Happy Birthdays

Creating Unique Celebrations for Your Twins

By Teri Brown

Two of a kind doesn't necessarily mean the same especially when you're talking twins! That goes double for birthdays. Just because your children were born on the same day doesn't mean you have to give your child the same birthday gift or even the same party. But how can you make your twins' birthdays unique to each child without doubling the cost or the stress?

Jennifer Vanchoyck, mother of three, including twin 3-year-old girls, from Spencerville, Ohio, believes her daughters' individual interests should dictate the type of party they have, not that they happen to be twins. She already gives them separate cakes, and when they are older, she plans to throw them a double-themed party. "My girls are so completely opposite it is hard to clump them together," she says. "I believe treating them as individuals has really helped them grow, as far as their personality and their interests go."

Though Jamie Gerard and Renee Rubin of The Write Invite, a custom event planning company in Dallas, Texas, believe the individual tastes of each twin should be taken into account when planning their birthday party, their commonalities should be considered as well.

"Taking into account that twins often have very different likes, dislikes, abilities and friends, it is essential that all of those factors be accounted for in party planning for their special birthdays," says Rubin. "Picking a common theme helps pull the party together and can offer different avenues to allow each child to feel special and shine. The themes are endless. But finding a common twist makes the birthdays extra special and unforgettable." (See sidebar for theme ideas.)

"If using one common invitation, verbiage on the invitation can be changed slightly so that the invitation is from one child or the other and can be sent to two separate lists of friends or a group of common friends," says Rubin. "This often alleviates the sense of obligation from the guest to bring two gifts if they are only friendly with one of the siblings."

Want to see more?

• Just Like Me: The Challenges of Being a Preteen Twin
• Dressing Your Doubles: Halloween Costumes for Multiples
• An Expensive Proposition: Raising Twins Without Breaking the Bank
• Talk about it!