Potty Training
After reading Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki we started potty training our twins this past Friday. Thank goodness it was a hot Seattle weekend because we had the girls naked all day on Friday and Saturday. So far, I think we are making progress….
We had been preparing the girls all week leading up to the weekend, we kept telling them that the diapers were going “bye-bye” since they were getting to be big girls and that we were going to start using the potty all of the time. I hid all of the diapers in their closet and we placed our two potty chairs in our living room.
Side by side potty chairs in our living room
Friday morning we brought the girls downstairs in their pajamas, took off their pajamas and diapers and had them sit on the potties. Zoe was a little traumatized being completely naked, but got over it in about 5 minutes. After that we sat them down in their seats (we have seats attached to our counter for meals instead of high chairs now) and they ate breakfast in the buff. Around 9 AM I gave them each a juice box to get more fluids in them. Jemma was a rockstar going on the potty but Zoe had about four accidents in about thirty minutes on the floor (I don’t think her bladder could quite handle the extra fluids). Jemma made it to the potty every time on Friday, Zoe had a few accidents. I don’t think Zoe was quite making the connection between having to go and getting to the potty. Luckily, Zoe did have a tell tale sign of grabbing between her legs when she needed to go. We would let the girls help us carry the insert to the bathroom, place the pee in the toilet and flush. They thought it was pretty exciting to dump the pee in the potty. Of course we cheered and praised their behavior.
We placed diapers on at both nap and nighttime, we specifically would tell them that the diapers were only for sleeping since it would be a long time before they would be able to use the potty again. We would make the girls sit and go potty before both naps and bed. Jemma had a completely dry diaper on Saturday morning and Zoe had a completely dry diaper on Sunday after a 3+ hour nap!
Saturday was another naked day. Zoe had zero accidents and Jemma had two small ones. One when she was distracted playing and another when she was in the bathroom with me watching me go (for more encouragement). Jemma had 2 poops in the potty, Zoe had one in her diaper during nap and another that hit the floor! Her poop literally happened when I looked away for five seconds. Zoe always stands on her tippy toes while pooping, so I have a feeling that sitting will be more challenging for her.
Sunday we dressed the girls in tank tops and loose fitting shorts-no diapers or underwear. Since we had the girls clothed, we finally let them go out to our backyard to play and they definitely enjoyed being outside again. The day went well. We would always say “PUSH your shorts down”. (Jamie says this makes much more sense to a toddler than “PULL your pants down”). Zoe had a small accident while playing outside and Jemma had a bigger accident while we were on the sofa watching Daniel Tiger (I think she got too immersed in the show to think about going to the potty).
We are definitely having to prompt them to go, they aren’t quite self initiating yet, but I feel good about the progress we’ve made.
My Mom is home all day with them on Monday and Tuesday while Hubby and I are at work. My office is closed Wednesday and Thursday, but I have a four day dental conference that I will be attending, going back and forth between home and the conference which is here in Seattle. We are taking the girls with us to Tillicum Village on Thursday from about 4 PM to 8:30 PM, so I’m nervous to see how that goes. I may try Jamie’s Red Solo Cup trick-taking a plastic cup with you to have your child pee in if a bathroom isn’t immediately available.
Jamie highly encourages those who are expecting a baby to start potty training before rather than after the arrival of the new baby if your child is between twenty and thirty months. She states that delaying will only prolong the process (time waiting for baby, months of keeping your head above water, and finally leading up to actually starting training) and your child may be beyond the window that she recommends starting if you wait as well.
We aren’t done by any means, but I feel good about where we are so far, and I’m thinking positively that we’ll be trained in a month.
xoxo
hopefulandhungry 
We’re about two months in, and Gus takes himself to the potty all day long. I still prompt if it’s been awhile or if I can tell he needs to go, but I’d say 80% of the time he does it all by himself. I also keep a potty chair in the car now that we’re out and about so much more, but he’s pretty comfortable using a big potty if that’s all we have access to. Hang in there!
I can’t wait until our girls start self initiating. Yes, I’m definitely planning on putting one of the potty chairs in the back of our car when we are out and about. Have you nap or night trained yet?
No, nothing at nap or night yet. Gus takes a cup of water to bed with him and he’s not ready to give it up yet.
How old are your girls now? My little bug is only 14 months so I know we have time, but I’m curious about what age most people start.
They are 25 months old. They have been using the potty sporadically since they were about 18 months (one much more than the other), but now we are trying to go full speed ahead. I would definitely recommend the Oh Crap! Book