Raising Twins: What Parents Want to Know (and What Twins Want to Tell Them)

With twin and multiple births ""skyrocketing"" (the number of twin births in the U.S. rose 52 % from 1980 to 1997, according to the authors), this unusual parenting guide is timely. Much of the parenting literature on twins concentrates on pregnancy and infancy, but Pearlman, a twin herself as well as a family therapist, and coauthor Ganon (Twins!) have expanded the discussion of twinship to cover the early school years and adolescence. While some of the text also applies to the development of ""singletons,"" the authors emphasize characteristics specific to twins, such as the ""secret language"" twins often share and how their unique bond begins. They also urge parents to help twins establish and maintain separate identities, advising against dressing twins alike and encouraging parents to spend time alone with each child. School issues--for instance, whether to keep twins in the same class--are also discussed. Candid interviews with twins of various ages are interspersed throughout. This will be a useful resource for parents who want to look beyond infancy at the singular experience of raising twins from birth to early adulthood. (Apr.)