Ready or Not??? - Sturgis,SD

Don't wait. If he is telling you then by all means take him to the bathroom. Introduce him to the bathroom, but don't push it-don't punish him if he hads an accident.

Follow his lead. My first started wanting to try at ~20 months and we finally gave in at 21 months, he's been doing great overall with only a little backsliding (~ a few months) when little bro came. Lots of applause and way to go's, and that's ok, you can try again next time's. Never scold for accidents, some days will be better than others, and showing any frustration will put them on strike or make them afraid to try and mess up. My son used to stand on a short footstool and lean forward to hold on to the under side of the seat (yeah, keep sanitizer wipes handy) it helped him aim, and as he grew taller he didn't need a footstool anymore. Now he's 3 and excited about having undies like Daddy that have a hole he can use! But anyway, follow his lead!

They say that they will give you the signal when they are ready and that is obviously in interest in the potty. To spark our sons interest we had our potty chair set out in our living space, he could sit on it check it out, get used to it and so on. Once interested, and to take the next step we moved it into the bathroom, When I went to the bathroom I always asked would you like to go to the bathroom too? and of course the more I went in there and used it/ pretended to use it the more interesting it was. My son never really caught on much as we later found out he had a lot of sensory issues so we stopped trying to potty train but once he started preschool Special Ed early at age 2 he quickly saw everyone else using the potty. My point being that with your son that is interested I would continue to have him use the potty. If you want to get serious, make a chart and use stickers and lots and lots of praise, and make it a really big deal when he does go!!! maybe with the other twin, having him see the praise and all the excitement he will soon want to do the same. I would try to stick to it for awhile and see how it goes!!! I am not sure if he likes the potty chair but there is a little size urinal that they sell online too and that might help too b/c than he can go when daddy goes!!! you can look at www.onestepahead.com I think they have one or even just google it. Good luck I hope it works

I'd say GO FOR IT! Both of my kids (girl and boy) were potty-trained by about 24 months. One was dry during the day first and the other was consistently dry at night first.
Upon my mother's suggestion, we started potty training my daughter at age 18 months and spent 6 months working on it. With my son, I started at about your sons' ages and it was over pretty quickly.(That was the way to go, if you ask me!) It seems that there is some sort of 'magic window' where, if you wait too long, potty training becomes a power struggle (say, you don't emphasize it until age 3-1/2 to 5). Most preschools in my area will only accept kids who are potty-trained, so my goal was to finish before age 3. We had a fun book with a button that made flushing noises. I know lots of moms who got rather emotional and upset during the process; keep remininding yourself 'this, too, shall pass' as you're cleaning up accidents. Have some celebrations when they have success ('potty parties') and know that eventually, we are all potty trained. Maybe you could start with the son that is showing interest and the other one will follow. I had a potty seat but switched to a padded ring that fit onto the toilet so I could simply flush rather that deal with cleaning a potty chair. I did not teach my son to stand up to urinate until he was about 3. This worked rather well in avoiding more mess/smell on the bathroom floor! As far as the transition from diapers to training pants or underwear, I'd say once you (jointly) make the decision, do not go back. Using diapers some of the time and underwear some of the time (unless it's night and day)is confusing, inconsistent and seems to slow the process. Good luck!

J.,
One indication of when children are ready to train is if they are dry when they wake in the morning. That will help you to know that they are having control over their excretions. At 23 months he interested, if he's dry in the morning (and that is something you want to check immediately when they wake) Those are two plusses to indicate he is ready. My son was the earliest of my four children to train, he was completely trained by 2.

I think the advice you've heard about not training boys too early refers to a parent led initiative. If your son is showing an interest, follow his lead! His interest may fizzle out, but at least you're laying a foundation for future potty training success.

If he's telling you he wants to go, let him. He's really the only one who's going to know when he's ready. 23 months isn't to early to start. Go for it, and good luck!

He wants to go? Take him and encourage the other one as well! I think it's great that he wants to try it out. My baby brother was potty trained by age 2.
That whole part about waiting is for boys that are reluctant to try it. Your twin boy (actually both of them) is perfectly willing and you should let him know it's pretty cool that he is willing.
Good for you!! And great for them!

Kids potty train when they're ready - the best we can do is provide them with safe, easy, no-pressure opportunities to practice as much as they like. We started sitting on the potty before bath every night when my first was about 18 mos, and at 25 months he surprised me by finding the potty on his own, peeing, and dumping it in the big toilet all by himself. It was six months after that before he was reliably pee trained, and close to a year before he really figured out poop . . . so your son may be ready! He may also be interested for awhile, and then lose interest - don't panic, just go with it, he'll come back to it if you keep gently offering opportunities. Good luck - your boys will figure it out exactly when they're ready.

Our son started this around that age. We switch to pull-ups, but didn't push the potty training. If he WANTED to go we took him. We did implement "potty treats" (2 jelly beans) and that added an incentive.

We followed this for about 5 months and then bought "fun" undies one day and our son never went back. It has been almost 2 full months now with less than half-dozen accidents.

One thing I did not see was that when our son was in pull-ups he didn't necessarily stay dry. But he would still want to us the potty.

Hi J.
take his cues and start potty training. my son was potty trained by 2 but we strted when he was 18 months old.

Follow his lead without pushing or creating too many expectations of success. Then see what happens. It may all click with him or he may decide he doesn't want to try anymore. Potty learning can be an up and down cycle for some kids and straight forward for other kids. Just stay patient and positive.

Encourage them, but be patient, because it could still be a long time before their fully potty trained, and one will probably continue to be ahead of the other one.

My two oldest children are 17 months apart. When I started potty training my oldest (a boy) His 1 year old sister also wanted to go. I made the mistake of discouraging her since I didn't want to have to deal with potty training two at once (which I found later out is easier then one). When I was ready to potty train her, she wasn't interested in it and it took me longer to potty train her then it should have. Had I let her potty train with her brother, I think she would have done great with it. Let the one which wants to potty train do so. Don't be surprised that he might lose interest and push it back on his own at that age. Once he gets the hang of what it feels like when he needs to go potty, he will do great. I found with my third child (a boy) and with his daughter who is now 2 and half, that the key to good potty training is to make it available but wait until they can know they have to potty and it clicks. It only takes a couple days of it then. I also used undies with rubber pants like you put over a diaper instead of pull ups since they aren't like diapers and they don't like that wet feeling at all!

Do you have a small potty for the boys, or a seat for them on the big potty? I got 2 bjorn potty chairs for my 2 bathroom, and our son was about 2 when I got them. At first he would just sit with his clothes on, then his diaper. Now he pees every once in awhile and more infrequently poops. I'm not pushing it yet, but that's out of pure laziness on my part. He shows interest in big boy underwear, but won't tell me when he has to pee, he tells me when he's doing it.

If one is ready, then go for it. They have different bodies and different understandings of their own. Maybe if the first one is in big boy underwear, make a big deal of it with the second and maybe he'll want to be like his bro and start to show interest. Hopefully!

I have twins also and I followed their lead...one was very interested, the other no way!!

Good luck! It really turned out well!

M.

Kids are ready when they're ready, but if he's showing interest GO FOR IT! We ignored the signs with our first son and it took until he was 4&1/2 to get him potty trained. That's a lot of diapers! Don't be surprised if it's just a phase and the novelty wears off. He'll regain interest if you go with the flow.

I would go for it. My daughter who is now 2 1/2 years old is doing wonderful with her potty training. She just decided she wanted to do it. And I have always heard, if they want to, you need to whether you are ready or not because if you wait until you are ready it will be harder. My nephew started potty training when he was about 20 months - he was ready. There were some rough times, but that's always a given with potty training. There will be setbacks, but if you're son is ready, you need to encourage him. I don't know how it works with twins, but I would think your other son will be wanting to go on the potty soon too after he sees his brother doing it. I wish you the best of luck - potty training can be stressful, but know everyone goes through it and has made it!!! =o)

J.,
I have 2 boys of my own the oldest is 13 and the middle is now 8, I would say if he is asking go for it. Continue to take him, I do know that if you push them and they are not ready you will have more problems with bed wetting. But he is asking and if his brother wants to sit with him all the better but I would not try to make his brother go if he does not. Hurray that he is asking you will have it much easier. Good luck.

Sheree'

I would say just go with what you kids are telling you. Don't worry about what the books say, because each child is different. (As you can see with you twin boys!) Even if they eventually stop (or pause) the potty notifications, you have still gained positive associations with going to the bathroom, and have empowered him with his body functions by allowing him to choose when he wants to go to the bathroom.

*Chassidy

the best thing u can do is trust your child. just cuz they SAY boys are harder or take longer doesnt mean we cant follow their lead if they are telling us! :D you GO MOM!! :D

its possible he could regress in a week, or a a day, or whatever. but just let him lead - dont discourage him if hes telling you he wants tO! thats awesome! if the 2nd boy isnt interested, dont worry. he is his own person! he will get there in his own time. :D