Ahhh, the potty zone. It’s become a world filled with very few piddles in the actual potty, plenty of poo poo deposits onto the carpet, and lots of attempted bribes from me.
Trying to teach the twins how to pee and poo in their potty continues to be a real challenge. In fact, I’d have to say the twins don’t even seem close to being potty trained yet; but believe me, I'd like them to be. I calculated the other day that, conservatively speaking, they’ve probably gone through more than 9,120 diapers (2-1/2 years old X estimated 10 diapers/per day). Not only is that a lot of money for diapers and diaper supplies, but it's a whole heck of a lot of pee and poo.
With twins, I think we moms of multiples have double trouble when it comes to potty training. I can’t even imagine how those moms of higher order multiples – triplets, quads, sextuplets ever do it!!! Hats off to them.
So, anyways, as I was saying I am trying everything….
Wherever the twins are playing I am trying to make sure that I have their potty chairs nearby. That way if they have to potty, it is just a few steps away and not a long walk to the bathroom. Unfortunately, when I catch the familiar look of strain or grunting coming over their faces, as soon as I start moving them towards the potty, get them undressed and pop them onto the potty, they’ll start saying, “all done, all done”.
I am also trying to keep it fun. Candy, treats, music, stories, dance parties to the potty – anything that gets them more interested in going to the potty than what they might currently be doing. Lately, I’ve been singing the ABCs with them while on the potty because that at least gets them to sit still for a little while as they sing along with me and we run through all 26 letters.
I have also begun perching over the potty hoping that as the twins witness me using the toilet, they would begin to make the associations for themselves and we’d start to get some more consistent pee pee and poo poo in the potty from them. Unfortunately, that isn’t inspiring them yet either to imitate me. But, I should tell you Paige is always super-excited whenever I go to the potty…she cheers and claps and showers me with praise saying, “oh, mommy, you did it!” Now if only I could get her and her sister to show the same interest in using the potty.
I have also tried the approach of getting one twin trained before the other. That sure seems a whole lot more reasonable and manageable, right? Well, much to my chagrin, that is also proving to be difficult as well because no sooner do I start working with just one twin does the other twin come alongside and start distracting the other twin from the potty efforts. Okay, so I decided I’d close the bathroom door to give the one twin some one-on-one time and get her really focused on our potty efforts without the distractions from her sister. Well, lo and behold, once that door is closed, the other twin is standing outside knocking on the door and screaming to come in. And, guess what that means? Total distraction from the twin I’m working with…she wants to be wherever her counterpart is and vice versa. Arrrrgh.
Now, according to the self-proclaimed Potty Guru, I should be getting worried since the girls are 2-1/2 years old. According to the Potty Guru, I should be buying every book on peeing and pooping at this point, hiring a team of consultants to tell me how to make the potty more engaging, etc. The Potty Guru also maintains that, "All you need is one day in the bathroom.” "That's simply all it takes."
Well, despite the Potty Guru’s claims that ALL KIDS can be potty trained at 18 months, my twins appear determined not to rush things and not to fit into the Potty Guru’s stereotypical mold. I think that the twins prefer marching to their own beat and even at the spry young age of 2-1/2 are already showing me that they will go pee and poo in the potty in their own sweet time. Hmmmm, I wonder what the Potty Guru would think of that.
I’m still keeping the faith though in spite of the Potty Guru and in spite of the continued lack of interest and utterly inconsistent successes with the twins in their using the potty. Someday, I know I’ll look back on these days where I feel as if all I’m doing right now is taking the twins to the potty with not much success in their peeing and pooing in the toilet and marvel at the fact that I will have potty trained not one toddler but two! And, what a day it will be when that day finally does happen. I can’t wait!!!!
POTTY TRAINING PLAYTIME - A PHOTO ESSAY
Paige and Potty Playtime
Taylor and Potty Playtime
Side by Side Potty Playtime
