Potty Training triplets....Help... Anyone Out There?

Hi J.,

We potty trained our quads last June when they 30 months. We read the "Potty Train in a Day" book, which advocates having a big potty party to kick the day off and then teaching your kids to potty train a doll or stuffed animal. My husband took 2 days off from work (and we started on a Sun. for a total of 3 days that we did NOTHING but potty train), and we had my parents here to help with our other 2 kids. I will also preface this by saying that mine were showing very few signs of readiness, but I was tired of having 5 kids in diapers! I think some aspects of the book were good, but I can't see spending a 1/2 day teaching a baby doll to pee. My advice would be to wake them up very excited with new underpants, tell them that you are throwing away the baby diapers, and DON'T LOOK BACK. I think it would be fine to spend an hour on training the doll, but then I'd focus on your children. There will be times when you want to give up so badly, but my advice is that if you invest any time in this, see it through. We primarily kept ours in the playroom with a bathroom just outside the door with the big potty and 3 little ones in it and put a tarp over the couch and carpet. There were lots of accidents, but they essentially got it in 3 days. However, mine weren't in daycare, and I made sure it was during a time in our lives when we didn't have lots of appts., places to be, etc., because they weren't really trustworthy in public for probably a month. We'd set the timer to make them go pee about every 30 mins. and would bump up the increments by 5 or 10 minutes a day if they seemed to get it. You will pretty much live in your bathroom. We also bought huge gallon hand sanitizer pumps from Sam's Club or you will be washing hands in the only spare time you have outside of them peeing. I LOVE the little Baby Bjorn potties that don't have a seat, pan, etc. to take apart and clean. They are just 1 easy piece to wipe out, and we keep one in the van. I make everyone pee before we go in places to keep 4 sets of hands from getting all over a McDonald's toilet. I also let the kids run around bottomless a lot when we played outside. Potty training is very frustrating, even with 1, but you will feel like you can accomplish anything once you do 3 or 4! Good luck, and if I can answer anymore questions, please feel free to email me privately. I'm getting ready to start on my last baby, who is 23 months, but I'm hoping this will be a piece of cake.

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No triplets, so no personal experience, but.. at the daycare where they do potty training... everyone has their own potty. Perhaps have a decal of their favorite thing, kitty, dog, bird, etc, and maybe their name. Make it fun and great rewards. If they love M & M's... put one on the back of the potty, or in the bathroom. When they go, "yeah, good girl... pick an M & M" You dont want to give them more than 1, as more than 5 or 6 a day could be a sugar rush and weight gain. Grapes are good, too, if your children are healty eaters!!!! Best of luck to you and God bless you and your gang!!!

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"Support wildlife....raise triplets. " -- LOVE IT!! :-)

I don't have any advice -- just moral support. I saw a talk show in which parents of quintuplets were featured, and one of the audience questions was about potty-training, with the implication being that if it is hard to p-t one, it must be 5x as hard to p-t five. But the dad said it was actually a breeze to p-t, because they got 5 potty chairs and lined the kids up, and they all competed to see who could use it first. So maybe by taking advantage of natural competitiveness, it will be easier than p-t one.

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Grab the one that is ready and train her. Lots of rewards and cheering. The other 2 will get the idea and want that too. Keep a jar of m&m's on the shelf, buy pretty panties, let her show off, and lots of oo's and ah's, clapping etc. i m&m for pee, 2 for poo. Stay with her, by her side for about 3 days, taking her to potty, reading to her etc. The others have to tag along. My fav potty is the bjorn, about $18., they have no sharp edges anyplace.

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There is a great book called "mommy I have to use the potty" it gives you a variety of ideas rather than emphasizing just one. Check it out on amazon.com and read the reviews. I have found it to be very helpful

HOLY COW! Good luck! I don't think they make a triple seater, but if they're anything like me and my sisters (not triplets, just look like it:) one potty to share ain't gonna cut it!

Start with 3 potties, I'd think. Encourage whoever will to go when you go (or when one of the others indicates wanting to go). Read books, look at pictures, learn letters, body parts, colors, shapes, etc. Wonderful learning time 1-on-3!

P.S. Read some of your responsesa after writing mine: Don't mean to be coy, but I noticed that a mom who was amazed that you're having to pay for 3X as many diapers as usual also suggested that you wait (and KEEP paying for diapers) another several months. Hel-LO!

Girls are easier to train than boys.
If they are interested, strike while the iron is hot!
TRAINING them enables them to mature and feel more independent (which I'm sure you're not averse to having three at once)!
They will learn from each other.
Whenever one starts to rouse in the morning or after a nap, whisk her off to the potty ASAP and try to 'catch' that first-awakening emptying of the bladder. Just one or two successes for each (and lots of praise) will set the stage. Once they recognize the urge and the 'let-down', you can even have them sit UNTIL they pee a little bit (even a tablespoon is success if it's done voluntarily)!

God bless!

Oh my goodness...you are buying diapers and pullups for triplets. My pediatrician recommended to wait until my children were 3 years old. I think it is easier when they are older and with 3 I would go the easy route! I just took a long weekend and did nothing but potty train and play all day. I hid all the diapers and pullups. I told my son that we were all out of pullups and we were going to wear "big boy undies." I would drink when my son drank something. When I had to go potty I would ask him if he needed to go potty. He had 7 accidents the first day and I made my hubby stop at Wal-Mart on the way home from work and buy more undies. He had 3 accidents the second day. 0 accidents the third day and very few accidents since. He still wears a pull up at night. He is 4 years old and most mornings he is dry. Good luck with 3. I will say a prayer for you potty training 3 at one time. You brave woman!

If it is any encouragement at all - Girls are easier to potty train than boys! Good Luck!

if you don't get enough response here, most towns have a moms of multiples group. You can google it and ask them all sorts of things! We have one here...Murfreesboro, TN moms of multiples group.

Whew, good luck!

I have twin boys and took a day and just took them both to the potty at the same time. The younger one caught on much quicker so his brother then started following him into the bathroom to see what was going on....it just takes time! Good Luck!