I wrote this thing on potty training for you girls who wanted some help. This is what we did (sorry it's so long but I was trying to include everything).

Potty Training

First thing I’d do is introduce the potty to your children. Let them check it out and tell them what you are supposed to do on it. Then place the little potty next to or near the regular (“big”) potty. I’d put the child on the potty while you go. Say, “listen to mommy’s pee pee” and then when you are going you cheer for yourself. Then get off and go to your child and say “shhhh, let’s listen for Haley’s pee pee”. This forces them to focus on actually going rather than just looking around and kicking their feet. It might take a ton of times for the child to go on the potty the first time. Until they do I’d keep a diaper on her and wouldn’t even attempt potty training. Remember to do a big celebration and look at their pee pee (or poop) when they've gone! This is a huge accomplishment for them!!! (and you!)

Once they’ve peed in the potty a few times and know what it’s there for I think you’re ready to try potty training.

I would NOT use pull-ups! When training, you want them to know what it feels like when they have an accident and what that sensation of peeing on themselves versus in the toilet feels like. Most times my girls have had accidents and started to pee in their undies - they’ve stopped, yelled for me, we go to the potty and they finish there. Them recognizing that feeling and wetness is a huge learning process that pull-ups/training pants takes away.

Starting the p/t. Put on the undies first thing in the morning and put that kid on the potty every 10-15 minutes until you get a pee. This is why having a little potty verus them going on the big potty is so important. You need to be able to see that they are actually going and how much is coming out. You see a pee, you celebrate, victory! At this stage they are peeing very frequently and haven’t mastered holding it yet. You have to see how much is in there. Chances are, it’s only a little bit. If there’s more then you can wait a little longer before you put them back on again. Now that the bladder is empty, you would wait about 30 minutes and put them back on again. If no pee after that 30 minutes then you are back to the 10-15 until you get something. Again, the thing that worked for us was to listen for the pee pee to help them concentrate. You are going to have to be watching the clock like a hawk for the first few days and staying close to home!!!

If your child is having a bunch of accidents then it’s ok. You’ll know within the first few tries if they are ready. Just wait another month or so and try again.

Once they’ve been going on the potty for a couple of days and been having very few (there will be at least a couple) accidents you should gradually see them going for longer periods in between pees. Eventually you’ll work to 45 minutes, then an hour and then sometimes an hour and a half. Longer than that probably won’t come for a while but each child is different in how much they drink and how much their bladder can hold.

Regarding pooping on the potty. This took much longer for my girls to master than the pees. Don’t lose hope. It will happen. Be diligent and they will get that in time as well.

For me it wasn’t slowly working in to potty training. It was one day we’re going to go for it and just DO IT.

Now for naps and night time you should still be using diapers because that’s a whole different thing.

Stay consistent. If your child is having a bunch of accidents all of a sudden and they were doing so well, chances are it’s your fault. Have you slacked on putting them on there every hour or so? Have you tried switching to the big potty too early? Don’t wait for them to tell you they have to go. Just put them on there!! It takes a WHILE for them to learn to be able to comprehend the feeling of having to go and then being able to tell you before it comes out.

Public restrooms can be very scary for some children. They’re big and noisy and my girls HATE the flush sound!! Haley has been p/t for over 6 months, hasn’t had an accident since I can remember and she still refuses to use the public restrooms because they scare her so much. So, I have an SUV. I put a potty in the back of that thing and if they need to go then they can go in there while we’re out. I keep a little travel thing of wipes back there too and a little bottle of water. I wipe them then rinse out the potty and wipe it when they’re done. Plus, you never know if appointments are going to run late or where a clean bathroom will be but if you can have that little potty with you then you can go ANYWHWERE! Our motto is: have potty, will travel!

I hope this helps you girls!!! And ask any ?s you have – PLEASE!! I wish someone would have written something like this for me to refer to.

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I wish I had had something like this before we had been down that road with the twins! But thankfully, that stage is over for us right now. I was dreading the pt to be honest, and more so because I didn't want to deal with the messes and the stresses while trying to balance my life with HG. But it went surprisingly well for us. I really push the "wait until they're ready" side of things, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't take the initiative, but rather if you try and they aren't ready, that's OK. I have a way with words, don't I? I have the worst time expressing myself it seems.

So, what I meant to say was: GREAT POST!

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Arrianah (23) & Zach (23)
proud mommy of four
twins, sonja and jakob, little karsten, and introducing ...

Christian Milan a.k.a Bubby Bear

August 8, 2008
7lbs. 2oz. and 19"

My additions to your wonderful advice Micki!! Great post!

IMO, there's different stages of being "trained".

Trained #1: They pee in the potty during the day with you reminding them
Trained #2: They pee in the potty during the day w/o you reminding them
Trained #3: All of 2 plus...They pee AND poop in the potty during the day
Trained #4: All of 2 & 3 plus...They hold it during nap times
Trained #5: All of 2-4 plus...They hold it overnights (or get up to go potty overnight)
Trained #6: All of 2-5 plus...they hold it when they go out to the store or they can use the public restrooms.
Trained #7: Doing all the above w/o any accidents = fully trained

I'm not for using pullups during training as well - only for naptimes/bedtimes. It takes longer for them to hold themself while they sleep, so that's the only time. They might learn that they can hold it until naptime/bedtime - so don't be surprised too much there. Sometimes they are ready, but not willing. They just need a little more time or a little more encouragement.

Definitely make up songs, a dance, have a pee pee or poopy party...whatever it takes. Praise praise praise.

I found this link very helpful during my potty training days: Twins Toilet Training Tips

Couple hints:
Cheerios for aim for boys. Gives them something to FOCUS on
Color the water and see the magic that happens when they pee in it! (Like use red or blue food coloring - just a drop - and tell them if they pee in the potty it will magically change colors! )
Let them sit on the potty backwards. (always good when things are getting monotonous)

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Good boy tips Kim! And great way to break down the p/t stages. You're awesome!!

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This is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!! Thanks

Carrie insisted on sleeping with the "Everyone Poops" book last night. She is currently napping with it now. She told me this morning she wanted to go pee on the potty, but had alrady gone in her diaper.

Things are sort of on hold now because Christian has developed a serious skin infection. It initially looked like two bug bites on his legs, but a rash spread all over his leg with swelling and heat. Had to get a big shot this morning then blood work at hospital (in the arm:-(). We are waiting to find out exactly what it is. And of course hubby is out of town so it was my first time taking them by myself.

I'll keep ya'll updated. It is scaring me.

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you guys are BOTH awesome. I need this. !!! Thank yousssssss

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Great post! Thanks for all the advice. I know that I am fast approaching this stage also and to be honest I am dreading it!

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