Hi There !!!
Im fairly new and just found this thread for mamas with multiples!!!
I have twin identical girls who are five.
School is starting next month,And I was wondering if anyone has any tips or advice.They will be in the same class (no choice)
No one can tell them apart, and advice on helping the teacher???
Brainstorming here!!!
Amber

Hi! I'm not really in a postion to help: I have fraternal b/g twins who are 11 mo. old. However, one year that I taught school I had 3 sets of twins in my 3rd grade. two sets I could not keep straight,b ut the others were mirror twins and had moles on opposite cheeks. I used seating charts and made note of what they were wearing when they sat down.

Friends that I've had that were identical (even their mother had a hard time when they were little) had either "assigned" color(s) or "assigned" sock styles - one wore all white sport socks (they were boys) and the other only wore striped.

If their ears are pierced, what about assigned earrings; different hair style; special bracelet; hmmmmmmm, still thinking.

sorry I can't help..i have fraternal 18 month old boys

i like the earring idea.. or the idea if they have assigned seats..have the teacher remember what they are wearing..

good luck!

My identical twin girls are 6 years old. The kids under 14 are schooled at home but we are still out & about lots with the kids, so no one can usually tell them apart. Funny, even our almost 3 year old can tell them apart!

Up till recently they both had the same lengthAls of hair & then Claire said she wanted hers cut because she wanted people to know who she was instead of always being called the wrong name. Our sweet neighbour had an awful time telling them apart one day they went down to visit & her University student DD put on tags "Kathy, my name is Claire!" and "Kathy, my name is Saige". Too funny!! Also, even though they like the same styles of clothes I suggest they choose different colours, for the sake of other people. So, one chooses pink, red, orange, blue & the other chooses purple, green, yellow. They still will switch, but I ALWAYS know which is which anyways. NO fooling MOM!!

Also one preferred one pony tail, while the other preferred two. Only problem with earrings, is you have to be pretty close to them to be able to tell. Hmmm...when I worked with behavioural issue kids in a classroom we used a necklace system so the "helpers" as well as the teacher & her assistant knew which kids were in "time-in" and which weren't at a glance. Perhaps they could were different, easy to see necklaces. It's not just for the benefit of their teacher either, whatever you choose should be helpful for their classmates.

Thanks everyone for all of your help!!!
I think we have decided what to do.For months now,my one daughter wanted her hair short,(:()and I have finally said ok.They both have such beautiful blonde hair and I know it will be painful for me to watch them cut it into a bob,however she is positive that this is what she wants.She is telling everyone that her appointment is thursday.I think they are ready to be total individuals!!
I know they get annoyed when they are always asked...which one are you??
In their classroom,there is also ALOT of parent volunteers,(apple program)so Im sure there would have been alot of confusion!!
Well,I hope she dosent change her mind after Thursday!!!!
Thanks again!!! :)

That is great that one of your twins wanted her hair cut anyways. So it really was her idea, not one your had to ummm. "suggest"!!

Claire LOVES her hair being shorter. Now when we introduce them she tells people they can remember her name is Claire because her hair is cut & "Claire" and "cut" both begin with "C". The adults get a real kick out of that one!! Saige didn't get hers cut so her hair is the same. "Saige" & "Same" both start with "S". Saige really felt she needed to have something to say too!!

It has definitely made it much easier for others to tell them apart, but even more imporant is that it is making them feel like individuals. For a long time they wanted to wear the same colour of clothes, then when I said it was easier for others to have them wear different colours, they insisted on wearing the same outfits, but different colours.

When they were little I would dress them in the same outfits sometimes if we had them given to us (like my parents always gave them matching outfits). However they had 3 older sisters so often wore clothes that were equally cute :), but different styles & colours. When I did buy them new outfits I would buy the same styles, but different colours. So it was interesting when they were old enough to choose their own clothes that even when I was with one & oldest DD was with the other in the store they girls would choose exactly the same outfit!! When they were much younger then they would usually choose "their" colour. But as they have gotten older they choose different colours so the colour method doesn't work anymore. Plus now they like to wear eachother clothes. They totally messed up their dad!! Before their hair was cut he would identify them based on the colour they were wearing. But soon discovered it didn't work anymore so he was ALWAYS getting them mixed up. He'd get angry because Claire wasn't responding to him...well that was because he was talking to Saige!!! He knows what their slight differences are, but he had to be close to them to tell the difference. Claire has a scar in her eye-brow. Saige has a mole above the opposite eye-brow & Claire does not. Also Claire is slightly heavier & taller and bigger boned than Saige. Saige looks a bit like a pixie or fairy because she is slightly more petite. They were 2lbs difference at birth due to Twin to Twin Transfusion syndrome & I am now quite sure their slight differences will remain through-out their lives.

Good Luck in your sweeties going to school!! It is wonderful that they have eachother!! The twins I had in the kindergarten class got along VERY well. They were actually a great influence on the other kids as they were a good model of co-operation. The teacher had major issues with them though. The boys were VERY smart & ultimately were bored. Basically they would get all their work done & had nothing left to do, so they would wander to another student to help them or they would start to talk to eachother, because they were done. Some kids were just learning their letters and these two kids were already able to read!! I really enjoyed my one on one time with them. Little did I know I would be having my own identical twins some day!!

Thanks for the advice Kerri!!
Well,Yesterday was the big day for one of my girls,Violet,to get her hair cut!!!
On the way to the appointment she said she was so excited she just couldnt stand it!!! So it was cut into a cute little bob and we all love it!!! Her sister Juliet told her she looked sooo beautiful and then decided she wanted hers cut too!!! I think I will wait until everyone at school gets to know them a bit better !!LOL!!
I love to dress them in similar outfits but different colors.Most gifts we have Received for them are the same outfits.They do like to dress alike some days,but I have decided a long time ago to let them always pick out their outfits for the day.Sometimes its painful to leave the house with them LOL!! but they are so happy to express themselves, that i have just surrendered to it.Did I mention it can actually be painful!!! LOL!!
eg.We were all going to a really nice brunch for a friend who got married.Lots of people from all over the world came to celebrate.Juliet wore an eye patch from a pirate party we went to with her fancy outfit!! Everyone loved it!!!
oh to be a child!!!!
Well the first day is Tuesday for my girls,and Im sure I will be a weeping mess.I am looking forward to spending lots of one on one with my 14mth old!!
Maybe we will join a play group.
Thanks for all of your suggestions!!!!!
Amber