The fun part for me? Deciphering to which “ it ” of the perceived twin-raising challenges the curious bystander is referring.

Is “ it “ the dually-provoked sleep deprivation of the first few weeks? Is “ it “ the inevitable division of Mommy’s energy between two fully dependent infants/toddlers? Or is “ it “ simply the day-to-day, down and dirty rigors of juggling a double stroller, two carseats, a packed-to-the-gills diaper bag, and two sets of distinct needs?

The truth? “It” doesn’t get any dirtier or more rigorous than potty training twins.

More truth? As with every other aspect of being a twin Mommy, your preparation, mindset and positive, yet realistic outlook will make all the difference in how you perceive, and accomplish, the challenge.

Preparation. Boy Scouts must grow up to be great twin Daddies. By adhering to the wisdom of their “Be Prepared” motto, we can make our twin-Mommying lives oh-so-much easier. Get your potty training ducks in a row.You need some tools. Here’s what I would suggest:

Potties At least two. When we told our friends with single babies we were starting the potty training process, many asked if we thought two potties were necessary. After all, what is the likelihood that both twins actually would need to go at the same time? Two hours into Day One of our potty-training: As Sarah sat wee-weeing on one potty, I chased Darren; scooping up the trailing poo nuggets bare-handed as he trotted to the second potty. They may and will need to go simultaneously. Don’t add to your twins’ apprehension about the process by not having a receptacle ready to receive bodily output at any given time. Invest in more than two if you wish. You may want to have potties strategically placed throughout your house. We made two work for us by moving them from room to room as needed We did have toilet paper or a box of tissues in each of the locales where potties tended to reside. Baby wipes aren’t a bad idea either, but make sure they’re the flushable kind.

Books and Videos Get your twins familiar with the idea of becoming “big boys & girls” by exposing them to some of the books &/or videos on the market for that very purpose. Also let the twins watch you use the potty. Now is not the time for modesty. Monkeys see, monkeys do.

Familiarity with a Wide Variety of Potty-Training Methods We read books. We searched the web. We read the pamphlets from our pediatrician. We listened to each and every individual who “knew how” to potty train a child successfully, and sometimes, rapidly. Stored all of that information in our parental memory banks, ready for quick retrieval as situations demanded. And demanded they did. Remember the Boy Scouts: Be Prepared.

Training Pants or Cotton Underpants/Panties At least 6-8 pairs per baby. I couldn’t do laundry fast enough. For the first time since the babies’ birth, with the onset of potty training, I did so much laundry that there were often loads in which I had not a single pair of my own underwear. Hello, Oxy-Clean.

Now here’s my soapbox moment: Think twice before you invest in “pull-up” style disposable training pants for your twins. They are essentially diapers. Within a day or two of beginning potty training, many children decide it is easier to just pee and poo in the “pull-up” than make the rush for the potty. If you are training both twins simultaneously, you’re twice as likely to have at least one “lazy” pottier. If Twin A sees Twin B letting loose in their Pull-up, chances are, Twin A will soon start to follow suit.The twins (and subsequently, you) will make no progress; you’ll only prolong their diaper dependent days. Nasty as it sounds, the twins need to sense their bodily refuse going into the void or against their skin in order to motivate the potty deposit.

Clorox Wipes, Resolve Carpet Cleaner, Lysol Disinfectant Spray You are going to live in a third-worldesque kind of squallor for a while. Do your best to try and sanitize as you can. (Brand names are unimportant. The role of the product is.)

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