SEPARATION IN SCHOOL INFO

SEPARATE IN SCHOOL?

Your twins are starting school and aside from the normal planning involved, you are faced with another big decision. Are you going to keep them in the same classroom or will you separate them in school?

This decision can be a tough one for many parents because generally, there is no clear cut answer. The best advice we can give is to consider the following questions about your twins and the school they will be attending.

• Your twins’ personalities: How old are they? How do they act when separated? Do they get upset when they are without each other? Do they show no reaction when separated from their twin? How do they act when together? Do they play well together? How would they feel about being in the same classroom? How would they feel about being in separate classrooms?
• The school’s principal and policy: What is the school’s experience with separating twins in school versus keeping them together? Check with your school to see if they will allow your twins to be in the same classroom. Many schools have a policy of separating twins, but it may not be in writing. If you feel strongly that this is not in your twins’ best interest, you should speak with the school principal. It is possible that the policy isn’t written, it’s just something they are in a habit of doing and they might be flexible with accommodating your decision.
• The grade setup: How is the school structure set up? Would one of the twins benefit from a particular classroom while the other would not?
• Your twins’ physician: Do they have any insight into this decision?
• Your twins’ teachers: What sort of insight can they provide? What, if any, has been their experience with twins in the past? Check with other teachers in the school system, what has been their experience with twins in the classroom?
• Internet: Search for reliable sources with quality information. You can read everything from personal experiences from mothers of twins to articles and books published by scientists about the subject.

Don’t forget to factor your own instincts into this decision. You know your twins better than anyone else and once your questions are answered, you should be able to choose what’s best for them.

Also, keep in mind, what works for your twins one year might not work the next. You should reevaluate whether to keep them together or separate them before the start of every school ear to ensure the best situation for them. The happier they are, the happier you’ll be too!