I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with a psychologist who specializes in teaching parents and children essential social skills. She mentioned that she has a number of twins who attend her groups, and I was intrigued to hear about how she helps identical twins learn to socialize with their peers. From the outside looking in, many people watch twins play effortlessly with one another and wish that their children were able to get along so well. While a twin […]
Category Archives: Parenting
My Presentation in Santiago
Parents of multiples the world over have some similar concerns when it comes to raising their children—issues of identity, rivalry, competition, and comparison are all common. What is so strikingly interesting is how cultural differences affect the importance of these concerns. I have just returned from a two-week vacation in Chile. In Santiago, I had the pleasure of addressing an overflow audience of parents who came to listen to my presentations about parenting twins and the emotional challenges of adult […]
All You Need Is Love
A mother wrote me and asked me to address a matter that coincidentally corresponds to a news story that has engendered passionate feelings and opinions. Married gay partners who fathered boy/girl twins with a surrogate split up and moved with their biological offspring to opposite coasts. The couple’s selfish intent to rob the twins of their connection seems unfathomable. The reader’s inquiry also involves a divorce. However, contrary to these men’s selfish motives, this mother is deeply concerned about doing […]
Tamba’s Individuality Factsheet
I am pleased to share this individuality factsheet from the Twins and Multiple Births Association (Tamba). The factsheet is a terrific guide chock-full of important reminders and tips about how we can enhance our multiples’ individual selves. I especially appreciate how it emphasizes the influence all of us can have on promoting individuality. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Tamba is an organization based in London that provides services and care for multiple-birth families throughout the United Kingdom. In […]
Postpartum Depression: The Graphic Reality
Allie Artz, a young woman suffering with severe postpartum depression, has graciously given me permission to share her blog about her ongoing experience managing this condition since the birth of her son. I have only included a few paragraphs of her narrative but encourage you to click on the following link to read more about it in vivid detail. To those who have not experienced this horrifying state of mind and to clinicians who are unfamiliar with the thought processes […]