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Twins
Hi Michelle,
According to Rober Needlman, MD 'when it comes to birth order, twins are in a special situation. On the one hand, they are spared the tension that is inevitable between siblings. There is no older child to feel angry at being displaced from the special 'baby' position. And there is no younger sibling to feel slower, weaker, less clever and therefore has to work harder. So twin relationships are often close and harmonious.
However, twins are always the same age and very similar in appearance so there are comparisons...in an effort to distinguish one from the other, parents may focus on differences and assign them niches in the family. One might become known as 'the athletic one' while the other becomes 'the intellectual one'. Labels and comparisons force a child to accept (and be limited by) them or to fight against them.
Twins are born team players who share challenges. They learn from eachother's successes and mistakes and sharpen their social skills.
Birth order can still exert a subtle influence if it becomes incorporated into the family mythology ... 'he's been the first to do everything ever since he was born'. The ways in which a family defines itself can have a powerful influence on behavior and perception.
Have you found this to be true?
Nancy
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