Question

I took my oldest ds to a birthday party yesterday. It was for a set of b/b twins in his Kindergarten class. He also has a set of g/g/b triplets in his class. I guess he's in the multiples kindergarten class, Lol. Anyway, it got me to thinking (I know we all have a long time before we have to think about this) but are you going to put your twins in the same kindergarten class? I guess I could see the pros and the cons. I was just wondering what you ladies think?

 

I took my oldest ds to a birthday party yesterday. It was for a set of b/b twins in his Kindergarten class. He also has a set of g/g/b triplets in his class. I guess he's in the multiples kindergarten class, Lol. Anyway, it got me to thinking (I know we all have a long time before we have to think about this) but are you going to put your twins in the same kindergarten class? I guess I could see the pros and the cons. I was just wondering what you ladies think?

 

I may change my mind when they go to kindergarten, but I am not planning to put them in the same class. I don't want them to be too dependent on each other. I talk to another twin mom while waiting for my oldest at school, she has b/g twins in K this year in the same class, her son was sick one day and she made the comment that was the first time they had ever been apart that she hoped her DD was ok at school.

Plus I don't want people to feel like they always have to include both of them for parties if they don't really want too. I don't want them to feel like, well if we are inviting Emilie we have to invite Trevor too.

So as of right now I am planning on having them be in different classes.

 

I didn't think I would until I read a post here not too long ago (I can't remember which forum it was in..maybe the Corn?). Anyway, I vaguely remember reading that it has been proven to be detrimental to their mental and emotional well being if they are separated...espcially in a new, unfamiliar setting. I think it was Cristina that posted something ...?? I hope whoever it was sees this and can share their experience/knowledge with you! My cousin has fraternal boys and they were separated initially and the boys had a very difficult time and it manifested into behavioral issues. I guess my answer is no, I will not separate them.

 

It depends on the school district they live in if you even have achoice. Where I taught in Queens, NY they don't allow it. Personally, I think it is really important for them to develop peer relations away from each other. I think it's healthy for them to have their own set of friends. Many twins by the time they enter school are so attatched to each other that they will tend to only stick together for a long while because meeting new people, being in a new environment, with all new stuff and without mommy can be a bit scary for many kids. It's a total preference thing. I could totally understand why many multiple mommies would want their kids to be together.

 

I have been a first grade teacher more 6 years and almost each year have had a twin in my classroom. I am in huge favor of separating twins in Kindergarten. In preschool I would keep them together.

 

I will be putting the girls in the same class. This is something I feel very strongly about. I feel that in the beginning it would be to their best interest to go through the change together. As they get older if they want to be seperated then I'm in favor of that.

 

I think I'm going to wait and see what their personalities are like when it's time to make that decision and see what I think would be best for them. My gut says keep them together at first, but by 1st grade or so separate them.

 

I don't know how early I will separate mine, but I will definitely do so fairly early on. I teach middle and high school and had one of a set of identical girls in my 8th grade class last year. It was the first time she had been separated from her twin in school and she had an incredibly difficult time socially. She had become extremely dependent on her twin to take the lead socially and had difficulty reaching out to other kids on her own. She and her parents both said that they wished they had been separated earlier.

Kim

 

I don't know, I'll have to see when the time comes. I suspect they'll do fine either way.

 

Pre-K and Kinder I will have them in the same class for sure, after that, I wouldn't have a problem separating them. I am like pp, I think it is a huge transition (never gone to daycare) then all of a sudden they are in school, away from mommy and not with their brother or sister?? I think that would be a lot of change for them in one day.

 

I taught second grade for 8 years and have taught my share of twins and even a triplet. I feel strongly that I will separate our two. I agree that preschool is perfect for them to be together. However, I don't want them together in K because I won't them to be individuals. I don't want the teacher to compare them. I also worry about peer relationships if they are kept together. Many times grade levels play together on the playground. I think that would be nice. Okay, I'm done rambling.

 

Our school district separates twins. In fact, a good friend of mine has ID twin girls who are 3 and in my DS's preschool class. She is going to petition the school district to keep them together. Her theory is that kindergarten (which is all day here) will be a new experience and stressful anyway but it would be compounded if they were separated for the first time in their lives. I hadn't thought about it until she brought it up. My husband is an ID twin and they were separated in Kinder and had no problems. But, my husband is really weird and maybe it is all because they were separated in Kinder! Just kidding!

I don't know what I will do. My sister is a Kinder teacher and feels strongly that separating twins is best. She had a set at her school last year and one was really smart and at the top of the class and the other struggled all year. She thinks it was best for both of them to be in separate classes.

 

Ours separates siblings, too! We don't have a choice.

 

I don't think we will have a choice I think in Ga we will have to separate them - which may be harder on me than it will be on them !!!!! sorry - that may have just been my hormones again
lately I cry at dog food commercials!

 

I will definitely not be separating mine. I don't know if they have a policy in my town for this, but I will fight it if they do! I believe that it would be cruel and traumatic for my twins to be separated during such a stressful time. One day your support system is suddenly gone when you need it the most - I cannot see how this would benefit them. I am going to take the same approach that I do with their bedroom - I'm keeping them together until they ask to be separated!

 

I don't think I know their personalities well enough yet to know if it will be better or worse for them to be separated - I figure when the time comes I'll be better equiped to make that decision... I'm sure that at some point - no matter what I do, in someone's opinion I will have made the wrong choice