How my Twins potty trained themselves

I dreaded potty training with twin boys, I did not enjoy potty training my three older kids with traditional potty training methods. I also really did not want to go with traditional potty training methods again, so I didn't. Child led potty training was the answer for us!

At 15 months old , I bought a potty and a snap on potty seat for the toilet. I bought a few pairs of underwear for them, and I talked about it some with them. Then I just pretty much waited. We would talk about potty training here and there, read a book about it here and there, then wait. They would decide on their own when they wanted to use the potty or the snap on toilet seat. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't. We would still just talk about it and read books about it here and there, and wait.

 I did not struggle with them, stress over it, or make it mandatory. I let them decide when they were ready. If a child is not ready to potty train, they most likely won't. If you are stressing and forcing potty training, is that really the answer? Not for us. I like my twins to enjoy their days and nights, not spend them in potty boot camp with me as Sargent toilet.

Who really wants to be Sargent toilet?

 So we continued to enjoy our days, and nights. We continued to talk about using the potty and read books about it here and there. Sometimes they asked to wear underwear, sometimes they didn't. I never constantly talked about using the potty or constantly read them books on a daily basis about it.

The talks about potty training and reading potty training books were never constant, very random and sporadic.

I never pushed or enforced potty training. I just let them go at their own relaxed, self decided pace. Fast forward to age 3 and I switched them all day and night to night time pull ups, just to make diapers disappear for good.

The riddance of diapers made them want to step it up a bit on their own. I bought a few more pairs of underwear. I still didn't enforce it. I mentioned it a little more often, but I was not forcing or pressuring them to potty train.

 They will be 4 years old on Saturday and have been fully self potty trained since they were 3 1/2. They did it on their own, at their own pace. No pressure or potty boot camp. They just did it naturally.

 I am happy I let them do it on their own. It helped them and myself to enjoy their toddler years more. It helped get us out of the house to do fun things without stress. It worked out really well for us.

Kids really can potty train at their own pace, they won't be in diapers at age 5..... thats just a dramatic myth that your Grandma wants you to believe. Don't let friends or family pressure you or your kids into forced potty training. It makes potty training miserable.

Public Urination

As for potty learning...Emerson was the last to learn and the easiest. She (and Avery) can hold it for what feels like EVER. Like crazy bladder control for 3 yr olds! Emerson has been reluctant to go to the bathroom in public lately. And when I say bathroom I mean pee not poop. She hasn't had an accident in forever. The only accidents she had were the ones when she first started learning...until last Friday.

While we were out I saw her holding her self. I asked her if she needed to pee and she said no. We were out all morning and I did not ask her to use the bathroom before we left (my bad). I needed to make a quick stop at the grocery. I opted to let them walk instead of the double cart, only needed a few things. Saw her holding herself repeatedly. She asked to ride in the cart and I obliged. As we were walking down the condiment isle Avery stopped dead in her tracks and got this strange look on her face. I asked her if she needed to use the restroom. "Yes, I gotta poop!" Off to the bathroom we went. I asked Emerson if she needed to pee (again!) she said no (again!). I left her in the cart right outside the restroom(asking the closest cashier to keep an eye on her. The bathrooms are right in front of the register area) and took Avery in. Got Avery settled on the potty and checked on Emerson. Avery finished and we washed up. When I got back to Emerson she asked to walk. As I lifted her out of the cart I saw condensation on the seat. Yep, she had an accident. I did not have a change of pants in my bag only panties so she had to finish our shopping trip with a wet bottom. Then when we got to the car I changed her into dry undies for the ride home.

That same night was parents night out at the YMCA. We dropped them off at 7pm and picked them up at 9. Guess who had a wet bottom when we picked them up. On the ride home I inquired about if the sitters at the Y asked them if they needed to use the potty. Both Avery and Emerson said they had been asked and Avery said, "I go pee."
Me, "Emerson, did they ask you if you needed to go pee?"
"Yeaherm." (her weird way of saying yes)
"Did you use the potty?"
"No."
"Did you pee in your pants?"
"Yeaherm."

I was really kind of freaking out. Not sure what to do. Finally I did a little search online and found some suggestions that might work.

I was going to visit EVERY POSSIBLE RESTROOM when we were out and about to breed familiarity. There was one thing I read and didn't even pay attention really, but then in the spur of the moment I tried yesterday cause I knew she had to go. I did not think that the reason she was not going was the massive opening of the toilet. I thought it was noise and unfamiliar surroundings.

We were at Borders, it's becoming our regular Tuesday stop after gymnastics, and I saw E holding herself. I asked her if she had to pee and she of course said, "no." I said, "well, I have to so come on everyone lets go to the potty!" We went into the bathroom and I went first. After pulling up my pants I sat back down on the toilet really far back with my legs spread, and said, "OK, who wants to sit with mommy to go pee pee?" Avery was like, HECK YEAH! so she went first and Emerson was giggling at this sight of us together on the toilet. Then Emerson said, "my turn, my turn!" So I pulled her pants down and sat her between my legs. She went (giggling the whole time) and I told her how proud I was of her. I think she would have tried it if she did not have her twin there for her to laugh at but it sure did help lighten the situation and make her less nervous.

Today when leaving the YMCA I saw Emerson holding herself. Asked her if she wanted to sit on my lap and use the potty, and she said, "Yeaherm!"

Then when we were home she asked if we could do it "again!" as she pointed to the toilet in her bathroom. I told her that we "only do that when we are out. That will be our special way to go pee pee in a public restroom. OK?" "Yeaherm!"