Reflections on Potty Training

Wow... it seems so long, and at the same time it seems so short. Potty training came and we are almost done with it. I was thinking about all the things that the kidDOS have learned and all that now they are able to do by themselves, like pulling pants down and up, getting to the potty on time, etc. 

I introduced the potty when the kidDOS were about 17-18 months. They sat and had fun. They pretended and they even actually pee in the potty chair. I started real potty training when they were 27 months. For us it has been true the generalization that people say about boys and girls: "girls are easier to potty train than boys". Princesa was able to go to the potty all the time, with almost no accidents, after 2 weeks. And she only used pull-ups at night for no more than a month. Principe was a totally different story. He took 6 months for me to be comfortable enough not to put a diaper or a training pant on him during the day. There has been sporadic accidents here and there all through out. He also used pull-ups at night until almost four years old. 

Here is the link to my first post on potty training: Hurray for potty training

A friend (mom of twins) had some questions about training twins. Below are my answers:

• Do I need 2 potties or one for twins? Yes, and very probably 4 if you have up/downstairs bathrooms that the twins will use. 
• Is there a specific type of potty that works better? Do I need to get a specific potty for my son? For us, the Baby Bjorn worked the best, More for Principe (boys have more challenges). We used these potty chairs in the beginning, then we transitioned to the soft chairs that sit on the actual toilet sit, and now we are with no aid.
• What methods worked best for you and your twins? We did one week intensive training. Stay at home and let them experience what it is not to have diapers and how the potty works. We watched the Elmo Potty Training video every day, read books, demonstrated how we used the toilet, etc, etc.
• What books or articles did you read? Baby and child care, several articles online, talked to a lot of mom friends, and also talked to my pediatrician
• Do you train twins at the same time or do you train one at a time? Both at the same time and also each one at their own speed, so both

Here is the best advise I got was from a friend that has 3 boys. She said: "I would suggest that you not worry about it.  Like walking, talking, running, it's another milestone that will happen when they are ready, mentally and physically ...what I learned was that it's no use worrying about things that are out of my control.  With my last two boys, I didn't push or pressure or even really talk about it.  I just encouraged them when they showed interest.  No rewards, no prizes, no stress.  Just, "Good job" and a hug when they used the potty.  And that was it.  It was a much more pleasant experience when I let them take the lead."

Hope this helps you in the process of potty training your own.
What are some things that you have learned that helped you?