Double trouble: twin behavior problems

So, you were doubly blessed with two little angels, so how is it that you’ve ended up with two little devils on your hands? If double your pleasure has turned into double the trouble, you’re likely experiencing twin behavior problems the proportions of which can be legendary. Take heart, because it’s not uncommon for twins to fight like cats and dogs. Sure, we’ve all heard the stories about simpatico twins that are each other’s best friend, and are practically joined at the hip. They even know when there’s something wrong with the other from thousands of miles away. So how did you end up dealing with Romulus and Remus? Read on for more information on twin behavior problems.

It begins from the moment they open their angelic eyes in the morning until their little horns fall off at night as they drift off to sleep. Fighting is very common amongst the various twin behavior problems you’re likely to experience when raising your kids. Just knowing that it’s not uncommon should give you some measure of comfort, but it can be exhausting to deal with day in and day out. Their need to learn how to quit the squabbling and share, should be dealt with firmly but fairly.

Establishing ground rules early on, and enforcing them is key to getting through this. Sibling rivalry can stem from wanting your attention, explain to one child that they will have your full and undivided attention just as soon as you are through dealing with the other child, and switch off each time so as not to lend the appearance of partiality. When children sense favoritism — whether real or imagined — there can be no end in sight to the bickering in an attempt to get your attention with their twin behavior problems.

Escalation syndrome is another set of circumstances in twin behavior problems that you may encounter with your little angels. This is where twins feed off of one another’s behavior. An example of this would be if one twin cries, the other twin will cry even louder, and then back and forth, back and forth, until you’re the one left wanting to scream and cry the loudest. This can be very frustrating for parents and anyone in their path. It is said that your first line of defense is to separate them. If need be, put them both in time out in different areas where they cannot see each other, perhaps in different rooms. The rule of thumb is; one minute of time out per year of age of the child. Although this is easier said than done, above all try to remain calm throughout their rising frenzies.

Having a dawdler is frustrating enough, but having two dawdlers can be agonizing when you’re trying to get somewhere. This is yet another of the twin behavior problems most parents of multiples experience. Once again, children can feed off of one another’s behavior. Preschoolers are the worst at this. Try to remove any distractions that may be preoccupying them and slowing them down. Their biggest distraction will most likely be each other, so separating them during your attempts to ready yourself for your outing will be your best bet for getting anywhere in a timely fashion. Another huge distraction for any child trying to do anything is the television. Do yourself a favor and turn it off and save your sanity in the process.