Are you eagerly anticipating the day when your little one is fully potty trained, allowing you to finally say goodbye to buying diapers?
Toilet training can feel like a daunting task for any parent, but when you have multiples, it can seem downright overwhelming. With two or more little ones in diapers, you're likely juggling different personalities, routines, and developmental stages. The messes, constant diaper changes, and the pressure of keeping up with it all can leave you feeling exhausted. On top of that, the thought of tackling toilet training might bring up concerns—what if one child gets it and the other doesn't? Or how do you manage the chaos when you're out and about?
In this article, we'll break down strategies based on the “Oh Crap!” method to help make toilet training multiples a little less stressful and a lot more manageable.
Written by parenting and potty training expert Jamie Glowacki, the "Oh Crap! Potty Training" book offers a practical way to transition away from diapers which many parents (including those of multiples) have found really helpful. Let's explore the key ideas behind this method, designed to make the process less shitty, to say the least.
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Step 1: Perfect Timing
Timing: Choose a time when both you and your child are ready. Look for signs of readiness, like showing interest in the toilet or staying dry for longer periods. Glowacki suggests starting potty training when your child is between 20 to 30 months old. This age range ensures they're ready for the transition but not too set in their diaper ways.
Mindset: Stay calm, positive, and patient. Expect accidents and avoid putting pressure on your child.
Step 2: Going Commando
At Home: Let your child be naked from the waist down for the first day or two to help them become aware of their body’s signals. Going diaper-free and being half-naked helps them better understand when they need to use the potty and also makes it easier for parents to notice cues. While it might feel a bit different, this step fosters a direct connection between the child and the potty.
Observation: Focus on watching for signs that your child needs to go. Prompt them to the potty without pushing.
Prompting: Use neutral language like “It’s time to pee” instead of asking, “Do you need to go?”
Step 3: Adding Clothing
Bottoms On: Once your child has some success going to the potty, reintroduce loose-fitting pants with no underwear (to avoid confusion with diapers).
Accidents: Expect accidents, but continue guiding your child to the potty without scolding or showing frustration.
Step 4: Leaving the House
- Short Outings: Begin with short outings (30–60 minutes) with your child in pants (no underwear yet). Bring a portable potty if needed.
- Preparation: Always have extra clothing, wipes, and patience.
Step 5: Introducing Underwear
- Underwear On: Once your child is more consistent with using the potty, introduce underwear. This is usually after a few weeks of practice with pants alone.
- Avoid Diapers: Stick with underwear during the day to avoid regression into diaper habits.
Step 6: Night Training
- Nighttime Training: Night training may happen separately or alongside day training. If your child is consistently dry during naps, consider trying night training by ditching diapers completely.
- Bed Preparation: Use waterproof mattress covers and expect night-time accidents as part of the process.
Use praise and encouragement as positive reinforcement, avoiding excessive rewards, bribes, or punishments. Stay consistent throughout the process, committing fully without reverting to diapers, except during naps and nighttime if needed.
As potty training progresses, Glowacki encourages parents to help their children become more independent. This means teaching them to handle their own clothes and manage the potty routine. The method suggests skipping training pants or pull-ups and moving straight to regular underwear to reinforce the transition to being a big kid. We personally loved this!
Facing Challenges:
Accidents are part of the process, and that's okay! The "Oh Crap!" method sees accidents as learning opportunities. Instead of getting upset, parents are encouraged to clean up calmly and use accidents to teach their children. Consistency, patience, and a positive atmosphere are key throughout the potty training journey.
Expect periods of regression, especially with changes in routine or environment (e.g., new sibling, daycare). Remain patient and consistent, understanding that each child progresses at their own pace.
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As for our personal experience, we toilet trained our triplets after they turned three years old. Our main goal was to have them out of diapers before their first trip overseas. We consolidated the training phase to 5 days following the “Oh Crap!” stages (skipping stage 4 because we felt they were ready). Within 5 days, accidents were minimal except for the occasional night sleep leak. Within a month or so, all was good and we sold our last standby pack of diapers.
Some tips and notes from our personal experience:
- Ensure all primary caregivers are aligned and ready before beginning potty training.
- Introduce potty training to your kids in advance through books or videos. We wish we discovered this soft book on potty training earlier!
- Choose a series of consecutive days where you can fully support your child(ren) during the process.
- Avoid having guests over on crucial days to reduce stress and prevent potential embarrassment for your child due to accidents.
- Provide at least one toilet bowl for each child as your twins or triplets may need to all use the toilet at the same time. We got a portable one that resembled an actual toilet bowl and placed it in the toilet. After our triplets were toilet trained, we moved the portable toilet to their room to make it easier for their night time toilet needs.
- Select a non-stressful place for their first few out-of-home toilet attempts. As for us, we went to a library during an off-peak time where the toilet was near the children's section.
- Avoid shaming or getting angry with your children in the process. Reassure them that accidents are part and parcel of learning, and they will eventually grasp it.
- Standby two sets of bedsheets and protectors during night time toilet training, especially if your children share the same bed.
- Bring a portable bidet for their outing toilet needs. It does a much better job than wiping, preventing rashes.
- Avoid talking about your children's toilet training progress to others, especially in front of them. It gives them unnecessary stress and they may also feel uncomfortable with others knowing details about something so personal.
- For boys, our mummy friends recommend first teaching them to sit down for both their pee and poo training.
- It is possible to do both day and night time toilet training together, even for triplets! And yes – you can definitely toilet train all your children at the same time.
Things to prepare:
- Waterproof mattress protector
- Portable toilet bowl/potty
- Toilet bowl ladder and seat, for ease and stability when your child is using an adult sized toilet bowl at home
- Convertible toilet seat, for outdoor toilets where there are no child sized seats. We highly recommend this OXO Tot 2-IN-1 Potty, as it could be used standalone as a potty and also as a seat converter, on top of being travel-sized.
- Portable bidet, super important!
- Wet wipes for backup
- Step stool, if your child’s feet cannot comfortably rest on the floor or potty ladder when seated on the toilet bowl. We love this multifunctional detachable booster!
Toilet training toddlers is a significant milestone that every parent of toddlers looks forward to. When toilet training twins or triplets, it's important not to compare their progress, as each child will develop this skill at their own pace. The "Oh Crap!" potty training method may sound a little different from what most other parents would advise, but it has helped many parents (multiples or not) guide their children through this big milestone. If the above method sounds promising, you may wish to read the book before embarking on potty training.
All the best and have fun saying goodbye to diapers!
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