Being a grandparent to twins

Cathy, 62, is a very proud grandma to eight-year-old boy/girl twins. Her son and his partner live in Kent, around an hour away, and Cathy has been looking after the twins once a week since they were just two years old.

The twins are both clever, strong-willed and incredibly close. As soon as school finishes, they make a beeline for each other, and they get a huge amount of confidence from having their twin by their side. For several years, they weren’t particularly interested in making friends because they had everything they needed in each other. Now they’re getting older, that’s beginning to change.

Life with twins is certainly never dull. The pair are incredibly competitive and have a strong sense of fairness - everything has to be exactly the same. They can find something to argue about almost anywhere: who gets to sit in the front of the car, who sits next to their baby cousin or even which Playmobil character they want.

Cathy has a box containing around 500 Playmobil pieces, but somehow, there’s always one particular item they both want. Whether it’s a high chair or a tiny dog lead, the battle for the coveted piece is almost guaranteed!

Away from the squabbles, Cathy and the twins have lots of fun together. They love cycling, crafting, cooking and exploring the countryside, and they’ve even been on holiday to Jamaica together when the twins were four.

Cathy affectionately calls them ‘the Krays’ - and admits they certainly keep her on her toes. But underneath all the chaos, competition and occasional arguments, there’s a very special bond.

Being a grandparent to twins can be hard work. It can be expensive, exhausting and twice as busy, but for Cathy, the rewards far outweigh the challenges.

She adores them both and wouldn’t change a thing.