Green baby, blue baby

I guess my question is do you think this could be a problem at any point?

My boys are like night and day in everything, this started from day 1 with their eating habits. So, on the advice of a friend with twins who are my age, we started with Logan getting blue bottles and Mason getting green bottles. This was a huge help, because they took different amount with different medicines one was always EBM and the other was on Nutramigen, etc. Well, when we moved up to the big bottles there were still green and blue options and now with sippy cups they come in green and blue pairs. I've found myself doing the same with clothes, if a coordinating pair of something is green (or yellow) and blue then Mason is in green and Logan in blue. We had green and blue Easter buckets, and also have several other toys in those colors.

Mason is catching on now and refuses the blue sippy cups and freaks out if Logan takes a green or yellow one. It is still helpful in a lot of ways. I always know whose cup is whose, who didn't finish their milk or which one has medicine in it. I can tell Mason to get his cup and he gets HIS cup. I can tell Logan to get his blue ball and gets HIS ball. This avoids many meltdowns. It's also been a problem - Mason's sippy leaked and was empty, but wouldn't drink out of Logan's blue cup. So I'm juggling a baby and trying to pour half from one cup to the other at the zoo.

Mason is also very possessive of toys and I think this may only be encouraging it because the yellow ones really are HIS. I'm also afraid they are going to develop a complete aversion to one color or the other and I'll have to deal with that for the next 18 years So, anyone else have colors for each and has it seemed to matter?

Thanks

 

Hmmm, interesting question. We had a blue hat and a green hat from the hospital when they were born, and from then on we did about the same thing you did...green vs blue. However, we never had any of those kinds of issues. I think he just has a very strong personality, and more than likely color doesn't have anything to do with it, he just wants what is "his". And doesn't want to share...perfectly right on target behavior. Don't you hate when they act how they are supposed to? :laughing:

I guess I would start working on mixing the colors up a bit just so you don't really have a color issue. I say that, and my one guy decided everything that is red is his now. So, yes, it's "normal", but all "normal" negative behaviors still need to be addressed and not allowed.

 

Well-my boys are the blue and green babies as well! LOL! We started this when one got thrush. So-one had the blue pacifier(baby b), the other the green pacifier. Same thing with the bottles. The tops were blue, green, and I think purple. So we used the blue/green tops. I think I am a bit more neurotic with the blue/green thing. If I get a blue/green plate-I make sure to give it to the right child. No one else does! LOL!

But my boys do not have blue/green issues-that I know of. They do know who's pacifier belongs to who-but that's about it. Good question though! I would start mixing it up on them...before it evolves into a problem-or a bigger one!

 

QUOTE(HRE @ May 6 2009, 02:33 PM) [snapback]1303168[/snapback]
Don't you hate when they act how they are supposed to? :laughing:


Yes, why would they go and do something like that on me!!!

 

If you don't do it to them they'll do it to themselves. Mine have decided that certain things are their's (not based on color but pattern- Meara always gets the sailboat boppy, and Ana always gets the Dinosaur boppy). If you want to mix it up a bit thats fine, but they will probably decide on their own which sippies, toys, clothes, etc are their own. I think its a good thing to encourage them to have their own stuff. It must be really hard to be so little and be expected to share all the time.

 

Yes, it will "stick". I think eventually they will get over it but at this point, my boys have certain colors they identify as theirs and it's a bit crazy how they have this whole system worked out. For example, I buy two shirts and present both asking for them to choose whose is whose. I can guess 95% of the time what the result will be based on their color preferences. Those preferences are the ones I used when they were too young to express a preference so DH says I brainwashed them. It gets complicated, though, because some colors switch ownership depending on what the other option happens to be. All of their clothes are in pairs in the closet even though they don't necessarily match and they insist upon wearing the coordinating outfit. The worst is the red Curious George shirt with yellow writing (yellow is Trevor, red is Trent) and it's blue Nemo partner shirt (blue is Trevor, orange is Trent). They fight often over whose is whose because Trent will identify the orange fish as his while Trevor will argue that the shirt is blue so it must be his. It makes my head sore. They'll even point out objects in books and say that this belongs to one or the other because of the color.

 

QUOTE(debid @ May 6 2009, 02:45 PM) [snapback]1303188[/snapback]
The worst is the red Curious George shirt with yellow writing (yellow is Trevor, red is Trent) and it's blue Nemo partner shirt (blue is Trevor, orange is Trent). They fight often over whose is whose because Trent will identify the orange fish as his while Trevor will argue that the shirt is blue so it must be his. It makes my head sore. They'll even point out objects in books and say that this belongs to one or the other because of the color.


I guess when they can't decide they just wear their underwear on their heads?! :laughing:

 

I always do Ryan's cup in blue and Jake's in the other available color. I used to be a nanny for twin boys and they did blue and red. They are now going into 3rd grade and have no color aversion problems. I think as long as they have some things that they share, he will be fine.

 

QUOTE(Leighann @ May 6 2009, 01:47 PM) [snapback]1303194[/snapback]
I guess when they can't decide they just wear their underwear on their heads?! :laughing:


That's right! Who needs clothes?! If you had any idea of how often I tell them to put their clothes back on...

 

What an interesting issue that only twin moms have really confronted! I never color-coded my kids, but it actually sounds like it might have some benefits.

 

Same bottles, the purple caps got thrown in the trash We have jungle and white plates so I'm safe there.

I guess I'm unsure about mixing things up which is why I was wondering what others had done. Sometimes, I think it might be good for them to have things they know are theirs.

 

My babies are pink baby and purple baby . I doubt it will ever be a problem (at least I hope not).

 

We kinda do the color thing, but only to make it easier for everyone else. They boys never had medical issues, needing them to have different cups, bottles, etc. Thank goodness! But since we think they are ID, yes I still don't know(have Kaiser, nuff said) it's been hard for others to tell them apart so Gavin usually gets green or gray and Caleb gets the other color. Its just easier to remmeber for others! Btw I'm preety sure that your boys will not have issues with the color thing and possesiveness is a strong trait of toddlers!

 

Thanks ladies. I don't know yet if I'll try to mix things up or not, but it always helps to hear everyone elses advice and situations.

 

I have a pink baby (Annelise) and a purple baby (Karina). Mostly that's just for their sippy cups.

 

We are blue and green here, too. And they know which one is theirs. Most of the time that's really great because it cuts down on most of the fighting. But God forbid you try to give the green baby the blue sippy (because he's still hungry, but his brother didn't drink any of his) or vice versa. He won't drink out of it, and his brother goes crazy because he touched his sippy even though he didn't want it.

For us, at least for now, it solves more problems than it causes so we will keep with it more out of habit than any particular conscious thought at this point. And because they seem to expect it and maybe even take comfort in it.

 

When I first started separating things it was their "silkies" (blankies, the little ones) and I gave the pale pink to Greta because she is soft and hot pink to Lulu because she is spicy. I called it the spicy pink color. My two are so very different in every way, size, personality, looks, hair color, skin tone etc. that I do have separate clothes for them and they have their own "style." We also have purple sippies and blue sippies and I do tend to give them the same one each time. They also have two matching white bears and they know whose is whose - I couldn't figure out how forever, but I did notice that one of the bears has a ripped tag and that one is Greta's - it's very slight and I don't know how they know. They are very protective of their silkies and will never settle for the others. They also have favorite books...so some books are Greta's and some are Lulu's. It's fun to watch all of this. I find it fascinating.

 

I find it fascinating too, as I'm watching them though I think more of it is just Mason's general possessiveness right now rather than just the colored objects. We had two matching (thinking that would help) corn poppers but they constantly wanted the same one. So, I tried putting a stamp on one so they could tell the difference. Well, they can tell the difference, but Mason still wants the one Logan has no matter which one it is. I think he believes both "pop pops" to be his Books at bedtime are the same way. Mason always wants the book that the other parent is reading to Logan. When you get done and switch them, he still wants the one the other parent is reading to Logan, which is of course, the one he just had and didn't want. This is getting fun!!

 

Coming from a house that has never color coded anything really we have no issues. They drink from any sippy or bottle. We have a subtle way that they have not noticed to tell the bottles apart. Only the ring that holds the nipple on is different. Daniel will get a blue ring or dark green ring while Rose will get any color. They have not noticed and I can switch the bottles if the other didn't finish and one needs more milk. As for the sippies.. I would mix the colors up now and get ones that are not blue or green to start. Take a permanent marker and put an initial on them so you can tell who is who if you really want to know. We don't label different sippies here at all and they get whatever color comes up. I think if they are starting to reject certain colors then that really is a problem. Like you said what a pain in the butt that you had to pour milk in to the desired color and who knows how many other things like this will pop up. Make your life easier and switch some stuff up now otherwise when they really know better and can verbally express you may end up with a full revolt in an undesired location when you absolutely cannot color code. We also do not have individual toys.. everything is shared. Yep there is a squabble sometimes but they get over it quickly. We don't buy 2 of the same toy because I know from having dogs that you can have 2 of the exact same thing and one is always favored over the other even though they seem identical.

 

I don't think we started color-coding on purpose, but from a very young age, Sarah made it clear that she loved yellow. She always gets the yellow or orange sippy cups (Amy gets the red or green), but I don't know if that started before or after her preference for yellow became apparently.

Anyway, Sarah is now always yellow/orange and Amy is basically any other color. They both wear clothes of all colors, but when I'm buying two similar things, I try to find one in yellow for Sarah. She will also always choose the yellow option if there is one (in a grab bag of prizes, a bowl of socks, etc.), and tends to claim all yellow things (for example, Molly in the Thomas train family) as hers.

It hasn't been a huge problem, except in the matter of vitamins. Our gummy vitamins come in 3 colors -- red, pink, and yellow. This means there's a point in every bottle where Sarah has to eat red/pink ones, and she always pitches a huge fit. We've finally gotten somewhat past it by telling her to close her eyes and pretend they're yellow.

We also had one yellow toddler fork and about 5 other color folks. Sarah would ONLY use the yellow one. The dang thing finally broke yesterday and it was great, because she didn't want to use a broken fork, so we threw it in the trash, and now she'll use any of the remaining ones.

So, I tend to agree that if you don't impose colors on them, they'll do it themselves. But it isn't necessarily a problem. I certainly perpetuate it as much as they do, because it's nice to know at a glance what belongs to whom. It doesn't have to take over your life.

And this:
QUOTE
For us, at least for now, it solves more problems than it causes so we will keep with it more out of habit than any particular conscious thought at this point. And because they seem to expect it and maybe even take comfort in it.

 

QUOTE
We've finally gotten somewhat past it by telling her to close her eyes and pretend they're yellow.


i have no advice, but i giggled at this....

 

We established colors at birth and, no, there doesn't seem to have been a psychological impact. Actually, now Sierra wears all the pink and Ainsley loves purple and that's the opposite of what their "assigned" colors were. Your boys are toddlers right now and naturally are going to try to establish ownership over items. If they didn't have colors to turn to they'd pick something else. They'll mature and grow out of it as they learn to share.

 

We had different formulas and we had the Playtex bottles with a variety of colours so light and dark blue was for Marc and all the other colours were for William. When we moved to sippies William was still on Alimentum and Marc on real milk so Mark got the blue sippies and William got not blue. They've both been on whole milk since Christmas and I still find myself handing William a not blue sippy while the blue one goes to Marc.
Clothing wise, I only separate based on the size (5 pounds difference) and what colour suits them best. William is not to leave the house in pale yellow he looks awful in it.
One funny thing I do is with the sheets. We have a few hand-me down sheets that are a nice quality and I like to use them even though one is pink. Marc always gets the pink one since his crib is behind his brother's and less visible from the door.
As far as the "mine" problem. They each think every object in the house is their personal playtoy so colour has nothing to do with it.

 

i actually also have a green (brown or yellow) baby and a blue (red or purple) baby. so far it's worked out great for me (for the reasons you stated), but they are unaware... however, they swop bottles/cups all the time, so it's probably going to be useless soon, anyways!

 

I'm still reading ladies. Thanks for all of the advice. We made progress this weekend! I didn't mix them up, but I did catch Mason finishing off the blue sippy. So I guess if he's thirsty enough he's color blind Nice to know!

 

People were always saying which one is which so I started green for Grace. Clothes,bottles,pacis always green for Grace. Sarah gets any color.

 

I had a blue baby, green baby. Blue was my for Nicholas (Greek Name and the Greek flag is blue) and Seamus was green (Irish name...Irish color!). We did it for bottles and clothes and anything else we needed to that came in those colors. It never was a problem. I do think it is funny now that when we go to a certain restaurant, they get a balloon aterwards. Nicholas always chooses green and Seamus always chooses blue...opposite of what was always given to them.