Pros and Cons of Having Twins

Double trouble. Twice as nice. Two times the charm. You get the picture—when you have twins, a certain lyrical duplicity begins to unfold. The dream of having twins before starting a family is one many people share. They often assume that having two kids at once will fulfill the ideal of a two-child household with just one pregnancy, making life simpler and easier. In many ways, this preconceived notion is correct. However, having twins isn’t as easy as it looks. This list, compiled by an author with twins, will help you understand the pros and cons of having twins.

Pros of Having Twins

Let’s start with the good stuff. Twins are a bonus in many ways. Surprisingly, many of the benefits of having twins aren’t what you might automatically assume. Here we go:

1. If you dream of two children, twins mean you get two kids with one pregnancy. Believe it or not, many men and women do not particularly enjoy being pregnant. Twins offer the ultimate two-for-one deal!
2. Everybody wants to help you (this can be a con as well). When you bring home two babies, you can expect not to wash a dish or do any laundry for at least seven weeks. You probably won’t have to worry about cooking meals or buying diapers, either. People are very generous with their time and efforts to help mothers of twins.
3. You won’t need to buy two of everything like you might think. In fact, you can navigate babyhood and the toddler years by purchasing a variety of single toys. If you had two separate kids, you would need to buy toys and accessories again.
4. The children learn to handle sibling rivalry right from the beginning, meaning that when they hit their teenage years, it’s less of an issue. They already know how to resent their parents!
5. They get to go to school together. This is a significant relief for parents. Knowing that your child has their sibling nearby makes it much easier to let them go to school (or anywhere else).
6. You only have to go through the challenging phases of parenting once. Sure, it may be more difficult because you’re dealing with colic, nighttime feedings, etc., times two, but at least you won’t have to go through them in yearly succession. Once teething is over, it’s OVER.
7. Having twin kids the same age simplifies many aspects of life.
8. Twins use each other as playmates. They don’t rely on or expect Mom to sit on the floor and play blocks, Barbies, or race cars for hours. In fact, they prefer to play together, so you don’t have to arrange playdates.

And of course, here are the cons of having twins!

1. Expensive. It’s already costly to have one baby, but having two at the same time means everything costs twice as much. Twins can significantly impact your finances, and as they grow, you’ll face every expense in twos!
2. While twins may have a built-in playmate, this ‘playmate’ doesn’t go home. Parents have to endure quite a bit of bickering and arguing, which can be annoying.
3. With twins, you’re so busy caring for them that you often don’t take the time to relax and enjoy those years. If you don’t have any more kids, you can’t make up for the missed moments with a second child. The mistakes or missed opportunities are gone forever.
4. People—many of whom are complete strangers—will give you too much attention, which can become overwhelming. When all you want to do is grocery shop, it can be frustrating to have every passerby stop to ask questions.
5. When one twin gets sick, the other often does too, making it even more challenging to care for your sick children.
6. You never get time alone with one child.
7. Moms of twins often feel a lot of guilt about everything.
8. There’s never a second chance to rectify a parenting mistake. What’s done is done!
9. The house empties all at once. When one twin goes to school, so does the other. This can be both a pro and a con, but it’s difficult nonetheless.

The important thing to realize is that no matter how much you want to have twins, there is no surefire way to ensure it happens! This is often left to fate. Most people who have twins find out they are pregnant with multiples and nearly fall down from the shock. Today, your chances of having twins without fertility treatments are about 1 in 4. If you are older than 35, your chances increase. However, be careful what you wish for. While twins are fun and exciting, they are also challenging and stressful. There are pros and cons to every situation in life, even when it comes to having twins.