You are bound to come up against many roadblocks. On the upside, you will have the advantage of peer pressure. Siblings can have a huge influence on each other – especially when it comes to toilet habits, so you’re already one step ahead!

However, it won’t be all sunshine and roses. You still will have some significant hurdles when potty training. Much advice is the same as with the individual child, but some applies specifically to multiples. Here are a few tips.

One potty chair won’t be enough. Training is stressful enough as it is without asking your multiples to share the potty. When a child has to go, it’s nearly impossible in the early stages to ask them to wait their turn. You could be taking steps back instead of forward.

Let each child have his or her own potty chair. Potty training is about the individual child, so have the chair represent them and give them a sense of ownership when they have their own piece of furniture that no one else can use.

Because establishing a routine is the best way to potty train your child, you may want to make it a fun game for your multiples. This will make it easier on you and make it a pleasant experience for them.

When you are trying to train multiples, don’t let them go diaper-less unless you have someone else there to watch them. You will likely find yourself doing little more than cleaning up accidents if you go it alone.

There is bound to be a bit of chaos in your house with toddler multiples, so it’s probably going to be a bit difficult for you to get them to notice their body’s signals that it’s time to use the potty. Let them bring toys or books into the bathroom with them when they need to sit on the potty and focus.

What if you have one child who is interested in potty training and another one who isn’t? This is where you need to be a little less enthusiastic about the process. When one child goes on the potty, DO give him or her praise, but dole it out and then move on.

Absolutely DO NOT make the other child feel inferior because his or her sibling is successfully using the potty. There is a certain amount of competition that naturally exists with multiples anyway. Don’t intensify that competitive spirit. They’ll go eventually, just be patient.

You may also want to stay away from treats for using the potty in this situation. Toddlers have a difficult time understanding the sharing process, so when one child gets something that the other one doesn’t, you may be faced with some pretty big temper tantrums and resistance.

You may also be faced with some regression issues with one of your children. Don’t push in this situation. Your child may be having some real emotional issues with the idea of separation from their diapers and each other. Until both are ready, step back and let your children lead the way.

Structure is very important – especially with multiples. We’re not just talking about potty time but all the time. Make potty time a daily ritual that is fun!

You may want to separate the kids as much as you can during training. Lessening the intensity that exists naturally between them will help all of you. Give them some one-on-one time and let them listen and focus better with your undivided attention.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you get too involved in the process, you may find your children resisting. When someone else is around to buffer the situation, you’re much more likely to have a slightly easier time.

Try not to get frustrated and angry at resistant kids. All you can do when one or the other resists is to back off. If you push them too much, their natural urge will be to resist and you will have more problems than if you just let it go for awhile. They’ll get it eventually.

Ultimately, to achieve peace, yours and your children’s, let them take the lead. If they want to go on the potty, fine. If they want to wear diapers, that is okay too. They have to work out their ambivalence and all a mom can do (and this is the hard part) is wait patiently until they do.

Girls are generally a bit easier to train than boys, but the funny part is that when you are training boys, there are many more tricks to getting them to successfully use the potty.

This, however, isn’t written in stone, and many people go about this process in different ways. Having a potty chair readily available is a great tool when teaching your child about toilet habits. It’s something that is all their and no one else’s which gives them ownership in their young life.

Believe it or not, there are all sorts of different options when choosing a potty chair. And getting the right one can make all the difference in success during potty training.

Proponents of the potty chair say it allows a child to be more independent, since a parent doesn’t need to lift the child to the toilet. It also allows a child to place his or her feet squarely on the floor when bearing down while pooping, and the child can also use the support of the chair’s arms.
As we’ve said, because a potty chair is obviously the child’s own, he or she will take pride in possessing it. Choosing the right potty chair should begin as soon as your child shows an interest in using the potty. Involve him or her in the process of picking out their own chair.

If you have a potty in the bathroom, you and your child can go to the toilet at the same time. For some adults, this is a frightening thought as their privacy means the world to them, but it can make all the difference during the training process.

One disadvantage is that a boy will not be able to pee standing up -it will be too difficult, and there will be too much splashing. Another consideration is that it needs to be cleaned out by you or the child. In the beginning, cleaning out the pot will be fun. With experience, it loses its appeal for a child — and probably for you, too.

If the thought of using a potty chair appeals to you, you should get one before you start training, so it becomes a familiar piece of equipment for your child. In fact, you may even let your child shop for the chair with you. You can narrow the choice down to two or three styles, and let you child choose from among those. This can make the child all the more anxious to try it.

Personalizing a potty chair will also make it more unique and interesting. You can do this by adding a few stickers or decal of your child’s choosing. Or, you could also use press-type letters and spell out your child’s name.

Let your child know that it’s okay — for now — to sit on the potty with clothes on to get used to it, but when he or she is ready, it will be used like “Mommy and Daddy use the toilet.” Avoid using the seat at other times so as not to confuse the issue.

If you opt for a potty chair, you will probably choose a miniature version of an adult toilet, a molded one-piece style chair a child straddles, or a plastic molded stool-type chair. Many potty chairs today convert to adult toilet seat adapters as well.

Before purchasing a potty chair, check to see how the pot is removed. If the pot is hard to get out or has to be tipped, don’t buy it.

If you want a urine deflector, look for a removable one to be made of flexible plastic. Potties with deflectors seem to be easier to find than those without them, but if your child is hurt by one when trying to seat himself, he may refuse to use the seat.

Buy a floor model that won’t slide around and is stable.

Consider buying more than one potty chair, especially if you have more than one bathroom or a two-story house. The extra one can always be used for car travel or left at Grandma’s.

Be aware that if you get a potty chair with a tray, lifting it up will be one more step your child will have to master.

Look into the possibility of buying an adult camping portable potty for a child who’s larger than other toddlers.

Believe it or not, there are some amazing “special” potty chairs that can make going to the bathroom a fun and interesting experience for your child. A friend of mine bought a race car potty for her grandson that made racing noises when he peed or pooped in it.

There are potty chairs that play music, too, when the child goes. Some potties have shapes in the bottom of the pot that change colors when the child pees. One product on the market right now comes complete with a handle for flushing and makes the sound that the big toilet makes when it is flushed.

When considering this type of potty chair, keep in mind that eventually, all of the bells and whistles can tend to get old quickly. This is especially evident when you find your child thinks it’s fun to pour water in it just so they can hear the fun sounds.

Expect to spend anywhere from $12 to $100 on a potty seat. The cheapest ones you will find are plain, white types that don’t have any optional features, but they do get the job done. The high priced potty chair is usually made of wood, and can even look like a replica from the Victorian age!

Whatever type of potty chair you choose, make sure your child likes it. I think one of the reasons Conner disliked sitting on his potty chair was because it didn’t hold any interest for him. It was just a generic style chair with a lift able lid and removable bowl. I wonder how much easier our experience with him would have been if we would have invested in an Elmo potty chair!

When you buy a potty chair, you should really have one for every bathroom in your home. Some people even go so far as to have a chair in every room of the house. While we think this is a bit of overkill, if you’re having trouble, this could actually be a great tool.

We definitely advocate having your child with you when you are picking out a potty chair. Once you get it home, introduce it in a casual way. It’s alright if your child wants to play with it a little bit. Show your child how it works and talk to him or her about how they are supposed to use it.

Make a big deal about the fact that your child has something of their own that they can use and should use! You may want to try putting the potty in a room where they play often – even in the kitchen where you can supervise.

Encourage use of the potty chair by putting a chart up on the refrigerator. Explain to your child that each time they use the potty chair, they will get a sticker. This will be an incentive for using the chair. Kids love earning rewards, but we’ll get to that in a later chapter!

Potty chairs aren’t your only option during potty training.