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Happy Birthdays

Creating Unique Celebrations for Your Twins

By Teri Brown

, suggests trying to pick unique gifts that relate to where each child is in his or her life. "That shifts the focus on how much is spent and on to how well you know your child's passions," says DeBroff.

DeBroff doesn't believe that you have to spend a lot of money to give your twins a special birthday that is individualized. "Unless you have boy/girl twins or twins in different schools, most parents will throw one party for both children," says DeBroff. "It's just too hard and not economical to do otherwise. Plus twins will always have some set of overlapping friends or cousins to invite."

One thing you can do to keep the birthdays reasonably priced is to have a themed party in your home or at a park. Taking a bunch of children to the ice rink, swimming pool or gym can get very expensive.

Parents of different sex twins, however, may find that they'll want their own parties. "Most boy/girl twins start out with a combined party ... often with two competing themes that capture their personalities, but will quickly vote for separate celebrations around third grade," says DeBroff. "This is when the boys and girls split into separate birthday camps and rarely socialize together."

To keep down costs if this is the case, DeBroff suggests holding two smaller, more intimate parties for each child. "You could even plan a separate special play date at your house, such as a tea party for girls or a bake-your-own clay pot party as a 'private birthday celebration' with a few close friends of one twin and then do the same for the other," says DeBroff. Older children may go for birthdays at the park and semi-athletic outings like bowling, soccer, swimming or roller-skating.

Dollar stores offer excellent opportunities for fun and cost-effective party favors. Plus, the twins will love roaming the aisles and selecting different items. Remember to be clear on their budget, or you could walk away with much more than you planned for!

But no matter what type of celebration you plan, one of the most important things you can do is spend time with each twin. "I have three children under 3, so it's hard to spend time alone with them on a day-to-day basis," she says. "I think that's what makes it so special to do so on their birthdays." This one-on-one time may be the best birthday gift of all.

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!

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