Potty Training Update

We have officially been potty training for 2 weeks and it is going good. This is a huge moment for any mom and any toddler. HUGE! You save a ton of money on diapers, don't have to change disgusting diapers but its just another reminder they are growing up and hit this huge milestone. (That part makes me so sad). But having two at once, the advantage is I don't have to do this again. My question is.. when do you stop calling it potty training?

• When they tell you they have to go?
• When there are no accidents - for how long?
• When they wake up from naps/night and are dry?
• When they stay dry for 2-3 hours at a time and go out of house NOT in diapers?
• When they can walk in pull down pants and go on own (other than wiping)?

I never know what to say when I am asked if the boys are potty trained. They do all the above for the most part, between the two of them in the past two weeks we had only 3 accidents. Now, they get it. Now, they don't run off once their diaper is off leaving me with the decision..do I chase the one with no diaper and a potty getting dumped or do I stay while the other one runs and pees in the house. THANK GOD, no frantic mommy at potty time.

How did I do it with two boys? I think most of it was timing and they were ready. The other key part (with twins since you have two sitting at once, two sets of pants to pull up, two sets of hands to wash, two potty's to clean) is to have two rewards and to be fast at cleaning up . I give 1 reward for staying dry in between going (I do not give a reward for going or else they won't empty their bladder and will keep wanting to go for their treat) except when they go #2 they get a reward because Nicolas tends to want to not go #2.

My system to eliminate the running off and ensuring hands were cleaned. I put a HUGE bowl of lolly pops in the bathroom. Then when one is done before the other, I put the bowl on the floor for him to sort through and pick their favorite lolly pop. This is a BIG DECISION for a 32 month old. I let them choose the flavor they want (I know secretly know their favorite so I only put a few at the bottom of the bowl) it's a stalling technique. If you have one child, don't even worry about the stalling technique. But the reward system for staying dry is key for anyone.

The hardest part is the time it takes to sit there with Nicolas when he has to go #2- he takes forever. I read a book, sing but after 10 minutes, I just get so bored and finally just say..call me when your all done. I also hate the part of washing hands because they still want to swipe at everything and just play with the water /bubbles which is annoying.

Funny conversation they had while going (Don't read this part if you hate reading about poop). Here is a typical bathroom conversation between my two boys while they are sitting side by side.

Christian : "Did you go poop Ney-ney"?

Nicolas : "Not yet..did you"?

Christian goes ( he tries to stand up to see how much he is going, fascinated by it).

Christian: "Wow -I went..you want to see..it's big".

Nicolas leans over to see.

Nicolas: "That is huge, he did poop mommy, I want to". Then he tries.


So my question still stands - when do you say.."Yes my boys are potty trained?

Twin Potty Training Is Gods True Sense of Humor!

Someone needs to write a book solely on potty training twin boys! I have read, researched, talked to twin moms about potty training but NOTHING equipped me for what happened this morning for my little guys first "official" day of potty training. I wasn't even planning on doing this for a few months but Nicolas pretty much demanded it today.

You are probably thinking..how can a two year old demand to start potty training? Well, he went seven times without me asking him- he pulled down his pants and just said - mommy potty! So...off we go racing towards their pottys ( that I already had set up..because ALL the books say to set them up to get them "used" to seeing it).

I ran after them..fully not prepared what was going to happen. I didn't have rewards set up (like all the books say), I didn't have the books to read to them (like all the books say to have), I didn't have the Clorox wipes and I didn't have their clean diapers/wipes. Oh dear god...is this your sense of humor? Okay, I can do this, I have twins, I have dealt with harder things...right???
Nicolas: Wanted all his clothes off, went potty immediately and was so proud.

Christian: Sat on it, got bored pretty quick, especially when I mentioned they were going to get stickers for going potty. Christian looked at me like .. "What a sticker? Are you kidding me? I get them all the time" the next thing I know, Christian is high tailing it out of the room without a diaper.

Oh crap... another quick "twin" decision to make. Why didn't I shut the doors? Do I help Nicolas clean up and pray he doesn't dump his potty or do I chase Christian so he doesn't pee in the house? Thinking I made the right decision, I stayed with Nicolas thinking it would be only a second or two and you guessed it.. Christian "proudly" went potty on my carpet and had to show me!! My poor disgusting closet.

While Christian was showing me his fabulous moment in the closet, Nicolas takes off without a diaper. THINK FAST JODY! Run...get him... but it was like my brain was frozen. I am not prepared for this. Okay...run Jody, run. Go get two diapers and get your kids! Now they both think its a game and run in two different directions as I am trying to just catch them. It's only 9 am and I am beat!

1 hour later it starts all over. They are both on potty. I have my stickers and diapers, this isn't going to be so bad. Nicolas goes potty - yipee and Christian just looks at me.. smiles and takes off again! Shoot - why didn't I shut the bedroom door again? How did I forgot the door again? I am praising Nicolas and begging him to stay there because I need to go get Christian. Christian quickly made the loop around our house and peed again on the tile floor. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME -you peed on the floor- why, you were just on the potty!!! This is happening so fast. This is so gross. I jump up and of course, no Clorox wipes, I grab Christian and quickly put his diaper on. Then...as I am putting his diaper on Nicolas takes apart the potty and dumps it on the tile floor. AGHHH!

The next time I have an "ingenious" idea.. I will give them chocolate if they both stayed on the potty and go. Now... all the books say " DO NOT GIVE REWARD" if they do not go. Do these authors have twins ? I promised myself, I would still try to follow all the research - no reward if you don't go. Do they realize that the one who does not get the reward will have a knock down, world shattering tantrum that results in a HORRIBLE morning? Christian, didn't go but insisted he still get his chocolate. INSISTED. I knew I couldn't give in.. could I??? He had a complete melt down! It got so bad that Nicolas looked at me and said " Mommy Chocolate..Christian potty". Even Nicolas was routing for his brother to get chocolate. I explained again..you have to go on the potty to get chocolate! Oh my lord, please tell me you have a sense of humor up there and that you will let this be it for the day...please..please I pray.

My prayers must of worked because after lunch, I finally came up with an idea. Why not give two rewards! One for trying and a different one for going! Why didn't anyone write that before? So now I am fully equipped and I have the diapers, chocolate, stickers, Clorox wipes, books and all the doors locked. Hey, if you have two kids going at once, why not two rewards? Good news Nicolas went potty seven times so far today and Christian once ( well 4 times if you count the floors)! I am still praying someone will come up with a written manual (step by step) on how to successfully potty train boys! I am exhausted, tired and probably burned enough calories chasing them to lose 5 lbs and its only day one!