When you step into the great wide world with your beautiful babes in a side by side stroller it’s hard to avoid the sometimes painful, and quite frankly, nosy, questions from well-meaning strangers. Going out to get groceries shouldn’t feel like a circus sideshow, but sometimes that’s the reality. Having twins is exciting, special and novel and not everyone has seen baby twins. That excitement can spill over into sometimes not the most appropriate questions you can expect as the mother of twins.

There can be a lot of temptation to tell people to mind their own business and that’s a valid response too. When you know ahead what to expect, it’s easier to decide how to respond in the moment. You won’t have endless patience for intrusive questions every day. You may not ever have patience for it. Some days the attention is nice, other days it can feel burdensome and awkward.

Prepare yourself with this list of frequently asked questions that twin mamas tend to encounter when out in the wild with their brood:

Are they two boys? (even though the girl is in a pink dress and the boy is in shorts)
Will you have more?
ARE THEY TWINS?
Are they yours?
Are they identical?
Are they paternal? maternal?
Are they ‘natural?’
Are they cousins?
Do twins run in your family?
How can they be twins, he’s bigger?
How far apart were they?
How much did they weigh?
How can you tell them apart?
Did you have to have a C-section?
Double-trouble! Are you busy?
Did you know that you were having twins?
Better you than me! How do you do it?
Did you want twins? Were you surprised?

Remember, forewarned is forearmed. At least people care enough to ask! How will you respond to questions you can expect as the mother of twins?