Anonymous
11/03/2025 13:27
Subject: Re:Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
OP, you remind me of my coworker. She is single and has been for many years. Every time there is a company event that involves spouses or significant others, she throws a tantrum. She boycots the event and lets everyone know how insensitive it is to invite SOs to company things. Out of 20 people in my immediate group, she is the only one who is single.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 13:23
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
Anonymous wrote:This is honestly just a PSA for anyone involved in planning spirit week themes for schools. Any school.
Please don't do twin day. It is the worst. There is no way for it not to be terrible, I know because I've seen several efforts to make it less terrible, and it doesn't matter. It's still bad. It is especially bad for younger kids (because they need a lot of help from parents to execute it) but it also creates problems for 4th and 5th graders sometimes too.
Best case scenario, your kid has a bestie or besties AND they can either coordinate on their own or the parents are able to coordinate AND no one gets sick or forgets.
In reality, some kids struggle to find a "twin", there are sometimes arguments over what to wear, it turns out one of the kids doesn't have a matching item so they either need their parent to purchase/borrow it last minute or find another twin or convince their twin to do something else or whatever. I have had years where teachers have assigned "twins" to kids in an effort to ensure no one gets left out. This still doesn't work because not all parents get the memo, kids override the assignments, etc. And there are always kids who forget or don't show up.
Do anything else. Mismatch day, pajama day, plaid day, black out day, white out day, silly hair day, whatever. Just not twin day. Please. It takes too much coordination and results in too much disappointment and hurt feelings over absolutely nothing.
I absolutely agree. "Twin day" should be called "Excluded day". It should be stopped.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 13:20
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
No to Twin Day, or Triplet Day, or any day that promotes a cliquish group
Anonymous
11/03/2025 13:16
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
The moms who come up with these ideas are the ones who never had an issue with any of these days growing up. Its good to let people know when something isn't inclusive, because some people just never think about it because they haven't had to.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 13:15
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Last year the teacher sent out and email saying she was wearing her school shirt and anyone who wished could twin with her by wearing that same shirt or a shirt of the same color. I appreciated that a lot.
This is lovely.
We've also had teachers do this. I think it's nice, although it's a little like taking your cousin to prom, especially after the lower grades.
My kids are older now, but these posts about Twin Day appear every few years Many, many people hate it. Even if your kids do have friends, it's a needless PITA. And this is a PITA that increases social stress and anxiety for a LOT of kids. It's the dumbest.
My younger two kids just did not do spirit days as a matter of principle, so that made things easier. Except PJ day -- they would do daily PJ day.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 13:11
Subject: Re:Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
I agree OP. Our middle school is doing this for Mental Health Week. Seems like the last theme they should select for this week as it always seems to result in mental stress for kids who are excluded. Terrible idea, I don't see how middle school teachers/administrators can't see that.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 13:06
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
Anonymous wrote:Last year the teacher sent out and email saying she was wearing her school shirt and anyone who wished could twin with her by wearing that same shirt or a shirt of the same color. I appreciated that a lot.
This is lovely.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 13:03
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
The spirit week choices are usually selected by the student government. The advisor should veto it, but clearly they don't always. I am sure the teachers hate it too, because they have to deal with the upset kids in real time.
My daughter went to a school where instead of twin day, each class came up with a theme and the entire class matched. That way you were only left out if you chose not to participate.
My daughter went to a school where instead of twin day, each class came up with a theme and the entire class matched. That way you were only left out if you chose not to participate.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:58
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
The teacher should randomly pair kids. It will be more interesting and take some actual effort for the kids to work together successfully.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:53
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
Last year the teacher sent out and email saying she was wearing her school shirt and anyone who wished could twin with her by wearing that same shirt or a shirt of the same color. I appreciated that a lot.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:51
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
Yes, yes, yes, yes! The worst idea ever. Shocking that some teachers can't see what a disaster this is.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:50
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
agreed - I have long lingering guilt over trying to triplet with some friends in 6th grade where 2 of us wore the exact shirt and the 3rd wore a close shirt. I don't like spirit week at all...would be happy to see this tradition fade.
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:34
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
There are lots of things that are out of reach for kids in elementary, OP. Not just twin day. You should teach your children that not every event needs to be followed - it will be immensely more valuable than complaining that some events are too difficult to follow. Schools do not expect families to do it all.
We did pajama day, because the kids liked it, and it was low-effort for me. Since I'm a scientist and could help create projects, we participated in the science fairs. But that's it. There were so many events that we royally ignored!
We did pajama day, because the kids liked it, and it was low-effort for me. Since I'm a scientist and could help create projects, we participated in the science fairs. But that's it. There were so many events that we royally ignored!
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:25
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
Butttt why not
Anonymous
11/03/2025 12:13
Subject: Please stop doing twin day for spirit week
This is honestly just a PSA for anyone involved in planning spirit week themes for schools. Any school.
Please don't do twin day. It is the worst. There is no way for it not to be terrible, I know because I've seen several efforts to make it less terrible, and it doesn't matter. It's still bad. It is especially bad for younger kids (because they need a lot of help from parents to execute it) but it also creates problems for 4th and 5th graders sometimes too.
Best case scenario, your kid has a bestie or besties AND they can either coordinate on their own or the parents are able to coordinate AND no one gets sick or forgets.
In reality, some kids struggle to find a "twin", there are sometimes arguments over what to wear, it turns out one of the kids doesn't have a matching item so they either need their parent to purchase/borrow it last minute or find another twin or convince their twin to do something else or whatever. I have had years where teachers have assigned "twins" to kids in an effort to ensure no one gets left out. This still doesn't work because not all parents get the memo, kids override the assignments, etc. And there are always kids who forget or don't show up.
Do anything else. Mismatch day, pajama day, plaid day, black out day, white out day, silly hair day, whatever. Just not twin day. Please. It takes too much coordination and results in too much disappointment and hurt feelings over absolutely nothing.
Please don't do twin day. It is the worst. There is no way for it not to be terrible, I know because I've seen several efforts to make it less terrible, and it doesn't matter. It's still bad. It is especially bad for younger kids (because they need a lot of help from parents to execute it) but it also creates problems for 4th and 5th graders sometimes too.
Best case scenario, your kid has a bestie or besties AND they can either coordinate on their own or the parents are able to coordinate AND no one gets sick or forgets.
In reality, some kids struggle to find a "twin", there are sometimes arguments over what to wear, it turns out one of the kids doesn't have a matching item so they either need their parent to purchase/borrow it last minute or find another twin or convince their twin to do something else or whatever. I have had years where teachers have assigned "twins" to kids in an effort to ensure no one gets left out. This still doesn't work because not all parents get the memo, kids override the assignments, etc. And there are always kids who forget or don't show up.
Do anything else. Mismatch day, pajama day, plaid day, black out day, white out day, silly hair day, whatever. Just not twin day. Please. It takes too much coordination and results in too much disappointment and hurt feelings over absolutely nothing.