Potty-ing By Twos!

I feel like I'd be failing in my blogging responsibilities if I didn't make some comment on potty training twins...the thought of which brings countless images of cloth-rubbing flooring to mind.

If you thought that asking one toddler to "potty in the toilet" was a challenge, try asking two tiny autonomous rulers to make their mark in something flushable rather than in their pants. Children have a myriad of reasons why they are not interested in using the toilet, but the reasons only multiply when two are asked to use the toilet in the same week.

I thought for a while that I would start with Elise, when she had mastered the skill, I'd move on to Emmitt...after all aren't girls "easy" to potty train? I was spending so much time in the bathroom, sitting with Elise, that Silas and Emmitt began making all kinds of mischief. Surely taking both 2year olds captive at the same time would be better than being tied to a bossy yelling 2 year old in the bathroom while the other 2 year old and his "enabling" brother disassembled some couch, or bed, shoe rack, or stack of clothes, cupboard,or half-prepared lunch.

We bought a "baby potty", one that requires dumping into the toilet, so both of the kids could sit at the same time to do their business. This tandem training began to work and Elise could sit on the toilet and wear "big girl pants"  without much incidence from the first day. Emmitt took longer, he had to first gain the self-awareness to understand what "pottying" felt like, so we washed many many, "big boy pants" that first week. I was constantly looking for dirty laundry to throw into the wash because I needed that one dirty pair in a half hour or less!

Two weeks later, I am happy to report that both the twins are successfully using the toilet, with few accidents, and that Elise is still sleeping all night (12+ hours!!) with no accidents. I think her bladder must be the size of her entire stomach.

I'm looking forward to Emmitt's next step of controlling his own stream and keeping the bathroom floor (and bystanders) clean. This, I know is a lot to ask, and I'll be patient...this struggle Emmitt will face on his own, without the guidance and dictatorship of his little twin!