Double the joy, double the cost
You would think that I by now really would understand what it means to have twins, that I get the financial issues and other practicalities, but somehow the simple fact of schoolbooks sucker punched me. The cost of uniforms was a bit shocking as well.
I know I talked about 'big school' and my girls growing up last week in My Girls Are Five post, but the issue of schoolbooks has brought me back to the same point. Somehow I just never realised that my school costs would be double.
Huh? My thought exactly. It's not like I don't know I have twins, but I have never actually bought two of everything for them. They have always shared things, from bedcot to toys. I did buy two of the same of their clothes, but always different colours.
I strongly believe in sharing, not only does it teach you not to take things for granted, but also that you are not automatically entitled to everything you point at. Oooh! That sounds so pretentious and superior. I don't mean to, but as parents we always seem to think that our way is the right or best way.
Getting back to the school books. Somehow it came to me as a surprise that I would have to buy two sets of everything. Sure it makes perfect sense that they each would have to have their own workbook, but I just never realised that I would have to buy the reading books in doubles.
And the cost! You are probably thinking that other parents have more than two kids, but unlike other parents my kids can't inherit older sibling's books or uniforms. I will have to buy doubles from now on to eternity...well, it just feels that way.
Saying all that, the other mums in my kid's class did really wreck their heads trying to figure out if any mum with older kids had books that had not promised their child's book to any other mum. Sadly not, but it is a great effort and a generous practice, one I really appreciate and will make sure to follow next year.
I will only have to bite the bullet, be as thrifty as I can, read my own article on Cutting School Costs and stop complaining about it. It just doesn't make sense to anyone, unless you have twins (there it is again, slightly pretentious and superior).
