# Desperate mom of twins calls police when she can't tell them apart **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 14, 2023, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141 "2023-03-14T06:02:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/1 "2023-03-14T06:02:18Z")
as someone who knew twins that identical until they had kids themselves, I can totally relate (I’m not sure but I might have made out with both of them one night because after a bottle of md 2020 I was more confused than usual and no they’ve never told me yes or no I just get a smile and asked … well if you liked it why complain?) Although she called the national identification registry and not an actual police station > **[Desperate mom of twins calls police when she can't tell them apart](https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/desperate-mom-twins-calls-police-181729564.html)** > > "I won the 'Mother of the Year' award." ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/2 "2023-03-14T06:07:41Z")
So the actual story is that a non-desperate mom of twins didn’t call the police, it’s just that the police are helping her by fingerprinting them. But I’ll forgive the clickbait headline, it’s an interesting story. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/3 "2023-03-14T06:37:48Z")
you know i have my baby footprints on my birth certificate and so do my brothers and her kids were born in new york so do they not do that anymore or? . there’s a daily mail link that goes into more detail but since that place is well ick …for instance they found a beach pic of the mom in a skimpy bikini ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/4 "2023-03-14T08:53:57Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > you know i have my baby footprints on my birth certificate and so do my brothers and her kids were born in new york so do they not do that anymore or? I’ve only ever seen those on the souvenir birth certificates that hospitals give out, not the actual legal birth certificate. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/5 "2023-03-14T08:55:17Z")
So what is the usual way for parents of twins to identify them? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/6 "2023-03-14T09:22:11Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@nightshadea](#): > > (I’m not sure but I might have made out with both of them one night because after a bottle of md 2020 I was more confused than usual and no they’ve never told me yes or no I just get a smile and asked … well if you liked it why complain?) This part has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of your post. Your dating history and/or twin fetish is completely off-topic in a thread about a mom confusing which twin is which, and comes off as much more appropriate for a Penthouse Forums type of post. Please post appropriately. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/7 "2023-03-14T10:05:53Z")
sorry about that it was meant to illustrate how hard it could be to tell twins apart even as an adult … ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/8 "2023-03-14T10:15:00Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > So what is the usual way for parents of twins to identify them? Just a guess, but aren’t thinks like freckles/moles and other birth marks different from person to person, even on twins? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/9 "2023-03-14T11:37:48Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > So what is the usual way for parents of twins to identify them? Give 'em a tattoo when they’re old enough. But I can see an issue there too. It would depend on the honor system of which being which. I wonder how a tattoo place or a bank would handle the issue. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/10 "2023-03-14T11:53:56Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Give 'em a tattoo when they’re old enough. Reminds me of an old Ray Romano standup bit where he said his mother used to put a little sharpie mark on one of the twins when she babysat them. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/11 "2023-03-14T11:55:29Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Just a guess, but aren’t thinks like freckles/moles and other birth marks different from person to person, even on twins? I used to coach a team that identical twins on it. One of the twins had a birthmark on her arm, where her sister didn’t. That really helped with quick identification. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/12 "2023-03-14T12:07:15Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > So what is the usual way for parents of twins to identify them? Earrings (on girls), Sharpie marks, sometimes a teeeeensy tattoo in an inconspicuous spot like a toe, bracelets … people get creative. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/13 "2023-03-14T12:18:30Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Just a guess, but aren’t thinks like freckles/moles and other birth marks different from person to person, even on twins? AFAIK … Birthmarks are (obviously 🙂 ) from birth. So they’d be individual. But they’re also rather rare on humans in general so many twin pairs won’t have any. Freckles and moles are more environmental / experiential. Newborns won’t have them but e.g. 10yos will. Which leaves parents of really identical ones with a dilemma. Not one I’ve ever had to solve, so I’ll shut up now. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/14 "2023-03-14T12:28:51Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > > > Give 'em a tattoo when they’re old enough. > > Reminds me of an old Ray Romano standup bit where he said his mother used to put a little sharpie mark on one of the twins when she babysat them. There was also an episode of _My Three Sons_ in which one of the sons had identical triplets and then wasn’t able to tell them apart. I think in the show they used the footprints taken at the hospital at birth to identify them and then used hospital bracelets. BTW, how long before differences in mood or behavior makes the difference obvious? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/15 "2023-03-14T14:27:12Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There was also an episode of _My Three Sons_ in which one of the sons had identical triplets and then wasn’t able to tell them apart. I think in the show they used the footprints taken at the hospital at birth to identify them and then used hospital bracelets. They used that exact plot (with twins, not triplets) on _Full House_. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/16 "2023-03-14T14:37:23Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > sometimes a teeeeensy tattoo in an inconspicuous spot like a toe Parents of one set of twins I know had tiny tattoos put on their twins’ heels. Left foot of one, right foot of the other. Less than a millimeter diameter. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/17 "2023-03-14T14:43:41Z")
Guess we have another argument for not dressing identical twins identically (though it’s not immediately clear from the linked story that these twins were in that category). Use different-colored onesies, no sweat. Or just dye one of 'em blue with food coloring till they get a bit older. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/18 "2023-03-14T15:02:13Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Use different-colored onesies, no sweat Just don’t ever get them both naked at the same time. Which would be a funny plot line for a sitcom. Two e.g. 12yo twins discover somehow that one day when they were infants the parents got them confused and so ever since Lilly has really been Lori all these years and vice versa. The two kids decide to switch whole identities, not just names, back to their true origin but of course by now their personalities are too different for that to work out. Hijinks ensue. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/19 "2023-03-14T15:14:37Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Which would be a funny plot line for a sitcom. Two e.g. 12yo twins discover somehow that one day when they were infants the parents got them confused and so ever since Lilly has really been Lori all these years and vice versa. The two kids decide to switch whole identities, not just names, back to their true origin but of course by now their personalities are too different for that to work out. Hijinks ensue. Twin comedians [Randy and Jason Sklar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sklar_Brothers#/media/File:Sklar_Brother_at_the_Streamy_Awards_2010.jpg) told a story on their podcast that and one point when they were babies whatever special mark their mom used was washed off, and she couldn’t tell them apart. She just decided to pick which one was which so there’s a 50% chance they switched names. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141/20 "2023-03-14T16:46:43Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Parents of one set of twins I know had tiny tattoos put on their twins’ heels. Left foot of one, right foot of the other. A tattoo artist friend of mine had parents of newborns ask him to do this. He declined. He had a shop minimum of $100 to do a tattoo, to cover himself for people who backed out in the first 5 minutes. He’d feel ridiculous charging them $200 for 30 seconds of time. He also refused to tattoo anyone under the age of 18, and the twins were way too young. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-mom-of-twins-calls-police-when-she-cant-tell-them-apart/981141.md?page=2)