An introduction to potty training can be found below and you can read more hints and tips in our potty training factsheet.

Some parents potty train their twins, triplets or more at the same time. Others find that one child is ready earlier. It's important to remember to start when each child is ready.

The main factors determining when a child is ready for potty training are muscle control and mental readiness. Resist pressure to start early: this usually means a long struggle and a lot of puddles! Wait until the child shows signs of readiness, such as being able to use the potty when asked, tugging at their nappy when wet or dirty and being aware of when they wee or poo in their nappy.

On a practical level, have at least one potty per child and keep them close by and if relevant, one upstairs and one downstairs. Try to keep the potties in the toilets rather than in the middle of the sitting room - you want to encourage use of the toilet in the long term and putting a potty in the bathroom helps with this process, it also helps the children to learn how to hold until they get to the bathroom. Some parents recommend waiting for warm weather as children tend to be wearing less clothes and will find it easier to undress for using the potty if they need to go.

Don’t feel disheartened if things don’t click straight away – you need to expect a few accidents, but after a week or so if it's not going to plan or the child is getting distressed then it might mean that they aren’t ready You can easily start again in a few weeks time.

Bear in mind that what works for one child may not work for another so try different approaches and be patient.  Also remember that just because one child is showing signs of being ready to potty train it doesn’t necessarily mean that the others are ready too

Praise success: don’t react negatively if one child has been successful and the other hasn’t.

Many children are still not dry at night when they start school; this is not unusual. If you are worried, seek advice from your health visitor. For support and information about your children’s development from another parent of multiples, call Twins Trust’s freephone listening service Twinline on 0800 138 0509