Hi everyone, I'm new here. I've always raised my seven-year-old twins Jaime and Eliot on my own (well with the help of family and friends of course), and until now they've never had any problems playing/working together. Recently (just before Christmas I noticed the change) they've started competing over everything! Literally everything! They see who can eat dinner, get changed, do their homework (etc) the fastest, and whenever one is telling me about something they've done, the other will try and cut in and best her.

Is this normal at this age? I have five brothers, and I don't remember being this competitive, but we're further apart in age.

The girls aren't in the same class at school, but they share a room (not much choice in our small apartment). They do quite a lot of sports, so I thought this would vent competitive behaviour, but could it be promoting it? My friends are over quite a bit, could they be learning their behaviour from them, or me?

Basically I don't know what to do. It's got to the point that our home life is suffering because of it - their homework is rushed and full of mistakes, they keep getting damn indigestion from eating too quickly, and two days ago Jay fell over trying to get dressed quicker than her sister and hit her head on the corner of their desk. Whenever I ask them what the heck is wrong with them all of a sudden, they can't answer me and it inevitably turns into a competitive blaming competition - 'it's not me it's her' etc.

To cut a long story short, is this normal, and does anybody have any advice?

Cheers, Rodeo

HI Rodeo, welcome to the forum.
It seems to me it is likely a normal stage they are going through. Especially being in such close quarters with each other. Not sure what you mean by possibly learning this from you and your friends, but that's possible also. I mean kids are sponges and easily pick up behaviors around them. Thing is, if I were to guess it's probably more about them, and a stage between themselves being as they are twins/same age.
If it's disrupting the house or causing injuries, just be sure to talk rationally with them about it and also give them opportunity to work it out between themselves.