I recently gave a presentation to the Phoenix Valley Mothers of Multiples. Thanks to the terrific event-planning skills of the organization’s workshop coordinator, the attendance was wonderful. Most notably, many dads and a few grandparents were present. I was surprised to learn that many of the families had identical twins. Usually, the numbers skew toward fraternal sets. This conference was advertised as a child development event, so I was more than thrilled to talk about my unique understanding of twin […]
Category Archives: Parenting
The Quick Fix: A Simplistic Solution
A father of thirteen-year-old identical twin boys contacted me about one of his sons. He and his wife decided to send the boys to different middle schools to give them the individual experiences that both were lacking up to that point. However, after more than four months at their respective schools, one son was thriving while the other was not. Tom loved school, felt engaged and energized, and enthusiastically shared what he was learning when his parents picked him up […]
Defining Motherhood Your Way
When assessing a case of postpartum depression, I focus on the woman’s state of mind before, during, and after she gives birth. By talking with many new moms, I have found that the blues are attributable to disappointed expectations and overwhelming responsibilities related to childcare, work demands, partnership challenges, and household chores. A common feature of depressive episodes is a pervasive feeling of inadequacy. This can happen when we are adjusting to novel situations besides parenthood, such as going away […]
If Truth Be Told . . .
Same-sex couples raising singletons or twins face the predicament of eventually talking about donor eggs or sperm. While some couples may choose not to divulge any information, others are convinced that providing an honest explanation when developmentally appropriate is the healthiest way to handle their children’s questions about their birth and biological heritage. While travelling home from Asia a few weeks ago, I met a gay couple who are bringing up three children—a pair of boy-girl twins and a younger […]
What’s a Mother-in-Law to Do?
I recently attended the birthday celebration of a friend of mine who turned 85 years old. She is a vital, energetic, engaged woman who is a terrific role model for aging gracefully and graciously. This friend has developed a fascination about twins ever since we met about ten years ago. I call her the Twin Magnet because she seems to find and meet twins wherever she goes. In addition to the twins themselves, she has introduced me and my books […]