Life as a multiple! ("Do you guys have telepathy?")

What is it like living as a triplet? This is the first question on everyone’s lips as soon as they find out about a my or another triplet’s “big secret”. After the initial and inevitable “wow”s and jumping up and down, people often have no reservations about prying into the inner workings of our lives.

This might come as a surprise to some people, but to a triplet or other multiple, living with their siblings is really nothing different from another child living with a brother or sister. There are no kinds of special initiation or anything that a triplet has to go through as opposed to another kid.

In other words, multiples literally do not know what life is like without their siblings! Asking a twin or triplet what life is like with their brothers or sisters is the same as a multiple asking someone with no siblings what life is like as a single child.

The only thing that could be considered different about multiples is that they have to share the same birthday. Multiples are all able to get their licenses on the same day, able to drink or buy cigarettes on the same day, and they are all in the same year at school. These inconsequential age-related things unfortunately also come hand in hand with the litany of questions that often occurs with the revelation of the “big news”.

In addition to the question about how their lives differ from single children’s, people are also fond of embarrassing themselves by asking whether or not triplets have superhuman powers. This can include asking if we have telepathy with one another, if we feel each others’ pain, or if we can switch places at will.

It seems that to some people, being born within five minutes or so of our sibling makes us both connected in a supernatural way. I hate to shatter these expectations, but a triplet is about as superhuman as any other person in the world, and our only powers seem to be getting into arguments and fighting with one another. Trust me when I say this; being a multiple really is not a big deal.

Another common question people ask is whether not male and female multiples are identical. In case people haven’t gone through the customary sex education lesson, you should know that people of different genders physically cannot be identical to one another. Identical twins, triplets, and other multiples have the exact same DNA as one another, which is what makes them identical. This includes the same X and Y chromosomes! Please, whatever you do, refrain from asking twins and triplets if they are identical when it is absolutely clear that they are not!

Something that is equally uncomfortable is when people try to decide exactly how alike fraternal twins and triplets look to one another. Let me clarify- staring intently at someone’s facial features, even in the name of seeing which features they share with their sibling, is a very awkward and strange thing to do. Not only does it make everyone involved uncomfortable, it also makes you seem either predatory or just plain strange. It is not cute, it’s not endearing, and it’s definitely not okay.

Finally, despite the hardships that might come along with it, being a multiple has some benefits. For one, being a multiple often gives you a guaranteed group of people who will support you.

Even though I moved schools this year, for instance, I already knew at least two people because my brothers moved here with me. This is one benefit to being a triplet- there are always at least two people who are from the same background and in the same situation as you no matter what it may be.

Another benefit to having siblings your age is that you also have a built-in study group (that is, if you are all in the same subjects. Sometimes parents like mine want to separate people in their classes). If one of you does not understand a subject, a trip to a tutor is just a few feet away… It’s just a matter of convincing your sibling to help you.

To conclude, being a multiple has both benefits and drawbacks. While you have built-in study buddies and a nice story to tell any time someone asks about your family, you also have to face a myriad of annoying or embarrassing questions about you or your siblings’ lives. Even though this experience is unique and sometimes taxing, though, I wouldn’t trade my brothers for the world (no matter how much we might not get along)!