Potty training - giving out stickers

So we havenot officially started the training. We just do it casually since they were 18 months (and they are now in 23th month): show poppy diaper, dump into toilet, let them flush, only sit them in toilet if they want to, they have been telling us when they are poopy, and we are close on guessing when they are doing #2 but not knowing when they do #1 yet specifically (just wide guess range after they wake up). They accidentally peed in the toilet couple time. We have been mostly praising them when they sit on toilet and praise bigger when they peed and I showed them the pee.

Yesterday one accidentally did #2 in the tub for the 1st time (yes, it was something I know may happen, but still not mentally prepared for. But I guess that helped her with understanding that bodily function better.) Then today before she did #2 she told my husband that she was about to poopy. I sat her on the toilet and surprised to see that she actually did in the toilet.

We made a big deal out of that and singing etc... I gave her my special sticker saving for the official training week. Then her sister asked for the sticker too. I told her sticker is for sitting on the toilet etc... and asked if she wanted to sit too. But she didnot want to this eve.... Since I couldnot hold back on her while I have made such big thing for her sister random success, I gave both the sticker for each paste into their own (training) book.

When you only have one of the twin did #1 or #2 on the toilet. Do you give stickers to both ? if you only give to one, how do you handle the not-ready-yet one?

Thanks much in advance for your feedbacks!

 

The one who actually did poo or pee in the toilet was the one who got the sticker, in our house. And yes, we did have to put up with the tears from the other one who did not get a sticker. But DH and I would say every time, when you go in the potty like your sister (in our case, our son was not ready when our daughter was) then you will earn stickers too. Eventually it did get to a point where he would not get upset when she got a sticker. Then by the time he was ready to train, she was done training and wasn't getting stickers, so we would have to remind her that it was his turn to get stickers now because he was now doing the stuff she already knew how to do. I would also tell her that that he was learning from her how to use the toilet...for my daughter that was motivating in itself because if there is one thing she likes is to be a big helper.
Good luck!

 

I used sticker charts constantly for my kiddos (started with potty training) and I never gave out stickers unless they earned it. If one earned the sticker and the other didn't, then the one who earned it was the only one who got the sticker. I would encourage my girl who didn't earn one to clap and shout "hooray" for the one who did and that worked really well for us. I just kept retelling the one who didn't earn one when they did whatever it was they needed to do then they would receive one as well.

 

Mine trained on totally different time schedules but DD was great about cheering DS and encouraging him and did not mind in the least when we made a big deal of every PT success (we did not use any other reward, stickers etc). She just was not interested in PT yet, but she loved helping to "mother" her brother. When she caught up, DS did the same for her.

 

Thank you all for the feedbacks!

More questions:
- did you use the 3 days method?
- what do you do with the twin-not-yet-ready while you train the ready-one that weekend?

Thanks in advance again for the feedbacks!

 

We did a very gradual child-led approach for DS who was showing signs of readiness pretty early, but needed to move through the process step by step, mastering each step before going to the next one (that is the way he works in all respects). When DD was ready it was a matter of a few intensive days, but we did not specifically do the 3 day method. I cannot remember there being a problem with either child while training its twin, they mostly went on with their day or came along on each bathroom trip to watch and cheer their sibling.