Unfortunately, many identical and fraternal twins are born into families that are not prepared to care for a single child, let alone twins. Lack of interest and resources are common for overwhelmed or indifferent parents who then decide to use their twin children as parent substitutes. Often these short-sighted parents have limitations such as alcoholism or depression.

Different types of circumstances prevent parents from paying enough attention to their twins. Parents who are lacking in compassion, practical experience, and necessary resources allow their twins to rely on one another for attention, comfort, and encouragement. The parentified twin relationship is somewhat functional in childhood because the twin bond helps prevent loneliness. Being the actual parenting figure, though, creates issues with interdependence and lack of self-reliance as twins grow older and want to separate from each other (Klein, Twin Dilemmas, 2017).

Catastrophic circumstances and inadequate parenting can cause twins to intensely turn to each other for attention and nurturing. A frightening example is of young twins who raised one another in Auschwitz. Separated from their mother and ignored by their father, Greta and Darlene survived the Holocaust. Living in Auschwitz and coping with unreasonable working conditions, the physical and emotional abuse would have been untenable without the other’s presence. Their attachment literally kept them alive.........

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