Today I am putting on my twin therapist’s hat and would like to talk about THE COUPLE EFFECT which effects so many of my clients young and old.
Being part of a twin group affects twins in a variety of ways. The first way is through language. Not only does it effect the rate of language development, which may also be effected by prematurity, but, particularly in the case of identical twins, they may also develop a private language. This is built up as they reinforce each other’s mistakes. Many twins develop a private shorthand containing words and gestures that convey instant messages to their twin which often remains for the rest of their lives.
The second way is in the allocation of tasks within the group. Each has been allocated their tasks from an early age. The closer the twins are the more likely they are to specialize – for example one twin may be good at making friends, the other may be less confident. Or one may be sporty the other more academic – like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle they need each other to be complete. Read more in TWINS AND THE FAMILY available from my website https://howtohelpachildwithanxiety.co.uk/