Parents of twins or other multiples have a lot to deal with – between fending off annoying questions from the well-meaning but curious ("Are those triplets? Did you use drugs?" from random strangers) to the very real issues of parenting two or more little people who are the same age but otherwise distinctly different people.
One big issue is the idea of mandatory separation in schools. Many districts require that multiples be in separate classes, as a way to reinforce their individuality and reduce the "exotic" factor that still comes with twins and can distract everybody.
However, there are lots of parents who are not too into the idea. Many of them say that theirs kids have never been separated, and that the strong bond they have makes them happier in school and should be honored. A New York mother, Kathy Dolan, founded the website TwinsLaw.com in 2006 after fighting to keep her own twins together in school. They've worked in 15 states for legislation to allow parents, not school administrators or teachers, to have the final say about whether their children are kept together or apart. Massachusetts is the latest to weigh legislation, and laws have been passed in Minnesota, Texas, Georgia and New Hampshire.
This article from the Boulder Daily Camera discusses the issue in a rather more balanced way. Some kids love being with their sibs,while some were thrilled to make their own friends.
My college roommate has triplets, and reports that now that the kids are 10 and in fourth grade everybody at their school has kind of gotten over" the triplets factor sand they are able to just be who they are instead of being "one of the triplets." All three kids have been in different classes year to year.
Do you have multiples? Would you like them to be together in school or apart?
