Helping Twins Nurture Relationships and Friendships Outside Their Twin Bond
Raising twins comes with its own set of unique joys and challenges. One of the most beautiful aspects of having twins is witnessing the deep bond they share. However, this close relationship can sometimes overshadow their interactions with others. Despite having a built-in-bestie, it’s important for twins, just like other children, to socialise and develop independent social and interpersonal skills from a young age. In this article, we’ll share some practical tips and expert advice to help your twins build relationships outside their twin bond.
The Importance of Socialising and Independent Skills
Developing Individual Identities: Socialising with others helps twins develop their own identities, separate from their twin. This is essential for their personal growth and self-esteem.
Building Diverse Relationships: Having a variety of friendships and relationships enriches their social experiences and teaches them to understand and appreciate the different nature of those relationships.
Enhancing Social Skills: Regular interaction with different people helps twins to learn and improve their communication and interpersonal skills, which are important aspects of their overall development.
Preparing for the Future: These skills, like many of the foundational skills acquired during the early years, help prepare twins for future scenarios such as school, university, work and personal relationships. Independent social skills will help them to navigate various social settings with confidence and a strong sense of self.
Tips and Practical Advice for Parents
- Encourage Separate Activities
You may notice that one of your twins enjoys a particular activity (e.g. water-based activities) while the other prefers creative time (e.g. painting). Use this information to support and encourage their individual interests, either by allowing them to play separately or perhaps even signing them up for classes or playgroups related to their respective interests.
- Promote Individual Friendships
Arrange playdates or social gatherings where each twin can invite their own friends from nursery, the neighbourhood, family friends, etc. This can help them to build their own social circles and form friendships outside of their special bond.
- Nurture Independence
- Give your twins opportunities to make decisions on their own, such as choosing their clothes, or which snack they’d like to eat. This helps build their confidence and decision-making skills based off their personal preferences.
- You can also encourage them to solve problems independently before seeking help from their twin, promoting self-reliance.
- Celebrate Individual Achievements
It’s important to acknowledge and celebrate each twin’s individual accomplishments to reinforce their unique identities. This helps boost self-esteem and gives motivation.
Try to avoid making too many comparisons between, and instead, focus on their personal growth, qualities, and achievements.
- Model Social Behaviour
As with all behaviour, you are your children’s best role model! Show them what positive social interactions look like by demonstrating them in your own life. Children learn so much by observing their parents.
- Create Opportunities for Social Interaction
The more social settings and environments your children are exposed to, the better. So why not organise some more family outings, social gatherings with friends and extended family, or partake in community events and neighbourhood parties/festivals where they can meet new people (and observe you doing the same!). This gives them the opportunity to see different social settings and to navigate various social dynamics.
Encourage participation in group activities or games with other children to help them develop teamwork and social skills.
Helping twins develop independent social and interpersonal skills is essential for their overall growth and future success. By encouraging separate activities, promoting individual friendships, nurturing independence, celebrating individual achievements, modelling social behaviour, and creating opportunities for social interaction, you can support your twins in building diverse and meaningful relationships.
If you enjoyed this article and found it to be useful, you can check out more of our early childcare resources in our Family Resource Zone!
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