Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a twin? It’s a question that many people, including me, have thought about. In my family, I have two sisters who are twins, Nicole and Heather. They look so much alike that people often mix them up! They have some funny stories from when they were growing up. For example, one time at school, a teacher didn’t know Heather had a twin. The teacher kept seeing Heather on the playground and was amazed at how fast she seemed to move around. It turned out she was seeing Nicole, not Heather!
Being a twin can be a bit tricky sometimes. My sister Heather said it was annoying when people treated her and Nicole like they were the same person. People would mix up their names and say, “Oh, you’re just the same person.” But they are two different people with their own personalities. Nicole also mentioned that people sometimes felt shy because they couldn’t tell them apart, which made them avoid talking to her. She wishes people would just come up and chat without worrying about mixing them up.
But being a twin isn’t all bad! Nicole shared that she loves having a twin because Heather is one of her best friends. They always had someone to play with and talk to. They were never lonely because they were always together. Nicole even wonders what it’s like for people who aren’t twins, like me or maybe like you. She thinks it might be a bit lonelier without a twin.
Did you know there are different kinds of twins? My sisters are identical twins, which means they look very similar. But there’s another type called non-identical or fraternal twins. These twins don’t look exactly alike. For example, if you see twins where one is a boy and one is a girl, they are always non-identical twins. They share the same birthday but don’t look the same. There can also be non-identical twins of the same gender who don’t look alike.
Thanks for exploring the world of twins with me! There are so many interesting things to learn about. If you have more questions, keep asking and stay curious. There are mysteries all around us, and learning is a fun adventure!
Twins Observation Journal: Start a “Twins Observation Journal” where you can write down or draw pictures of any twins you know or see in your community or on TV. Note down things like how they look, if they dress the same, and if you notice any differences in their personalities. Share your journal with your class and discuss what you found interesting about the twins you observed.
Role-Playing Activity: Pair up with a classmate and pretend to be twins for a day. Think about how you would introduce yourselves to others and what you would say if someone mixed you up. Discuss how it feels to be treated as a twin and how you can show your unique personality. Share your experiences with the class and talk about what you learned from pretending to be a twin.
Interview a Twin: If you know any twins, ask if you can interview them with the help of a parent or teacher. Prepare questions like “What do you like most about being a twin?” or “What is something challenging about being a twin?” Record their answers and share them with your classmates. This will help you understand more about the life of twins and how they feel about their special bond.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone ringing) – Hi, Doug. – Hi, Juliette! – I have a question for you. What is it like to be a twin? – That’s a great question. It’s something I wondered about a lot when I was young. As you can see from this family photo of me and my siblings, two of my sisters are twins! That’s Nicole, and that’s Heather. They look so similar that people who don’t know them very well often get them confused. They have some funny stories from when they were growing up. For example, they were usually placed in different classes at school, and one time, a new teacher didn’t know that Heather had a twin. Every time they went out for recess, the teacher would see Heather run off to the playground, but then, almost immediately, she would see Heather again. The teacher asked, “Heather, how do you move around so fast? I could’ve sworn you just ran off in the other direction a second ago.” Finally, one of Heather’s friends explained, “That’s not Heather, that’s her twin sister, Nicole.” People would also ask them funny questions, like, “How do you tell each other apart?” That always made me laugh. They are different people, after all. Or my favorite, “If one of you gets hurt, does the other one feel it?” (chuckles) No, it doesn’t work like that. These are amusing stories my twin sisters have shared with me, but I really have no idea what it’s like to be a twin since I’m not one. So, I decided to call my sisters Nicole and Heather to ask them about their experience. But before I share that with you, I’m curious—what do you think it would be like to have a twin? Share your thoughts with someone nearby. Now is a good time to pause the video.
Okay, you ready? When I asked my twin sisters what it’s like to be a twin, they had some interesting insights. For both of them, there are some things they find a little frustrating. Here’s my sister Heather, in her own words. – [Heather] One thing that annoyed me when I was younger was that people would see us as the same person and treat us like we were the same person. Sometimes people would joke about it, saying, “Haha, you’re the same person,” or if they mixed up my name and called me Nicole, they’d say, “Oh, no big deal, you’re just the same person.” That was annoying because we’re two different people. – [Doug] Her twin, my sister Nicole, had similar thoughts. Here’s what she said. – [Nicole] Often, twins are made to dress alike. People assumed we were just the same person, and that was frustrating because people would treat you like you were the same being and not separate beings. – [Doug] But then, Nicole shared something I’ve never heard her say before. – [Nicole] Another thing is that people get shy; they couldn’t tell the difference, and it would make them not want to interact with me sometimes because they didn’t know who they were talking to and were embarrassed to ask. – [Doug] Wow, so one experience that some twins have is that some people might feel too shy or embarrassed to tell them apart, and so they just avoid them. My sister Nicole wishes people wouldn’t worry so much about that and would just come up and talk to her.
But being a twin isn’t all bad. There are things my twin sisters told me they really love about it. Here’s Nicole. – [Nicole] When I was younger, it could be frustrating to be a twin because you constantly have to share everything. But now, I love being a twin. She’s one of my best friends; she knows me better than anyone else. I always had a playmate, someone to hang out with and talk to. We were never apart; we were always together. – [Doug] Nicole even said something that surprised me. She wonders about people who aren’t twins, like me or maybe like you. – [Nicole] To me, maybe it’s lonelier to not be a twin. – [Doug] From her perspective, she wonders what it’s like to not be a twin. Being a twin is all she’s ever known. Wow, I hadn’t thought of that.
It’s funny because even though I’m not a twin, being their younger brother, I’ve known their faces my whole life, and I’m one of the few people who can tell them apart, even in baby photos. See, that one’s Nicole, that one’s Heather. We found out recently that even using Face ID on their phones, their phones can’t tell them apart. Heather can unlock Nicole’s phone with her face, and vice versa. My sisters Nicole and Heather are identical twins, which means they look so similar that most people have trouble telling them apart. But that’s not the only kind of twin. Being a twin just means you were born from the same mom on the same day. You share a birthday. There’s a second kind of twins where the two don’t look very similar. These are called non-identical twins, or sometimes fraternal twins. For example, if you see twins where one is a boy and one is a girl, those are always non-identical twins. They share the same birthday, but their bodies and faces are not identical. There are also non-identical twins of the same gender. If you meet two sisters born on the same day from the same mother but who don’t look exactly alike, chances are, they’re fraternal twins, not identical twins.
That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Juliette, for asking it. Now, for the next episode, I picked out three questions sent to me that I’m thinking about answering next. When this video is done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: how are toys invented? How do trees make oxygen? Or how do taste buds work? So submit your vote when the video’s over. I want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week.
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