The Art of Potty Training Twins

I wish I knew what it was then I could write a book on the subject and get rich! I have been dreading potty training since the big twins were babies and that was before the next 2 arrived. It is right up there with moving them into big girls beds and that hasn’t happened yet either. Big girls pants is the big deal in our house right now and big girls beds will follow when potty training has been mastered, HELP!

To be honest I have been putting it off but one day I bribed them in to having an afternoon nap by saying they could wear Peppa Pig big girls pants when they woke up if they went to sleep. They went to sleep and have been wearing Peppa Pig pants ever since! That will teach me. But I have learnt that some things are best not planned to the nth degree.

Potty training two at a time is really hard. When we are out and about, usually soft play, going to the toilet is part of the entertainment and they fight over who goes on the toilet first and then they choose different toilets but I can’t leave one perched on the loo whilst I go next door to help the other etc etc There really is a gap in the market for a double toddler toilet, maybe my next venture!? At home it is even harder as I have the wee twins to consider. I have two potties in every room but then once they have been filled I have to move them quick before wee twins try to put them on their head. The other day I plonked them over the stair gate to take up to the bathroom once things were a little calmer, then forgot. Later all four were racing up the stairs when one of the wee twins found the potty and threw it over the banister, I can only thank my lucky stars there was just wee wee in it. Then there is potty preference, we own six potty’s but only two are Peppa Pig, Two are deemed “too cold to sit on” by Daisy and the other two are never where they should be anyway. Tomorrow I have a plumber coming round to give us a quote for a downstairs loo. ANYTHING to make this process easier.

They are doing really well and I am very proud of them. There have been accidents but not as many as I thought there would be. Occasionally Lily wets herself for the sheer fun of it but Daisy is horrified at the thought. My biggest headache is the “ I need the toilet” card that is brought out at bedtimes, naptimes and going to playgroup when I have my coat and shoes on and the wee twins are aleady in the pushchair times.

Hopefully Mr Plumber will give us a good quote tomorrow…

Health and Safety at Home!

When wee twins were born big twins had just turned 18 months and still babies themselves. I was a nervous wreck. I literally thought big twins might kill wee twins with ‘love’. Cuddles consisted of literally lying on top of them and when they were bored of them they used to try and bop them on the head and poke them etc etc. In the end I bought a playpen, which could be turned in to a room divider and set up a baby jail with 2 moses baskets and a changing station inside. Big twins used to stand at the bars gazing in and trying to think of ways to climb over. All wooden building blocks and the like were put in the loft so they couldn’t be used as missiles. Bedtime and baths were a logistical nightmare. Bedtime started at around 6pm and I could still be trying to settle wee twins at 9 30pm only to then feed them again at 11pm. There was LOTS of crying.

1 year on and things are a lot easier in many ways with a military routine firmly in place. However with wee twins now on the move and wanting to do everything their big sisters do I often think it is even harder. This morning wee twins were crawling up the stairs at break neck speed with big twins leading the way all clambering over one another to get to the top first. Once at the top Daisy (1 half of big twin set) ran to shut the bathroom door to stop the wee twins from trying to climb in the loo but she got her fingers caught in the door whilst her twin sister tried to push it shut from the other side. Meanwhile wee twins were trying to climb back down the stairs headfirst… Thank the lord my other half was downstairs to rescue a baby or 2.

So now I write this sipping my large glass of wine with a few more white hairs than I had yesterday and am thankful for getting through another day without any major incident.  We are potty training at the moment so who knows what tomorrow will bring. But potty training is a subject that deserves at least 2 or 3 blog entries all to itself…

Going to attempt to start blogging....

Hello I am Julie Mum to 4 beautiful girls. 2 sets of twins born 18 months apart. My world is chaotic and filled with mayhem and tears. I never have any time to do anything and my house permanently looks like we have  been burgled... so what I do decide to start a blog!!

Excuse my lack of spell check and forgive my terrible grammar at times. I think the process will be therapeutic...

Right off to make lunch before the big girls return home from playgroup.

Julie xxx