I’ve been potty training now for what seems like years, but in fact has only been a few weeks. Which makes me an absolute master, ha ha ha… But I have learned a few tricks for potty training twin boys or heck just boys in general.
- When your first starting, offer them lots and lots of juice, cool aid, tea, whatever they like, so they will have to go about ever 20-30 minutes. Then take their diaper off, undies on, explain to them we are going to tinkle in the potty, and to let you know when they need to go. But then set your timer and take them every 20 minutes. Always praise them when they go.
- Go outside as often as possible, armed with just underwear and a shirt. When the boys have to go, teach them how to tinkle on a tree. You think I’m kidding.
*thinking about it
- But beware, once they master the skill of pulling “it” out to tinkle, they can also pull it out in the house, and tinkle behind the couch, bed or other undisclosed locations. That you will find when you walk across a wet spot on the carpet.
- Also get a potty chair that also acts as a stool, or heck just get a stool, skip the potty chair. Teach them to stand on the stool and then tinkle in the potty. That way when they get the hang of it, they will go in and use the potty on their own, yes on their own! It’s a glorious thing, even if it only happened once. It’s a sign for things to come.
- Pooping is a whole other ball park, my best trick is trying to spot when they have to go, and then taking them to sit on the potty. Then I will sit on the floor next to them, we sing songs, clap, talk, read books, anything other than just focusing on the task at hand. Otherwise they get nervous and want to hop off to poop in their undies, when I’m not looking.
- When they have accidents, don’t fuss at them, just remind them that you poop on the potty.
*notice the full undies (yes I did)
- Then if they do go poop on the potty, a big celebration happens, I clap, praise, give 2 chocolates (yes I brib for poop) we call daddy, Lalo, everyone we know and brag about it.
- My Aunt even gave us a Everyone Poops book. They love it!
The boys have their good and bad days, but the thing that sticks out most in my mind is that I need to be consistent. Consistency is the key, and learning your child’s cues. What are your best potty training tricks?
hahahah we arent there yet, but I just had to say that last picture is cracking me up!
While I don’t have any tips for you (yet) I just wanted to say that this post is great! (gotta love that picture of the poopy pants 🙂 I’m sure I’ll look back on this post when the time comes for our own potty training!
Oh my Jenna I am so envious! I wish I have the courage to start potty training the twins….I tried once…I tried twice and both times it was a big headache because they weren´t able to let me know but now a lot of times they let me know when they have to pee. So I might going to try again…
The boys are just so adoreable. Love them blonde locks 🙂
Oh girlfriend, we are in the midst of PT’ing too. I have to get G & L completely potty-trained (including knowing how to wipe their own butts…geez) so they can go to preschoo in 4 weeks.
I’ve taken away their diapers (they only wear them at night but they stay dry, for the most part). They’ve got the pee in the toilet (or behind a tree…I totally know what you mean!) down but the poop in the potty is a whole ‘nother struggle. Landon will ask for a diaper and I’ll tell him no so he’ll hold it for days! Which just causes more problems in the long run. Garrett has no shame…he’ll poop wherever and whenever.
We do the 20 minute timer thing as well. It gets tiring and I’ve caught Tim re-setting the timer plenty of times because he hates taking them to go potty that often.
Wishing you the best of luck…life without diapers will be so worth what we’re struggling with now!! Love the pics of the boys…they are getting so big!!! I love their white blonde hair! Cole’s hair gets very white blonde in the summer too and somebody commented the other day on how white his hair had gotten and he broke down in tears saying, “I don’t have white hair…if I have white hair it means I’m old and I’m gonna die soon”.
BTW, my watermelon plants have really taken off but they only just have flowers, no melons. Do the melon buds grow where the flowers are? It’s taking over the entire back part of my garden…I had no idea it could spread out like that so quickly. Any tips on how to contain it?
A reward system was what worked for us. We also took the diaper off and wore underwear so that the ‘wet’ sensation rung true. We potty trained less than a week and had it down! Boys have to know that tee teeing outside is OK! The rewards have faded and he is just thrilled he gets to choose his underwear everyday and that diapers are only for babies. I think pull-ups are a crutch and don’t allow for the cause and effect to click in their brains. Now pull-ups are a saving grace during bedtime but pull-ups are for big boys 😉 I agree completely with LOTS of praise and not putting them down because accidents are part of it. We sit backwards on the potty because in public places and other homes stools are not available and with tee teeing backwards he goes all on his own without a stool. Yes, believe it, he just climbs up there tee tees, gives a little shake, flushes and washes his hands. If you want hand washing to be an independent task then I suggest the bathtub being used (if there is a cold and hot knob). Kyle only uses the blue ringed knob and is able to complete this entire process by himself.
Hang in there Jenna… your advice is that of a winner. How fun they have each other and can see the successes of the other to encourage them along.
Good job! That was a hard one to get my mind around at first, but now I’m a pro. 😉
I bribed my son with smarties (like m&m’s, only Canadian) and just let him tell me when he had to go. He had about 3 accidents, and then he was trained. I found out the accidents trained him best. He didn’t like having wet underpants. He was trained in a day and a half–I kid you not. Of course, I’m still working on the night-time training… which he actually was after a few months, and then we moved across country and started peeing at night again. I figure it’s an adjustment thing and he’ll be back to dry nights sooner or later.
Your son is gonna get you back for that picture. His uncle is going to save him a copy.
I HATE potty training. The fact that you have to do two at once makes you a bona-fide mommy hero in my book. Seriously, you should get a new car or something.
Very cute post. Just wondering what age did you start them? I have a 2-year-old but we haven’t started the potty training yet.
Your boys are just adorable. I love watching them grow up – they have beautiful hair! I love the idea of standing and peeing – I might try that with my boy – you are so much further than we are. We also got a book for my daughter who was having hard time going called “It Hurts When I Poop!: A Story for Children Who Are Scared to Use the Potty” – works wonders when they are holding it back.
You and they are doing great! Potty training two would be a challenge. Whew!