POTTY TRAINING TWINS; THIS IS THE EASY PART, RIGHT?

“My son was 2.” “My daughter was 1 ½”. “My son was 3 ½ and so was my other son, “I said. Potty training was NOT fun! When the boys were 2 years old or so, we decided it was time to start potty training. We got 2 potty chairs (so each boy would have his own potty – not a necessity). We placed them in the boys’ bathroom and there they sat for the next year and a half, while we tried in vain to potty train our boys!

At first, the boys were excited about “the chairs” and “being big boys”. Didn’t last long. Turned out they were always “too busy” to stop and use the potty. It was just easier to go in their diaper (or pull-up).

We tried everything: rewards of candy, “targets” in the potty, pleading, threatening (no candy) – nothing worked. While other mothers were busy “training” their children successfully; I was busy crying because I was failing at such an important task.

I am over exaggerating a bit, but I did feel like my boys were going to be in diapers forever. Steve and I finally figured out that while we were ready for no more diapers, the boys weren’t. We also figured out (through reading magazine articles and talking to other parents) that all children are trained at different times and that boys take longer than girls do.

After we figured all this out, we slowed down and let nature take its course. We still tried the “reward” system, which is the only that worked. One reward was buying the boys a small toy (like a Hot Wheels car) if they pooped in the potty. First time we tried this, Logan went right in and pooped (I started crying all over again when he did that). But, the best “reward” system we came up with, and what finally worked in the end, was telling the boys they had to be trained before they could start school or take swim lessons. The summer they were 3 ½ was spent training and starting swim lessons – yay!!!

What advice do I have for parents concerning potty training? Take it slowly and don’t get frustrated. If you are frustrated, the child will be frustrated and won’t go on the potty at all. Also, with twins – remember that they are individual people and learn independently from each other. One may master this task and the other won’t for awhile. Don’t get discouraged, your child will start school wearing big kid underwear and will most likely graduate high school not wearing a diaper.

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