The one thing twins almost always share is a birthday (unless they were born on either side of midnight, that is!). Here are some tips on how to make the occasion a happy one.

The first step in achieving birthday celebration harmony is to make a list, with your twins, of possible types of birthday parties you can afford. Some possibilities include:

- a themed birthday party at home (Batman, Princesses, etc)
- a bowling party
- a craft-themed party (such as “plate painting” offered at businesses in some cities)
- a swimming party
- a snow-sliding party
- a nature center party (check out your local parks for programs)
- gymnastics or “jumper” party (available in most cities)

If both agree on the type of party they want, great! If not, you can offer your twins two options. Option 1 is to sit down and agree on one of the options you’ve brainstormed, and they can invite a larger number of people; Option 2 is that they can each have a smaller celebration, maybe with two or three friends instead of five or six, and do their preferred activity with those children (and without the other twin).

Each set of twins is different, and you’ll probably know ahead of time which option your twins will choose. Twin dynamics can change over time, as well, with twins enjoying the same activities and having the same friends for awhile, then diverging when they get older. Listening to your twins’ preferences and honoring them is an important step in making sure they each have a happy birthday.

Birthdays are times when all the attention is supposed to be on the birthday boy or birthday girl. With this in mind, be sure to sing happy birthday to each twin, not just once with both names squished into the song. Let each twin open presents one at a time, and if the party involves both twins, have them take turns leading games or activities.

Parents of twins also usually know how gifts work best with their twins. With boy/girl twins, for example, people tend not to give the twins the same presents. But with same sex twins, identical or almost identical presents are common, and not always played with or appreciated if the twins have vastly different interests. To encourage gifts tailored to your twins’ interests, you can create a “wish list” for each at amazon.com and other online retailers, and list the URLs on invitations.