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Episode 200 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Show Notes
Today I celebrate the 200th episode of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast by chatting with my identical twin daughters about what it is like being a twin, including answers to these questions:
- How do you feel about being a twin?
- Have you ever been away from your twin for a long period of time?
- Do you consider your twin your best friend?
- Are there any downsides of being a twin?
- Do you like being identical twins?
- What things do you like doing together?
- What do you like to do separately?
- Can you feel your twin’s pain or emotions?
- Do you like it when people ask if you’re twins?
- Why do you feel like you wanted your own room?
- Do you feel like your twin gets more attention than you do?
- What is something that you like that your sister does not like?
- When did you find out that you were a twin?
Transcript
Announcer: Welcome to The Dad’s Guide to Twins podcast. The podcast that’ll help you survive and thrive as a father of twins. Now, here’s your host, the author of the book, The Dad’s Guide to Twins, Joe Rawlinson.
Joe Rawlinson: Hi there and welcome to the 200th episode of the…
Younger Twin: Dad’s Guide to Twins podcast.
Joe Rawlinson: This is Joe Rawlinson combined with the mighty power of my twin daughters, who are on today’s special episode, because it’s a 200th episode.
Younger Twin: Woot, woot.
Older Twin: Oh yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: … of the podcast. So we’re going to share… I’m going to talk to them a little bit later in the show about their experience being twins. And then you, mighty listener, can compare and contrast their different opinions and get a feel for what’s going on inside your twins’ heads as well.
Younger Twin: It’s going to be very interesting.
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Older Twin: Yeah, I agree.
Joe Rawlinson: Today’s show is brought to you by twintshirtcompany.com, where you’ll find dozens of t-shirts designed specifically for dads of twins, moms of twins, and the twins themselves. Girls, what is your favorite shirt that dad has made on twintshirtcompany.com?
Older Twin: I think it is The Lion King shirt. I like that one.
Joe Rawlinson: The Lion King? So you’ve got the two baby lions being held up by Rafiki. Okay. Good.
Younger Twin: My favorite one is basically the first one you did. The father of twins club.
Joe Rawlinson: Darth Vader.
Younger Twin: Yeah. But like the clones with the…
Joe Rawlinson: Yeah. You know dad loves Star Wars. Right?
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Younger Twin: Yeah.
Older Twin: Uh-huh.
Joe Rawlinson: So I do have several shirts that have twin themes that are Star Wars flavored, right?
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: There’s Darth Vader, father of twins.
Younger Twin: Because he loves…
Older Twin: He’s a big fan.
Joe Rawlinson: I’m a big fan. Yeah, that’s right. So girl, speaking of Star Wars, can you identify twins that are in Star Wars movies? Who are the most famous twins in the Star Wars Movies.
(RELATED: Love podcasts? Check out the entire Dad's Guide to Twins Podcast archive for additional twin tips and interviews with twin dads.)
Younger Twin: Oh, Luke and Leia.
Older Twin: Luke and Leia.
Joe Rawlinson: Luke and Leia, very good.
Younger Twin: I was going to say that first, just so you guys know.
Older Twin: No, I was.
Younger Twin: See? We argue.
Joe Rawlinson: That’s how it works. So if we had had boy/girl twins, do you think mom and dad would have named you Luke and Leia?
Younger Twin: No.
Older Twin: No.
Joe Rawlinson: Why not?
Younger Twin: You wouldn’t treat us that badly.
Older Twin: I don’t know. I mean because-
Younger Twin: Then people would bully us.
Older Twin: It would be like a bad impression. And I don’t want to be the boy.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay. That’s true. That’s true. Mom and Dad wouldn’t do that to you.
Younger Twin: Thank you.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay. So we’re going to jump into questions. I’ve interviewed each of my girls independently so they don’t influence each other’s answers. And then we’ll compare and contrast them as we go along. So when I ask these questions, first we’re going to hear from my youngest twin and then the older twin, and we can compare and contrast those answers.
Younger Twin: That’s going to be very interesting to see how it goes.
Joe Rawlinson: It will be very interesting. How do you feel about being a twin?
Younger Twin: Well, I feel kind of lucky, because most people don’t really have twins in life. But it can also be challenging, so it’s bittersweet kind of.
Older Twin: I don’t really know if I was like the only kid what it would be like, so…
Joe Rawlinson: Because you’ve known nothing different, right?
Older Twin: No.
Joe Rawlinson: You’ve always had a sister.
Older Twin: Someone annoying.
Joe Rawlinson: You’ve always had someone annoying. So have you ever been away from your sister for a long period time?
Younger Twin: I think I’ve been away from my sister about a week when she visited our grandparents. So I think that was like the best time of my life.
Joe Rawlinson: The best time of your life.
Younger Twin: Yeah. I think I was a little jealous that she got two minutes in the world without me. But yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Because she was born two minutes before you, right?
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay. So when she was gone, that was the best time of your life?
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: And why was that?
Younger Twin: Because I didn’t have to be a twin sister. I can like be myself.
Joe Rawlinson: You can be yourself.
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay.
Older Twin: I got more freedom. I wouldn’t be getting annoyed since she’s always on my nerves.
Joe Rawlinson: Do you consider your sister, your twin, your best friend?
Younger Twin: Sometimes.
Joe Rawlinson: Sometimes yes, sometimes no?
Younger Twin: Like at school and stuff, but like, yeah, sometimes.
Joe Rawlinson: Sometimes.
Older Twin: Yes and no. Because the yes part is because sometimes she really helps. And the other times, not really. We fight a lot.
Joe Rawlinson: Are there any downsides of being a twin?
Younger Twin: Well, a downside is that we have to share a birthday. And also, like I was saying, we have to share friends. Because sometimes we like the same thing and stuff.
Older Twin: Okay. It’s kind of like Peter Pan’s shadow, but like you. But like it’s actually real, you know. So like you actually tackle them, but they can’t actually like hurt you. Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: So do you like being identical twins?
Younger Twin: Yes and no. I think it’s kind of a yes and no situation because like the glasses can tell us apart easily.
Joe Rawlinson: Your glasses.
Younger Twin: Yeah, our glasses.
Joe Rawlinson: That’s true. You have different style glasses. Do you like being an identical twin?
Older Twin: No. Because everyone asks, “Are you twins?” Or like they ask me what my name is, but that’s the wrong one.
Joe Rawlinson: What things do you like doing together?
Younger Twin: I like sometimes playing together, like at the swimming pool or something.
Older Twin: Talk.
Joe Rawlinson: Talk.
Older Twin: Yeah. That’s usually what we do.
Joe Rawlinson: So what do you like to do separately?
Younger Twin: Go to school.
Joe Rawlinson: Go to school. So you’re in different classes, right?
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Have you always been in different classes?
Younger Twin: Well, we’ve been in different classes since third grade and fourth. But in fifth grade, we had the same class together. But now sixth grade, we’re separate.
Joe Rawlinson: Separate. Which do you like better? Being together or separate?
Younger Twin: Separate.
Joe Rawlinson: Separate. And why is that?
Younger Twin: Because my sister’s annoying.
Joe Rawlinson: Oh, your sister’s annoying.
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay.
Younger Twin: It’s the truth, people.
Older Twin: Have own time to think.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay. Here’s a question people ask a lot about twins. Can you feel your sister’s pain or emotions?
Younger Twin: No. Like, no. But like I have sympathy for her.
Joe Rawlinson: You have sympathy for her.
Younger Twin: Empathy. Whatever you call it.
Joe Rawlinson: You have sympathy and empathy for her?
Younger Twin: Yeah. Because I’ll know, like even though it hasn’t happened to me before-
Joe Rawlinson: You feel like you want to comfort her?
Younger Twin: No, I don’t.
Joe Rawlinson: No.
Older Twin: Not exactly. I mean I can kind of… I feel sorry for her, but not really.
Joe Rawlinson: Do you like it when people ask if you’re twins?
Younger Twin: No, because it’s kind of obvious.
Joe Rawlinson: It’s kind of obvious.
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay. What kind of questions do people ask you because you’re a twin?
Younger Twin: Do you like being a twin? That’s like the only answer I get.
Joe Rawlinson: Do you like being a twin? We’ve talked a little bit about that.
Younger Twin: And let’s go back to one of the questions that I don’t like being a twin, is that people at my school call me whichever twin you are.
Joe Rawlinson: Oh, that’s not nice.
Younger Twin: So like, “Hey twin”.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay. You and your sister share a room and we recently divided your room in half with like a wall of shelves.
Younger Twin: Of course.
Joe Rawlinson: So you feel like you’re in your own space, your own room. Why do you feel like you wanted your own room?
Younger Twin: She’s annoying. And the second one is, we’re growing up and we need space and personal space. And I don’t get that from her if we share like a regular room.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay.
Older Twin: I don’t know. I mean, because we’re always getting each other space or like physically, so it was actually kind of nice that I actually got my own space. So like I could chill in there. I could decorate how I wanted instead of having my sister’s decorations.
Joe Rawlinson: Do you ever feel like your twin gets more attention than you do?
Younger Twin: Of course not. I think I get the most attention.
Joe Rawlinson: Oh, you think you get the most attention?
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay.
Younger Twin: And I’m admitting it.
Joe Rawlinson: You admit that you get the most attention.
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay.
Younger Twin: I think like we both get the same attention.
Joe Rawlinson: Do you ever feel like your twin gets more attention than you?
Older Twin: Always. Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Joe Rawlinson: Always.
Older Twin: Uh-huh.
Joe Rawlinson: What is something that you like that your sister does not like?
Younger Twin: Giraffes.
Joe Rawlinson: Giraffes. You do love giraffes.
Younger Twin: Giraffes are my favorite animal.
Joe Rawlinson: What about when you like food? Is there any food that you like that she doesn’t like?
Younger Twin: She likes shrimp, but I don’t.
Older Twin: Mermaids.
Joe Rawlinson: Mermaids.
Older Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: That’s true. You’re a big mermaid fan.
Older Twin: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Joe Rawlinson: What about food? Any foods that you like to eat that she doesn’t-
Older Twin: Yeah. Sushi. Yes. Sushi, clam chowder, kind of like seafood fan. She doesn’t like that. She’s kind of picky, in my opinion. The last-
Joe Rawlinson: Do you remember learning that you were a twin? When did you find out that you were a twin?
Younger Twin: I guess I always thought that we were like sisters, but I didn’t actually know we were actually twins. But then when her birthday came, I figured out we were twins.
Joe Rawlinson: You figured out you were twins.
Younger Twin: But not when I was like a baby birthday, because I didn’t know then. Like my fifth or sixth birthday.
Joe Rawlinson: Like your sixth birthday.
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay.
Younger Twin: I thought my sister was just joining in the fun because my birthday’s are the best.
Joe Rawlinson: Okay. So eventually you realized, oh we have the same birthday.
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: Hmm. I get it.
Younger Twin: Yeah.
Older Twin: No.
Joe Rawlinson: You’ve always just been a twin.
Older Twin: I think so. I mean-
Joe Rawlinson: So you don’t remember a time when you weren’t a twin, because you’ve always been a twin.
Older Twin: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Joe Rawlinson: And you don’t remember waking up one day and realizing-
Older Twin: I’m a twin!
Joe Rawlinson: She’s not just my sister, she’s my twin.
Older Twin: I think it just came naturally to me. I really don’t know.
Joe Rawlinson: All right guys. Well I hope you enjoyed that chat with my daughters today for the special 200th episode of The Dad’s Guide to Twins podcast. If you want to read the full transcript of this podcast or check out any other podcast episode, go to twindadpodcast.Com. Again, today’s show is brought to you by twintshirtcompany.com, where you’ll find dozens of t-shirts designed specifically for us, parents of twins, and the twins themselves.
Younger Twin: Oh yeah.
Joe Rawlinson: What’s that website again girls?
Younger Twin: Twintshirtcompany.com.
Older Twin: Twintshirtcompany.com.
Joe Rawlinson: All right. Thanks for joining us on the podcast today and we will see you next time.
Younger Twin: Okay. Bye.
Older Twin: Bye.
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