Potty training one child is one tough hurdle, but if you have twins you have to work doubly hard for the same results.
It may seem like a daunting task, but if you're armed with the right techniques and methods, potty training twins will be a minor roadblock to overcome.
You should bear in mind that even if they are twins, that does not automatically mean that they will learn everything at the same time and even in the same way.
Their physical attributes might be alike, but the level of their learning skills might not.
One child might show some signs of readiness while the other exhibits signs of resistance.
How do you deal with this kind of situation? Do you wait for both of them to show signs of being ready? Or, is it better if you toilet train them individually? Here are some quick tips on how to handle twins separately or individually.
As you know your children best, you need to make that decision on your own.
1.
If you decide to train them separately.
If one twin is ahead of the other in regards to potty readiness, it is important to let your husband or mother take care of one child while you are training the other.
It is imperative that you have someone to assist you because you don't want the one child to distract / dilute the attention to the other.
It's important not to praise one sibling at the expense of the other.
It will create unnecessary jealousy and sibling rivalry.
If you want to praise one sibling, do it when the other is out of earshot.
Or, if you want to give one sibling rewards for a job well done, make sure that the other would not see it to avoid conflict between them.
If the praised sibling starts to brag about the rewards to other, explain to the latter the purpose of the rewards and how he will get the same rewards if he's ready to be potty trained.
This might encourage even motivate him to start earlier.
2.
If you choose to train your twins together.
This is more difficult than toilet training them individually, but logically, it saves you time.
Important: Do not train them if one is not ready.
This would create potential problems, because the less prepared sibling's resistance might influence the more prepared one.
Otherwise, proceed same as number 1, avoid creating a competitive atmosphere between the two.
And as a rule of thumb, it is not advisable to give material rewards such as sweets or toys when you're training twins at the same time.
The reason behind that the one who didn't get any toys or sweets will feel rejected or unwanted by you, which could lead to squabbles and fights.
As much as it is fun for the twins to do things together, take them to the potty separately.
This would help them feel more independent without feeling held back by the other twin.
In addition, taking them to the potty individually will help you track each sibling's progress separately.
It is advisable if you ask your husband or your mom to help you out.
They know you better so it's easier to see if you're on the same page with them.
Take time to discuss with them what other suggestions they might have in order to speed up the potty training process.
Even if it takes you twice as long, potty training multiples is not as hard as it seems if you take enough time to prepare.
Do not be discouraged if one twin shows great progress while the other regresses.
As you will know by now, your twins might share the same DNAs, but their personalities could be as different as night and day.
Treat them as two different individuals.
This would help you keep track on what specific techniques to apply to each twin.