Imagine the task facing Michelle and Stuart McColl of Mortlake whose triplets, identical sons Jai and Tyler and daughter Shelby turned 18 yesterday.

Not surprisingly, none of the triplets have yet got their Ps but are keen learner-drivers.

Mrs McColl, 43, said raising the triplets had not been as hard a task as people claimed about multiple births.

"It's probably been easier than having four separate children," she said.

"At least you have them (the triplets) going in the same direction.

"When they have school parties, they were all in the same grade and had the same sort of friends."

Mrs McColl said the boys had overcome the health problems they had when born underweight and all three now enjoyed good health.

Operations on the two boys when they were at the start of their school years to correct an eye squint had only been successful with Tyler, meaning Jai wears spectacles.

Mrs McColl said the difference had not helped many people distinguish between the boys because people often forgot which of the boys wore spectacles.

Both boys are doing trade apprenticeships, Jai as a builder in Mortlake and Tyler as an electrician in Terang, while Shelby is studying year 12 with the aim of going on to become a physiotherapist.

The triplets celebrated their coming of age with a lunch at a Terang hotel yesterday with their extended family followed by a get-together with friends at home in Mortlake.