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When do you start showing with twins? What is life with twins like? Join the conversation on our Multiple Births forum.

Multiple births

Potty training twins...so how do we leave the house??

13 replies

hattyyellow · 06/01/2008 20:56

Sorry, this has probably been covered before...

My twin girls are 2.5 months and we've had a few attempts at potty training..

Challenge 1 is that one is really ready and really getting the hang of it...can happily tell us she needs to go, pull down her trousers and sit down and do it..

Other twin is scared of the potty, will go very quiet, hide and do it in her trousers...or will sit on potty and strain

Challenge 2 is how on earth we leave the house..suddenly things like soft play centres, music class, winter walks seem really daunting...

DH is worried if we leave it longer it'll get harder..

If I just potty train the one who is ready, her sister gets really upset and they both ask to go back in nappies..

Leave it? Persevere? Any advice gratefully recieved...

OP posts:

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inamuckingfuddle · 06/01/2008 21:07

well, been there, done it and survived, so that's the good news

mine are both girls too, one took to it much better than the other but the real bonus was waiting til Easter to start, so weather was better. We used to take potties in bottom of buggy, make them stop every so often, try to pre-empt accidents etc adn in car I used the big trainer pants from mothercare, but only had 1 accident in the end (I did avoid car journeys for a couple of weeks though!) I found bribery with stickers, smarties, choc buttons etc very useful for the one that lagged behind - its the only time I've really used that strategy but it did work! Good luck, join us on the d'y ever...thread in multiples

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inamuckingfuddle · 06/01/2008 21:13

multiple madness

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sandyballs · 06/01/2008 21:17

I have twin girls and did one before the other. I tried doing them together and it was madness . One was far more ready, like yours, so much easier that way.

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SlightlyMadShrek · 06/01/2008 21:22

HattyYellow. I could have written that post 4years ago. That is exactly how we were. DTD1 did the potty the first time we got it out (prob about 2.8yrs). DTD2 was peterified of it.

We let them both get on with what they wanted to do. DTD1 went around in knickers, we kept DTD2 in nappies. One Friday DTD2 was petrified of potty. By Sunday she was fully trained by Sunday. She just decided she was going to do it after watching DTD1 for a couple of weeks and did it.

I didn't have much of a social life to speak of with DTDs so going out wasn't a major problem for me. You could do what they duggest for singletons. Cancel all engagements for a week ad=nd sit it out intensively (with the one that will). Tackle the second twin when she is ready - if it is anything like us it won't take a week for the 2nd.

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Tortington · 06/01/2008 21:27

i dont think its harder if you leave it longer - i have BG twins and i let them run around nappy free at home encouraging them to use the potty - but if i needed to go to supermarket - rather than get all upset about it, start crying at pudles in middle of asda ( i often did cry) i thought it was easier for my sanity that i stuck a nappy on.

i look at it this way - they arnt going to be 7 and in nappies. - things progress at their own time and my sanity was paramount.

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SlightlyMadShrek · 06/01/2008 21:30

Agree with custy re waiting.....the only reason I did it so early was because they couldn't move to next nursery group with their piers until they were potty trained.

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inamuckingfuddle · 06/01/2008 21:34

yes, we waited til warmer weather to let them run around outside nappyless - but this was around the age yours are now. A friend of mine also with twin girls waited until the end of summer when her older child was back at school, as she didn't want to spoil his hols! They then took to it very quickly, perhaps due to being nearly 3 by then.

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tkband3 · 07/01/2008 18:22

I tried my girls at half-term in October when they were 2.6 and they simply weren't ready. After 4 days of not leaving the house and mopping up oceans of wee I gave up (or in ) and we went back to nappies.

Since then, DT2 has frequently asked to use the loo and more often than not has done a wee, and once did a poo. So after Christmas, when I knew we had a few clear days at home, we started her again. And it's been much easier this time. No big puddles, just the odd pair of damp knickers when she forgets herself. DT1 was absolutely adamant that she didn't want to do it, but yesterday (after a week of watching her sister do it and get rewards ), she decided she did and is also getting the hang of it much more quickly. I had to take DD1 to school this morning, then the DTs to their gym class and then to Sainsburys and we managed the whole lot without any accidents .

So I would suggest that you wait a little while. It certainly won't get any harder and will be easier when the weather is slightly warmer.

Re getting out of the house - when we're in the car, I put those disposable changing mats on their carseats in case of accidents, ditto the buggy. And I have a bag full of clothes and emergency nappies .

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throckenholt · 07/01/2008 18:31

to be honest I can't remember (they are 5 next week !) - they must have been about 2.5 and we did it over the summer so no real clubs etc to get distracted by. I just did without nappies and dealt with the consequences - maybe that is why I can't remember it - I have blanked it from my memory .

If I were you I would go with the flow - do whatever each seems happy with - and resort to nappies when going somewhere you can't face dealing with no nappies.

Night dryness - hmm - we are still in the throes of that - hope it is more straight forward for you on that front.

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MarsLady · 07/01/2008 22:27

Train the one that's ready. Leave the house as necessary. DT2 will be ready soon enough.

If you're worried that the ready one will change her mind... wait! There's no rush. They'll train when they are ready.

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MarsLady · 07/01/2008 22:28

[stern look at Throckenholt]

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throckenholt · 08/01/2008 12:59

who me ? what have I done wrong ?

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hattyyellow · 08/01/2008 14:01

Cheers so much all, this is all such useful stuff...went to meet friends at soft play centre this morning, put both girls in nappies...I've found all along with twins that sometimes you have to bend the "rules" a little to keep sane so I'm glad others have popped them in nappies to go out at first..

Got home and twin who is readier asked to put pants on again, she managed a whole dry day yesterday with just one accident when she was absorbed in a game at the end of the day..

twin 2 going from wanting nappies to wanting pants but at least it's only one set of accidents to deal with most of the time which is keeping me going!

Will keep you posted...thanks so much for your help and thoughts.