Your Step by Step Potty Training Guide!

Thank you to Pampers for sponsoring this potty training guide!

Y’all. Potty training twin toddlers almost killed me but I SURVIVED and I’m here to give you all the tips in this potty training guide!

SO many of you gave me great insight on my Instagram posts, and I used a lot of that. The below tips are what worked for us in our potty training!

A COMPLEtE POTTY TRAINING GUIDE:

First, I think it’s important to have proper expectations. I planned to stay home for 3 days straight and MANY people told us that they would be completely potty trained after 3 days with the method that I used. They were definitely not accident free after 3 days. It took more like 2 weeks with Goldie. Knowing this and having proper expectations reduces a lot of frustration, so I wanted to let you know!

 

POTTY TRAINING GUIDE: TIPS & TRICKS FOR PARENTS

We had a plan when we started potty training, so I’m going to let you know what I planned to do, and then what worked and what I learned and had to change based on a few mistakes I made so you don’t make them too. This is what I planned to do:

1. Stay at home for 3 days with trips to the potty every 20 minutes on day 1, extend to 30 minutes on day 2, and 45 minutes on day 3 using a timer.
2. I made a chart for each of them to put stickers on, and for every 3 stickers, they got a prize that I bought for them. They each had their own basket that was locked in my office, and when they would go potty in the toilet 3 times, we all went up into the office and they got to choose a prize out of the basket.
3. PRIZES: I went to the store the week prior and picked out a ton of prizes for each of them that were activities, like coloring or painting. I knew that we are going to be spending a lot of time at home, so we needed new, fun activities to look forward to.
4. Wear regular underwear during the day, and Pamper Easy Ups during nap time and at night to sleep. They feel like underwear and have that 100% Pampers protection we know and trust. They were previously wearing Pampers Cruisers diapers that they loved, so I wanted to completely change that so they realized they were completely done wearing diapers. I personally think that if they continue to wear diapers at all, it’s confusing for them. We got new underwear, and new Easy Ups that they hadn’t ever used before which was a change for them. The Easy Ups feel like underwear and pull on like underwear, so I call them their night time underwear. When buying their regular underwear to wear during the day, make sure to buy underwear that they are very excited about! I got Harris Cars underwear, and Goldie princess underwear.
5. We watched the Daniel Tiger potty training episode multiple times! It has a cute little song about going potty, flushing and washing your hands, then going on with your day. It also taught my kids that it’s okay to stop playing for a few minutes to use the restroom, even when they are playing and having a really fun time. They can come back and play after, and it’s better to stop and use the restroom than have an accident. Another thing it taught them that I wouldn’t have even thought about is that wherever they go, there is a potty that they can use! Since we are home so often during the first few days of potty training, they need to know that other places have bathrooms too, and we can always finds a potty to use.
6. Always use the restroom before you leave the house, just like Daniel Tiger! I always remind them that they should always try, even if they don’t feel like that have to. That’s the rule of our family, and we all do it!

POTTY TRAINING GUIDE: what i learned during POTTY training

1. STICK WITH THE TIMER and make them go into the bathroom even if they don’t want to! Tell them, “Even if you don’t have to pee or poop, let’s practice!” On day 2, the timer went off so I told them it was time to go to the bathroom. By this time I was a little exhausted, so when they told me that they didn’t want to go to the bathroom, I listened to them and told them to let me know when they did. I figured I would give them a bit more time. They were watching a TV show at the time and didn’t want to stop watching it. Well, I bet you can guess how this little story ended! They both had accidents.
2. They were really excited about the sticker chart on day 1, but didn’t care about it much on day 2. In fact, I walked into the room and Goldie had gotten a hold of her page of stickers and was filling out the whole chart. I’m still glad I did it, though, because it helped us get past the first day and get them excited for their prizes.
3. Be patient and flexible. Harris didn’t want to wear his Pampers Easy Ups on the first night, which was totally fine. Wearing regular underwear all day was a big change for him, and his personality doesn’t respond quickly to change like Goldie does, so I let him wear his Pampers Cruisers diaper the first night. The next night after their bath, and after Goldie had put on her Easy Ups, I reintroduced the Easy Ups to him again, and he put it on like it was no big deal! He hasn’t worn a regular diaper since.
4. If I were to do it again, I would make sure the house was nice and warm and either have them only wear their underwear, or only wear their shirt and underwear. It helps them to notice the change from switching from diapers to underwear more, plus it’s easier for you to help them pull their underwear up and down while you are taking them to the bathroom so frequently.
5. Don’t be too shocked if things don’t go as planned! Each child is different. Everyone told me that girls were way easier to potty train than boys, but that was totally opposite in our case! Harris would sit on the potty, use the restroom quickly, then get off and move on to the next activity. Goldie would sit there and have to really relax and focus to be able to go. She even started saying to herself, “Okay, Goldie. Take a deep breath” and then she would close her eyes, breathe deeply and focus on relaxing to go to the bathroom. It was so cute!
6. Goldie pooped her pants for the first week and a half! I think she was afraid to go poop in the potty. I had to increase the incentive to go poop in the potty because she didn’t really care a lot about the dollar store prizes. I bought a doll and put it at the top of the kitchen cabinets, and told her that the doll really wanted to play with her but the she couldn’t until she went poop in the potty. It took 4 days after that of pooping her pants, and then she finally went in the toilet! I think it took her a while to really recognize the sensation of needing to go poop and then holding it until she sat on the toilet. Once she realized it, she did much better. I also think she was scared to go poop in the toilet, too. She started to panic and said, “Mom, I think I need to go to the bathroom!” and was really nervous when I put her up on the toilet. I told her that she was brave and that I was so proud of her!

This is a screenshot of Harris Facetiming Tyler to tell him that he went poop in the potty!

Watching TV while waiting to use the restroom…yet again!

Harris and Goldie were very excited about their new underwear! I made sure to choose underwear I knew the would be so excited to wear!

The pictures above are when Goldie FINALLY went poop in the potty!! She is holding the doll that she earned. I also told them that if they continued to go poop and pee in the potty for 2 days without accidents, we would go to the store and they could choose a prize. They did it!! I think a good reward that they are super excited about helps a LOT. I like a good reward as an adult so it would only make sense to make potty training extra exciting and fun for them!

Hope you guys found this potty training guide for twins useful! Let me know how your trained your littles in a comment below!