabee! Hope the pregnancy is going well.

Oh yes, I feel your pain!! :lol: Like PPs said, twins have a built-in audience for their shenanigans, and they will totally egg each other on. We're having a problem with throwing. We let them throw balls, but not toys. When we see them throw a toy, we say "no throw" and if they continue we take them away. So last night Jack threw a block and we said "no throw". Then Nate started chanting "no throw, no throw" and proceeded to start throwing blocks!! :headbang: It seems like everything "naughty" is fun, and will get repeated by the other, and every "forbidden" object (cell phone, tape measurer, etc.) that they manage to get their hands on becomes the center of a fight.

So I think that all toddlers are naturally curious, independent, and pushing boundaries, but only twins have a partner in crime!

 

I think so! I was reading a comment on another board from a twin mom to be and she said she was curled up all morning with her dd (who is 20 months) just watching movies in bed and I had to refrain from making a comment back along the lines of enjoy it while you can! Never do I get to just sit and have relaxed time with the kids - one or both of them are always climbing, playing, running, banging on the computer, asking for more, wanting what the other has, etc., etc. and even if we are doing something calmer and quiet like reading or sitting on the bed they fight over who gets my lap, or want to go sit with dh, or fight with each other! I agree it is the partner in crime that makes them more active and the influence of having another their age that makes them not listen as well and test their boundaries even more!!!

 

Thanks for the replies...I could have written any of your posts! Glad to know we're not alone in this madness! The partner in crime thing is so true. It's the same thing that makes it so entertaining to watch and play with twins. They can be doubly adorable when they get into their little games together, giving each other hugs and kisses, etc. but when the mischief starts, ugh! I'm waiting for my hubby to get home from the store as we speak so we can rearrange the play room for the thousanth time to try to outsmart them for a few more weeks :gah:

 

all of these posts make me giggle! As a mom of 4 boys (twins and a 14 year old and 11 year old boys) I look back and think all the time if they were as busy as these two!!!!?? My older two never where! These two are like MONKIES! in fact, thats their nicknames! And I laughed at the monkey see monkey do! Totally true! I also think I am just far more tired with these two (being older now with them???being twins?? working mom now??)that I let them do whatever they want!!!! They are so darn cute I just let them explore every thing!! Maybe it is a twin thing?????????

all of these posts make me giggle! As a mom of 4 boys (twins and a 14 year old and 11 year old boys) I look back and think all the time if they were as busy as these two!!!!?? My older two never where! These two are like MONKIES! in fact, thats their nicknames! And I laughed at the monkey see monkey do! Totally true! I also think I am just far more tired with these two (being older now with them???being twins?? working mom now??)that I let them do whatever they want!!!! They are so darn cute I just let them explore every thing!! Maybe it is a twin thing?????????

 

I have 4 girls...ages 7, 5 and 14 month old twins...and I was just thinking of this the other day. When my big girls were this age I don't remember them getting into so much "trouble!" I cannot even tell you how many times I have found these babies: playing in the toilet! trying to pull out the outlet covers! pulling every book off of the book case! It's INSANE! So I had to laugh when I read all your posts. They made me feel better....I think :blink:

shannon

 

Totally agree with you! Its funny because my boys do the exact thing! I was beginning to think it was just us!! Seems like you have 4 girls and I have 4 boys! Figures right???? :drinks:

 

I know! I have 4 girls! My sister had 3 boys and then she just recently had twins.....boy/girl!!! Our twins are 10 months apart! It's nice to finally be able to pass some clothes along to her.

 

Wow! Id try for a girl but I know Id end up with two more twin boys! I jinxed myself before I was trying the last time and I said "watch they'll me twin boys" sure enough....uughh oh well Ill keep them! I would end up with crabby girls anyway! I am enough drama around here!