You may want to use preschool as an opportunity to get your multiples used to being apart from each other, and/or to have some one-on-one time with each of them.
Your basic choices amount to
- Send your multiples to preschool together.
- Send them to different preschools.
- Send them to the same preschool, but on different days.
- Send them to the same preschool, together for one or two days,
and separately on the remaining days.
(This can work well, with the child at school on his or her own enjoying their independence, and the one at home enjoying a little individual attention – something which multiples get all too little of!)
Stressing Your Children’s Individuality
If you feel strongly about it, spell out the fact that you do not want your children referred to as “The Twins”, “Twinnies”, “The Triplets” or any other such titles much hated by many parents of multiples. If you do not say that you want your children called by name, the teacher or other workers may find alternative nicknames “cute”. If the teachers get it right, the other children will follow suit – children learn fast by copying adults!
Dress them differently, or give them different hairstyles, or make it quite easy to tell them apart. Generally avoid name badges or clothing with names emblazoned across the front, as these can make it too easy for a stranger to strike up a conversation, by calling them by their name.
In General:
Dress them in clothes that you won’t mind seeing covered in paint blobs, or glue and glitter – a good playschool or Montessori can be a messy place! Also appreciate their efforts – a few lopsided Halloween bats and crooked Christmas snowflakes have novelty value, but remember you will be getting twice or even three times as many of these as most other mums and dads!