ABSTRACT
Twin-attachment begins at birth and is shared throughout the lifetime. The twin-attachment and the developmental changes that occur as twins age are greatly impacted by parenting. When parents are distant, twins will turn to one another for support and become parent figures for one another. A lack of twin–parent attachment is absolutely detrimental to each twin’s well-being as they grow and develop. When one twin is favored, alliances between twin and parent against the unfavored twin can cause serious problems in the family that are almost impossible to repair. Twin-attachment deepens and develops on a moment-by-moment basis depending on environmental stability, activities that are shared, and opportunities for expansiveness and individuality. This chapter identifies eight developmental milestones that span the lifetime of twin relationships. Real-life experiences from twin contributors are used to illustrate these milestones. Each developmental milestone presents specific challenges for the twin relationship.
