The relationship between twins: first games, first rivalries and first cuddles!
With six months, a splendid period of development begins for the twins , who begin to discover each other a little more every day, begin to relate and make progress together. The unconscious perception of each other has existed since birth, perhaps even earlier, but now a new phase of all-round discovery begins.
From now on the surrounding world always passes through the twin , of which they observe behaviors and reactions, with which they learn to discover and experiment, receiving many stimuli, but also dispersing energy and concentration.
It is the beauty and the peculiarity of the growth process of the twins, who first develop the concept of “we” and then of the “I”.
The twins now touch each other, follow each other with their eyes, imitate each other, respond to babbling, grasp the same games and then try to steal them from each other, sometimes show jealousy when they see the parent’s hands busy looking after their brother, laugh at the first tumbles of the more daring twin , who first experiences some vicissitudes, and try to imitate him immediately afterwards.
My experience
In my experience, with twin boys and girls , it was fascinating to observe different ways of discovering and approaching each other.
Davide, in all respects a boy, always full of impetus and energy, soon began to stretch out his little hands towards his little sister, trying to grab her ears or put his fingers in her eyes or in her mouth, discovering through Giulia’s physicality that own , remaining a little surprised and a little amused to see her cripple or cry out in annoyance. Giulia, on the other hand, has always had a delicate touch towards her little brother, tracing her features with her light little finger, especially attracted by the little teeth that Davide put in two months before her.
Then, unknowingly, Davide acted as a forerunner for Giulia in the first sketches of crawling : she physically smaller, observed her movements for a long time, trying several times to assume the same positions, getting angry at not being able to coordinate arms and legs, inventing movements several to reach him, crawling very fast on his belly, until almost three weeks later he took his first steps on all fours behind his brother. So she, in the climb to the sofa and in the ascent of the steps, she making an effort to imitate and gradually becoming more free in her movements, almost then surpassing him in the sketch of the first steps by little hand.
Davide, on the other hand, had Giulia as a teacher in learning how to turn on musical games, remote controls and mobile phones . Ever more patient, with meticulousness and perseverance, she was the first to learn to recognize power buttons and operating mechanisms, revealing to her brother how to activate the games without necessarily slamming them violently on the ground.
They have alternated periods of clear competition with others of splendid complicity . Around nine months they forced me to “make biceps”, both absolutely needing to be held continuously, always together, competing for who could attract more attention. At other times, around the year, they started playing with each other almost ignoring my calls. Always moments of short duration, but gradually more frequent during the day.
In some periods they have shown interest in the same toys, jerking and shouting to claim ownership of each one, in others, they have shown different attitudes, with Giulia more attracted by puppets, dolls and musical games and Davide by … drain pipes, mops and slippers …
But seeing them following each other with their eyes, laughing at each other, smiling at each other or calling each other with yells and expressing irrepressible joy in crossing the gaze of others in the morning as soon as they wake up or after a few hours of separation, are unique events that excite and recharge .
… to be continued…
It is difficult to predict how they will grow; difficult to try as a parent to balance jealousy and brotherly love , alternating moments of relationship with two mother-son and moments of relationship with three mother-twins; It is difficult to always share one’s time and energies , but the certainty of having started a special relationship is extraordinarily satisfying.
They are the first to teach you all the rest , unable to speak, but exceptional in enchanting you with their gaze and in making themselves understood with different modulations of crying, with little screams and giggles that express more than a thousand words and that reveal little big emotions of which we parents become absolutely and unconditionally addicted!
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.