Mom of B/b twins.....potty Training Help

Hi S.,
I have b/b/g triplets who just turned 3. They all got potty chairs for Christmas right before their 2nd birhtday. They would sit on them and play on them for awhile, but not much ever happened. When they were 2-1/2, I decided I was going to get serious about training and started on June 1st. My DD was done by the end of June, the boys quit 2 day in. So I didn't push them or force them. Then, last week, when they turned three, I told them that the only time 3 year olds wear diapers is at night other than that they wear "undies" (we use real underwear - I feel pullups are just glorified diapers). I started setting a timer for twenty minutes and every twenty minutes, they would have to go potty. When they got to the point of not peeing everytime, I increased the time between trips...now we're up to 40 minutes. They seem to be doing real well and are more interested now then they were 6 months ago. My Dr. said it's totally normal for children to not be potty trained until 4 years. DON'T push them or "Make" them go, I think it just turns them off to it and makes it even harder - you know how stubborn boys can be!!! Best of luck and I hope I helped a little.

I do not have multiples, but I do have four children that are almost two in my daycare that I am trying to potty train. I say...UNDERWEAR, TOILET, PULL UP AT NIGHT! With boys I found it easier to teach them to stand up first, but all are different. Have them watch daddy(if in the picture)If daddy is not okay with that, is there an older friend or cousin that stands up? GOOD LUCK!

I think potty seats are better than the seats that you fit on the regular toilet are better to start. They tend to sit for long periods of time when you're starting out, and their little legs fall asleep on the big potties. It may be a little scary too. I bought my kids "special" books that I only let them read on the potty. When it seemed close to potty time, I would get them to sit on potty and read their special book. I started putting kids in regular underwear around the house. THey didn't like the wet feeling, and it made them more aware of their bodily functions. My girl and boy both trained fairly easily this way.

I was told that the average age for boys is 3 years and 2 months old in the US. There are signs to look for from your kids when they are ready which I'm sure someone else may give you? My son was 2 1/2 and not exactly ready, but when the school called and said they had room (he had to be potty trained) that was it...I bought under wear ( no pull-ups) and that was it. He had accidents most of the first day and then he did great with the peeing. The pooping took a little longer and I used bribery for that. Be patient!

Hi S.,

I have 3 boys, and yes I know it is a lot of work. And what worked for one boy did not work for the other. They all have completely different personalities and learning styles. My 1st one wore pull ups at night for a long time and we did the going potty thing every 15 minutes until he realized what was happening...it took about a week. With my 2nd son, it took him one day and taking him every time my husband went potty. We tried the potty chair and seat and neither liked them. Side note: we had both boys learn to go pee pee sitting down first as it was easier as they were not tall enough. Side note #2: We used the potty chair to put in the car for when there was that quick, "I need to go potty!" With my 2nd son, I didn't do pull ups. He didn't want diapers anymore and just went right into the big boy underwear at night. I was prepared for accidents, but I made sure we cut off the fluids early enough in the evening and made him go potty right before bed and he did great. Good luck. I still have one more to go with another baby to be born in August...

Wait till they are older, they are still really young and may not be ready. I have 4 kids, 3/4 are boys and this is something you can't rush. Our youngest is 2 1/2 and we're in the beginning stages of training. I will be happy if he's fully trained in 6 months!

As a mom with two boys (not twins) I would say. . .give it some time. My boys were both 3+ before being ready to train. I did try more than once with each of them. It is definitely a tricky part of being a mommy! - My daughter, on the other hand, potty trained herself at 2. So that was nice!

Good luck, but I'd give it another year.

While I am not a mom of multiples I have heard that it is easiest to train them one at a time and the other will usually follw. We are potty traing my two year old and we have a potty seat and potty chair. SHe likes to use both. Plus if you have a potty seat they will be used to big potties for when you are out in public. I read the book potty train in a day and it wasn't for me but I did learn some great pointers. Once you start potty training never put them back in diapers, it is confusing for them. Use pullups instead and tell them that they are throw away big kid underpants. THat way they won't intentionally pee in them but understand that accidents happen. It has worked wonders for my daughter. We have been potty training her for two weeks and last night she decided that she did want to wear pullups anymore only her carebear panties. She has worn them all day and has had a couple accidents but is doing great.

Hello. I am a mom of 2 and a half year old identical twin girls. I also started potty training right before 2 and found that my girls were just not quite ready. We had some success and some failures. We bought panties and took the diapers away during the day. This went on for 2 weeks with little success and so much work. We then went to London for two weeks and I just let it go and let them wear their diapers. We returned home and started in again. We put panties on them in the morning and if they soiled them we put them in diapers. I also did give them one M&M if they made it to the toilet. That was the trick for us. They are competitive and it was hard for them to see the other one get a reward. I had to remember that they were two different kids also because one was better than the other at it in the beginning. Now it has switched and one can make it through nap and night time and the other can't. Good luck and make sure you listen to them. I know that mine just weren't ready in the beginning.

was in walmart the other day and they had a toddle urinal, pretty cute. or as cute as a urinal can be. but that might be helpful. good luck

Hi S.. I have 3.5 year old b/g twins. I agree with the earlier poster--underwear at day; pull-ups at night. I tried to train them both at the same time but they always ended up tag-teaming me. Also, the common practice of training by sitting them on the potty every 20 minutes or so didn't work with either of them at all--I think they viewed it more as a form of punishment and actually would "go" about a minute after I let them get up. I finally just focused on one at a time (my daughter first) and then once she got it, I focused on my son. If you do nothing but sit next to them and catch them in the act and run to the toilet or potty chair, they'll pretty much have it down by the 3rd day. I also bought a few small bathroom area rugs (with rubber backing) and had them sit on those so they wouldn't soil my couch or my carpet. The small rugs are so much easier to clean! They were more receptive to having to sit on little rugs than their "forced" time on the potty. Oh, and one last thing, if I had no luck by the end of day 2, I'd wait a few weeks or a month and then try again. This is something that they'll pick up when they're ready. Good luck!

I have g/g twins and they just turned two in december. Their developmental specialist said not to use pull ups until they got the concept down. They feel too much like a diaper. My kiddos ran around naked for about three days and sat on a potty chair around every twenty minutes. We're still working on it. Let me know if you find anything that works for you.

S.,

Wow - you are starting early!! If it works for you - more power to you, but I agree with an earlier poster. It is different for everyone and especially boys. That's pretty early.

My neighbor has twin boys and they are 3 1/2. They weren't ready to be potty trained until they were almost 3 and it took awhile for one of them. The other caught on right away.

My son was trained at 3 and he was staying dry all night before I tried it during the day. I, personally, would not recommend pull-ups. I used them on my daughter and it slowed down the process. She didn't care that it felt a little wet and she would just keep playing.

With my son, I let him pick out the underwear (happened to be Spiderman). He was pretty good about not peeing in them, but he was a stinker about pooping in them (no pun intended!). He made a big mess in them one day and instead of cleaning them out, I threw them out!! He was so upset that I would throw out Spiderman he started going in the potty!! It worked great!

You have be VERY responsive if they tell you they have to go - there were times I'd have to leave a grocery cart or stop on the side of a road to let my son go potty. It was worth it.

Good luck!!
C.

You're starting too young for boys. Try waiting until they are 3! At about 2 1/2 you can start talking to them about how on their 3rd b'day it will be time for "big boy" underwear. Buy some of those fancy super hero one's, keep them in their drawers, look at them often, and tell them they can't wear them until their b'day... but they can't pee in them when they get to wear them or off they go back to the drawer. I have 2 sons also. This worked with both of them and I only had one accident (at night) with my youngest. Otherwise they both were ready, willing and able.

My personal opinion is that we are pushed by society to potty train way too early. All this does is cause untold stress on the little one as well as Mom and Dad. Relax and give them time.

I have fraternal twins too, and I would recomend that whatever your approach is, take it easy and try to make it fun. They are very likely to be ready at different times, and you wouldn't want one brother to feel less successful by comparison. The potty chair worked well for us.

I am not sure about multiples - but I have heard that it takes boys longer to train than girls and that it is harder if they aren't ready. Are they showing interest in the toilet? Can they identify pee and poop and when they have to go? If not - then I would wait.
We are using the potty seat with our son as we don't want to train him twice - once for the chair and the other for the toilet. He is still in diapers but lets us know when he needs to go and we aren't very strict about it yet. I did just buy pull ups and getting diapers on and off takes to much time when a 2 yr old has to go.... Also he gets "rewards" for actually going to the bathroom - stickers, getting to flush, etc... if he just tries - then great - but only gets a reward for actually going.

Good Luck!

Hi there...I have 6 boys the last of which are twins. I can offer 2 items of advice. First, when a child really wants to potty train and are not just curious about it... it will go very easy because they are wanting it and not someone else. Second, in the twins case, I started one before the other because he asked to do it...the second followed a week or so behind. Just a side note....Typically boys start potty training later than little girls. I never even approach potty training until closer to three. Out of six only one potty trained at two...totally his choice. When they are interested I let them use the potty, but be careful not to confuse interest with a desire to make the change permanent.
Good luck to you... I love my twins they are such a joy!

Hello S. W,

I went through potty training already with my son. The thing that I can suggust would be to use a potty seat that attaches to the toliet and use training pants instead of diapers. Usually boys take a little longer with potty training. My son finally learned to go number#1 on the toliet but #2 was a problem. It didn't even phase him at times with #2; that is why you should use the pull-ups much easier to take on and off instead of diapers. There is a lot of info about potty training and sometimes to much info is overwhelming. Hope this little bit of info helps. Remember to make it fun for both the boys. Try to be patient, it can hard sometimes to do.

Caring Mom,
L. L

HI ~ I am a mom of twin girls and I feel your pain! In my opinion, it might be pushing it a little to start so early and it might get too frustrating for you. I started my girls at almost 2 and a half and it just takes a lot of patience! What I did was when we were at home they wore underwear and every half hour i would place them on the little potty. If they sat there and tried to potty, then they got a small treat like an M&M. I would praise them even for trying. When they did have an accident I wold not react negatively, but would just pick them up and put them on the potty and tell them again that this is where you potty, not on the floor! When we were out of the house, they always wore pull ups or diaper. It was too much for me to have two kids with possible dirty pants!! With my third one, I put her in G Diapers training pants (can find online) and that seemed to work great because they make them feel like they are wet! And they are good fro the environment~

Hope this helps!

There is a great book out there called 123 pottery training ways by gary ezzo. Anyway, I believe that is the name. I leant my book to someone else. I talks about 3 ways to pottey train and gives some great ideas. Basically not all children are the same and you need to see which way might be the way to go. My 4 year old trained when he was 2 1/2 in one day! However, the thought of doing this with my 2 year and 3 month old is scary! I will probably take a different approach. Also don't forget that boys really do take more time so maybe 2 is not the right time to start. Maybe wait just a little longer some boys don't train until closer to 3.