As a parent of multiples, there are a ton of decisions you're going to make over your first years together.
Some are easy, like who will make less of a big deal about not getting the exact blue cup that is most coveted in the cupboard.
Some are difficult, like whether to separate them into their own bedrooms or keep them in a shared room as they grow up.
One of those tough decisions will be whether you want them in the same class throughout elementary school or whether you want them to be separated into different classes.
The decision to separate your twins (or not) will be different for every family and for every set of twins.
Some say it's better to keep them together. Keeping your twins together for the early years of elementary school allows them to have their counterpart by their side, should things get too scary.
But, sometimes, things being scary is good and can encourage your little ones to come out of their shell.
After all, they're twins, which is easy to remember because they're kind of a package deal. But it's just as important to remember that they're also siblings, meaning they're each their own individual people.
Up until the point at which they start their school careers, being a package deal might be all your twins have known.
Why should you consider separating your twins for school
Sometimes, being together all of the time can make twins rely on one another. Some twins get into the habit of taking their cues from each other. Some twins will even answer questions on their siblings' behalf.
But twins, whether they're fraternal or identical, are still different people who will grow up to have different interests and different strengths.
Separating your twins could very well be the best decision for their growth and development because it allows them to have their own experience, hone skills on their own, and make their own friends.
Your twins will still get to spend time together during recess if they want and after school—it's not like they'll never see each other again if they're put into different classrooms.
I'm a mother of twins who will soon be registering her twins for preschool, so as this school year is beginning, I'm thinking back to my elementary experience and how that impacted me because I'm also a twin myself.
My parents decided to keep us together for Kindergarten, which I was happy with because school is a new and scary place. It was nice to have my twin brother with me as we faced a new milestone and entered a new environment together.
After Kindergarten, we were in separate classes throughout most of our childhood, except for the two years when we were in the same class again by my mom's request. This was because she'd caught wind that one of the two teachers for those two grade levels was—to put it tactfully—less than ideal, according to our older siblings.
Every year, when we went to meet our teacher(s) for the upcoming year, the conversation went the same way. My mom would introduce herself, and my brother and me, and then one of the first things she'd say was, "They're twins."
And I'd sigh because it wasn't the only thing I thought was important to know about me.
Now, as a mother to my own set of twins, I can appreciate why my mom always brought that fact to my teachers' attention. It wasn't about singling me out as a twin; it was about making sure educators watched for our individual differences, even if we might have looked or sounded the same.
It was about making sure our individuality wasn't forgotten and making sure we always had our chance to be independent and grow our own skills on our own schedule.
If you go this route, keep in mind, different classes come with different teachers and different expectations, so if one twin has a more difficult teacher or butts heads with their approach to teaching, this could impact how one twin does or how they feel about going to school.
Why should you consider keeping your twins together for school
Depending on your twins' personalities, they may focus better during class if they're kept together; this might be your decision if you know your twins will just be worried about where their counterpart is or what they're up to without them.
Sometimes, the best decision is to keep your twins together, and you, as their parent, will know what's best for them.
Some school divisions have policies in place to put twins into separate classes, so if this is the case where you are, you'll need to advocate for what's best for your twins and their educational experience.
And, who knows, you may discover that your twins branch out on their own to make new friends, even if they're kept in the same class because they might be drawn to a kindred spirit.
Just because you're choosing to keep your twins together doesn't automatically mean they won't make an effort to make new friends.
Together or separate, celebrate their individuality
Whatever you decide in the end, you'll be able to monitor how your twins are doing throughout the year and can decide to change things up the following year if things don't work out as you'd anticipated.
Through my own combined experience of being a twin and now a mother of twins, I've realized it's incredibly important to celebrate everybody's differences, embrace their individual interests, and let them lead the way as they flourish and grow—together or apart.
Did you decide to keep your twins together throughout school, or did you have them put in separate classes? Let us know in the Comments section below or connect with us on Instagram to share your thoughts!
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