Learning New Skills– Twins' Developmental Milestones

I type this post as tears fall on the keyboard– our twin boys start kindergarten in two weeks! While we are looking forward to all the exciting growth that will occur this year, I cannot help recalling their baby days. Time is moving quickly– we’ve moved from frequent feedings and diaper changes to a new world of working on reading skills and increasing independence.

The boys, thankfully, are ready and excited to start kindergarten. As part of this month’s preparations, our four kids have helped select their back-to-school sneakers. Our almost-kindergarteners have chosen laced shoes since, as they tell me, they are now ‘big kids.’ Up to this point, they have enjoyed the convenience of Velcro sneakers, a big help to get the family out of the house in a timely fashion!

Kids master many milestones in their early years… drinking from a sippy cup, toilet training, tying shoelaces, reading independently. For families with twins or more, these milestones can sometimes be overwhelming as you are teaching two or more children at the same age (and usually developmental level) the same new skill. The logistics of coaching two kids at once, as well as dealing with inter-twin dynamics (read: hurt feelings when one twin catches on sooner than the other) might lead a parent to buy Velcro sneakers for life! However, once your twins achieve each milestone, their increased independence is well worth the effort.

Our strategy to teach our twins to tie shoelaces is similar to what we’ve done for other milestones: a mix of group time and one-on-one time. Working in our favor is the fact that our twins really look up to their 7 year-old brother; we’re borrowing his terminology for tying shoes (the bunny runs around a tree, jumps into the hole, and gets locked inside with a knot). If your twins do not have older siblings, ask a beloved older cousin, family friend, or neighbor for a demo– such a ‘kid-to-kid’ demo can sometimes be more effective than merely watching a grownup perform the task. Exciting new shoes and lacing shoe books (with actual laces) help, too. Make it fun, and know when to take a break.

As your twins encounter new milestones on their developmental journey, hang in there, be patient, treat each twin as an individual, and soon they will master the new skill du jour.