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Home › Articles › General › Double the Fun

Double the Fun

Guiding Your Twins Through Puberty

By Teri Brown

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"I am concerned for how puberty will affect my twins' relationship," says Lambert. "They have been very close, and puberty requires more privacy between brothers and sisters. He has taken the information from the puberty talk at school and he just loves to bring it up, especially at inappropriate times."

The Parents' Role
Dr. Unger believes that in either case, it is important for parents to be supportive of both patterns of growth and change. "There should be ample opportunity for supportive discussions, and both children should feel that they can go to their parents privately or otherwise to talk about their concerns," says Dr. Unger. "Parents can also encourage the twins to talk through these differences amongst themselves."

It can also be helpful to acknowledge that there are many stressful feelings that accompany changing bodies and changing responsibilities at home and at school. "During this time in an adolescent's life, it is important to be supportive, accessible and empathetic," says Dr. Unger. "Leave the door open for discussion, and do not be afraid to initiate a discussion about a sensitive topic."

Sometimes when the twins are emotionally close it is difficult for them to admit feeling jealous or resentful about the other. Parents need to give them a safe place to address those feelings.

Make sure the twins have a supportive environment in which to talk about their concerns. It is important adolescents feel they have enough people to talk to about their feelings, whether it's friends, a teacher, parents or a counselor at school. By making privacy and courtesy a priority between twins, puberty doesn't have to be much more stressful for twins than it is for singletons.

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