Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Parents Of Twins Share Tips For Not Mixing Up Their Babies

How do people tell their baby twins apart? Parents have many strategies. Some of them are pretty funny.


laughingjackals98 asked: Parents of twins, how did you make sure you didn't mix your kids up when they were babies and if you did how did you figure out which was which?

Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.

ID bracelets.

Giphy

My parents made a little purple bracelet that said my name on it and a pink one for my sister until they could tell the difference without it. Sometimes I wonder if the bracelets ever got switched by mistake though...

tmsdnr

This just made me realize that humans can't be identified like a car or anything with a serial number. People don't have bar codes and stuff.

I think I may be really dumb

etheran123

DNA, fingerprints?

MiFengNoMai

Identical twins have identical DNA. Also I can't imagine parents taking fingerprints from their babies when they're born, so I doubt that would work in these scenarios.

sleepyseaslug

Size matters, but so does personality.

When my identical Daughters where still in hospital they wore hospital tags. When we finally got them out of ICU, we were carefully monitoring their weight by weighing them daily. they had a 200g difference in weight consistently for the first many months, (which is fairly significant when you arent much over 1kg) so we always knew.

After the first few months we just knew them, and it has never been hard for my wife or myself to tell them apart, despite being able to confuse most people with ease. The most obvious physical difference we know of is that the one's earlobe is shaped slightly differently, but their personalities are very distinct.

Kyratic

I know of several twins who have anxiety about the possibility of being 'the fat twin'. Now I kind of hope they never read this someday, and realize that you could mainly tell them apart in their infancy because one of them was definitely 'the fat twin.'

garbagecompressor

This should be obvious.

Giphy

My friend has boy/girl twins. She still gets asked how she tells them apart. Ummmmm.....

marythelpc

"Well this one has a small freckle near her ear, and this one has a penis."

robhawt

"This one will have breasts in about 15 years"

MysteriousPlatypus

"And so will the other."

"You gotta stop feeding them junk food, Fran."

stratosfearinggas

Sometimes mothers always know... or do they?

I'm a preschool teacher. One year, I had 3 pairs of twins in the same class, but only one pair was identical. One of the boys was named Drew, so his mother usually dressed him in blue. "Drew wears blue." His twin wore any other color, but most often red. I was grateful as I could not tell them apart otherwise.

I asked their mother how she told them apart. "They just look different to me."

Mysid

This would take one heck of a steady hand. They're tiny!

My boss had twins, and when they were born, she painted their toenails different colors so she could tell them apart.

carly-rae_sremmurd

Baby toenails are f*cking tiny. I'm impressed she could even do that successfully.

to_the_tenth_power

When everything is identical, even the clothes, it gets confusing.

Giphy

Aunt of twins here. Babysat them once when they were newborns. My sister brings them over and I had to ask her which twin was which. Keeping Baby A on the left of the living area and Baby B on the right, I had to figure out how to tell them apart because my sister dressed them the exact same, packed the exact same blankets, extra clothes, socks, burp clothes, etc. (evil witch)...I immediately went into panic mode. BUT then I realized I did have a way to tell them apart. I used nail polish to mark X's on their socks. Blue for Baby A and Orange for Baby B (then I wrote it down in case I forgot LOL).

redink85

I feel like parents of multiples are playing on hard anyway, but why do so many whack the difficulty up to insane by putting the infants in matching clothes?

It's cute, but surely it causes some headaches? It's probably easier once they can talk properly though

ChrissiTea

Ohhhkay then.

My parents circumcised me, but not my twin.

Toggafasi

Do you have strong opinions about that now?

Merry_Pippins

A bit jealous of my twin. I wouldn't have chosen to be circumcised given the option, but my parents did their best..

My personal belief is the decision shouldn't have been made for me without medical necessity. Like I shower once or twice a day so it's no benefit because to be circumcised all it would have been is an additional thing to wash.

Toggafasi

What birthmark?

My brothers are identical twins but one of them had the consideration to be born with a bright red, circular birthmark in the middle of his forehead. Very handy.

But I could always tell them apart anyway, even when the mark was covered. They look different to me and always did. Mom used to get me to tell her which was which in pictures where you couldn't see the birthmark.

Katt7594

This parent avoided the problem entirely.

Giphy

I gave them both the same name so it never mattered.

kirkyesshatnerno

This guy twins.

workedSilly

Why not?

My parents just said whomever started responding to the name they said, that was the kid whose name it was. Hell I could have originally been my brothers name.

Therahl1

That's so chill. Love it.

wheresmypurplekitten

More from Trending

Country music chaos hit new heights when Zach Bryan climbed a barbed-wire fence to confront Gavin Adcock.
Joshua Applegate/Getty Images; Lorne Thomson/Redferns via Getty Images

Zach Bryan Confronts Rival

Country music’s latest feud has nothing to do with chart positions or CMA trophies—it’s Zach Bryan channeling his inner WWE stuntman on a barbed-wire fence while Gavin Adcock filmed the whole thing like Nashville’s messiest social media troll.

The spectacle went down at Oklahoma’s Born & Raised Festival when Bryan, hometown hero of Oologah, crashed Gabriella Rose’s set and couldn’t resist spitting out some live-mic shade:

Keep ReadingShow less
Frankie Muniz
Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images

Frankie Muniz Reveals He Turned Down Hosting 'SNL' As A Kid For A Chance To Meet His Celebrity Crush

During awards season each year, it feels like all of the big-name actors have to be in a thousand places at once. From accepting awards to walking the red carpet to presenting awards to their colleagues, there's no end to the obligations, fun, and excitement.

But sometimes, obligations might overlap—and actors might have to make a tough choice about which event to attend. For Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz, his tough choice came back in 2000, and he wrestled with it for the most adorable reason.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlie Kirk
Benjamin Hanson/Middle East Images via AFP/Getty Images

New York Newspaper Apologizes For Running Charlie Kirk Cartoon After It Sparks GOP Calls For Boycott

Newsday, a paper based out of Long Island, apologized amid calls from GOP leaders for a boycott after publishing a cartoon by former Pulitzer finalist Chip Bok about the murder of far-right-activist Charlie Kirk.

The cartoon depicts an empty chair with blood spattered above it, with an arrow linking the words “Turning Point USA”—Kirk’s organization—to the chair.

Keep ReadingShow less
Malcom-Jamal Warner
FOX via Getty Images

Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Widow Breaks Her Silence With Poignant Message On Their Anniversary

It was just a couple months ago that many mourned the sudden death of Malcom-Jamal Warner after his accidental drowning on a beach in Costa Rica.

Warner rose to fame in The Cosby Show, entering the hearts of millions. Recently his widow, Tenisha Warner, revealed the tribute his family will be making to honor his legacy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Britt Lower
Monica Schipper/WireImage

Eagle-Eyed Fans Notice Subtle 'Severance' Nod Written On Back Of Star's Emmys Speech

Actor Britt Lower had one of the biggest moments of the night at Sunday's Emmys with her big win for Apple TV's Severance, but the real moment for fans was blink-and-you-miss-it.

Lower won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the show, and during her speech she did the usual rounds of "thank yous" for her family, friends, and colleagues.

Keep ReadingShow less