A few weeks ago I spoke about parenting twins to a small staff of speech and language pathologists who treat children at a private clinic. In thinking about their client population, most of the staff had treated only one twin, not both. I marveled that perhaps each twin had a separate experience that afforded her/him a respite from being identified solely as a twin. One staff member asked me if I felt that parenting awareness about twin challenges has changed […]
Tag Archives: parenting
One-on-One Time—Helping Multiples Create a Singular Identity
Sam, a bright young man in his early thirties, came to see me because he felt abandoned by his identical twin brother Ryan. My patient was distraught because Ryan had changed so drastically since he started to see a psychotherapist. Sam had believed unequivocally that he and Ryan were destined to work together as singers, actors, and performers. Sam had organized his entire professional life on the assumption that he and his brother would be an artistic collaborative team. However, […]
Asociación Madrileña de Partos Múltiples
I had a terrific turnout for my recent presentation in Madrid, largely due to AMAPAMU’s vitality and largesse. With a membership totaling six thousand families, the association commands a tremendous presence in Madrid. Much of the association’s success is due to the hardworking efforts of its dedicated volunteers and to the association president’s leadership. President Lucila Menendez’s unwavering optimism and creative vision has helped the organization become the major resource in Madrid for families raising multiples. The number of fathers […]
Stop and Smell the Roses
I recently came across this quote that resonated with the blog that I wrote last month about parents of twins feeling overwhelmed times two. Psychoanalyst Dr. Steven Mitchell, on p. 147 of his book Hope and Dread in Psychoanalysis (Basic Books, 1993), wrote these words: When my older daughter was about two or so, I remember my excitement at the prospect of taking walks with her, given her new ambulatory skills and her intense interest in being outdoors. However, I […]
Call Me Old Fashioned
Having grown up in the nondigital era, I am still coming to terms with living in a world where no one wants or values privacy. The video clip of the reunion of the ten-year-old Chinese twins separated at birth that recently aired on the Today show seemed like an exploitative invasion of and impingement on a life-altering experience that should have been privately celebrated by these vulnerable young girls. While I do understand the excitement of unexpectedly discovering the twins’ […]