I just don't know.
#3 is creeping up on 21 months.
He's the size of a 2 year old.
He talks like a 3 year old.
But, he still handles his "business" like a 1 year old.
Which I'm fine with.
Totally, completely, 100% FINE with.
I mean, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things I'd rather be doing than plunging up to my elbows in child made feces a few times a day.
And, I'm considering giving it a real go just to get the obsessed-berating-in-my-day-ride-you-till-you-break Mimi monkey off my back.
She's filled to overflowing with tips, tricks, comments, and well meaning (but tiresome) advice about when and how one should potty train a toddler.
It's not that her suggestions bother me, it's more that she's sorta beating a dead horse (dead horse being me) on this one, as I've successfully potty trained two older children I'm really not in the market for advice on the subject.
After trying two distinct methods: potty train by a certain age v. potty train when the child is definitely ready to be successful I've come to the conclusion that I'll do it when
I'm not one of those people who can be consistent for long periods of time. I don't work out consistently, I don't eat healthy consistently, I don't clean my house consistently.
I'm more of a kick girl; workout kicks, diet kicks, cleaning kicks.
Sad? I'm sure.
True? Unquestionably.
Knowing this, I'm not sure why potty training would be any different?
I just can't keep at it for months on end, with regressing, and rebelling, and all that junk.
With #1 I succumbed to the Mimi Master (he was my first, she was my Mr. Miyagi).
He took months to train. He'd do well for a day or two and then randomly piss all over himself (and numerous corners of that house) the next.
Then he got the liquids under control only to be thwarted by the solids.
He would sneak off to various hiding spots (the pantry, the closet, under the table, etc) to do his dirty.
Can't find the baby?
Must be taking a crap.
And, should you happen to locate him in the midst of his "lightening" he would get seriously peeved (which for him meant he staged a nonviolent sit-in wherein he resisted being relocated to the bathroom by use of the dead weight strategy).
#2 entirely different story.
I waited until he was two and a half, I brought out the supplies, I gave him the instruction manual, and in less than 7 days he was workin' that potty chair.
So, with #3, I'd planned to
Until he came up with an alternate plan.
We'll call this Plan #3: Operation Teach Yourself.
It was devised entirely by #3 because the extent of my potty training up to this point involved me sitting him on the pot before his bath just to get him outta the way while I filled the tub.
But, a coupla days ago, after an unforgettably-rotten-cloth-diaper-ruining deuce I had words with him.
Me: Seriously, Kid. This is bad business. We need to talk about you using the potty.
#3: Umhm, Mommy.
Me: No, really. *Gag*. This is insane Dude, what did you eat? You smell like a grown man down here.
#3: I tinky Mommy? My poopy tinky?
Me: Understatement, Buddy. Your poopy foul. Your poopy reeks.
#3: *Clapping* My poopy tinky. *Forces out a fart for emphasis.
Me: Do you think you could go in the potty instead? When you feel it low down in your tummy, you gotta tell Mommy your tummy hurts and you gotta go potty. Can you do that for me kiddo? Tell me when you feel it and we'll hurry up to the pot. Kay?
#3: Kay, Mommy. Peepee in potty. I peepee in potty.
Me: Actually, you don't, but it would be awesome if you did, kay?
#3: Kay, Mommy.
I strapped on his brand new, fancy shmansy Bumkin All-in-One diaper that we recently received for review (which we love by the way, but we are not huge fans of the two piece deal because it slips and slides around a bit trying to keep up with Action Jackson over here).
Hours later, little man is outta the bath and I'm about to zip him in the jams for the night when outta nowhere Smarty Pants Baby says, "In my tummy, go peepee".
I'm perplexed. I question him, he repeats, I consider ignoring, I decide that would be wrong, I drag him to the potty where low and behold...
THE KID PEED.
IN THE POTTY.
ON HIS OWN.
WTH?!
We had a huge Peepee in the Potty Party (read, I ran around the house teary eyed screaming @ top of lungs that praise is in order while other family members halfheartedly shared in my enthusiasm and/or ignored me completely).
Next day, I'm reluctant, but I decided to capitalize on this little gift from above.
I roll out the training undies (I'm convinced that Pull Ups, especially the feel and learn sort, were invented my Satan).
I drag the baby potty outta the garage.
Set it all up, introduce him to it, and get ready for the magic.
After at least 18 uneventful trips to the potty (I think he might have just wanted to check out the sights), he peed on my floor once and in the oven of his play kitchen twice (at least he knew to put it somewhere).
I don't consider this progress by any stretch of the imagination, and now I'm not sure what to do: keep letting him drag me to the potty for exploration and toilet papering or throw in the towel temporarily until both of us are a little more into it?
17 comments:
I only have two kids, but with them I took the exact route you took with the first two. the first one was a constant battle (come to think of it, everything with the first one is STILL a constant battle...) The second was shown how it all worked, everything was made available, and when she was ready she just did her thing. MUCH easier on both of us.
I have no advice to share, just my own experience.
Good luck to you both!!!
He is so cute with his tinky poop and all. lol. girl i would give it a couple days of potty and reminders of where peepee goes and then make an assessment as to whether he's ready.
He seems like he is, he knows the feeling... but the new potty and everything might be distracting him a bit. Novelty thing. But he definitely know what the feeling is about and that's major.
With my first, the potty thing was a challenge - he preferred to use the big people potty. He knew that's where it went, and he just thought the potty was a cute little seat. Maybe he just didn't want to get it dirty. Didn't get the connection at first at all.
Good luck!
oh m.y is he ca ute.
i laugh so hard at you.
not with you
simply at you
and i loves it.
lord.. just when i got 2 done..
i went and had another.
I was ready to say: Hey PBD! I'm done! na na na na na
and then I halted myself.
xoxox
looking 4 ur contest.
I am a HUGE believer in the wait until they are ready approach. I took that route with my first and had the same results you did with your second.
I'm not sure you should let your third continue that way. You don't want to discourage him but it also seems you can have some pretty honest conversations with him and he understands. Maybe tell him that you are sooo proud but it seems he may not be ready to wear his big boy pants yet and that you'll try again when he is? I'm no expert but it may be worth a try.
My first one was so horrible. She wasn't trained until after four. And she still has to wear a pullup at night time and nap. Last night I could tell that the Bud was going poo so I asked him if he wanted to go to the potty and he nodded yes. I had David take him in there and he had already done his business, but he sat on the bit potty. I'm hoping that this is a sign that he will be easier to train than his sister.
Obviously I am no help. Miss M. is going to be attending the Prom in a Pull-Up, I fear.
My first was easy. One day she just ripped the diaper off and never wore one again. She was 19 months old :)
My son, not so much. I tried and tried to get him to get interested and here and there he would do it. Finally at 2-1/2 I said I would just let him be...and he'd tell me when he was ready. He turned 3 in July and FINALLY the day after his birthday he decided he was too big for diapers and he's been doing great ever since.
I dont think there is any harm in letting him explore the potty. Hopefully he'll get interested soon :)
Aww Bless him! He is so adorable! :) I'm dreading the potty training days! x
I have no advice to shar ebecause we haven't gotten there yet.
But I would kepp trying with #3 just because he looks SOOOOO adorable sitting on the potty :)
Good Luck!
Isn't it odd that our moms can't see that we are successful parents in our own right and therefore they can cut down on the 'advice?' I hope that at some point we're adults in their eyes but I fear not.
I think you learned a huge lesson with #2 and should be just as mellow with #3. Ask him what he wants to do and set a limit on the number of accidents you're willing to put up with before the experiment ends. Assure him he'll get another chance when he's a bit older. All good.
Ok I'm crying....literally crying. Potty training sucks the big toe because you never know when they'll get it and when they'll all the sudden not care. Then the carpet is ruined.
Good luck and I hope it works out soon.
i think i'm a little lucky here.
my boy, ethan, used to not poop for days when he's 10 mths old. then one day when i was too frustrated to keep checking his diaper to see if he did go, i put him on his potty, and BOMB! he pooped right in there! since then he only poops in potty without any training at all.
i know potty train could be very frustrating. good luck. :)
Oh Lord, I can't relate, but I can sympathize. And as soon as I learn how to go potty all by myself, I will let you know how I did it. But, until then...good luck!
I know this post was about potty training and everything, but I'm kind of stuck on how well #3 speaks. My second daughter is 23 months old and has yet to come close to that. I'm not jealous. Really, I'm not. But seriously, when did he start speaking like that?
I've always heard boys take longer than girls to potty train. I'm impressed with your guys! But I think I'll hold off until my baby is about 7. ;) Not interested.
So I have no idea what I'm doing as far as training goes. I've been sitting my daughter on the potty once a day more so that she won't be terrified of it later than for actual training. She's 13 months and I'm not really in a hurry just introducing the idea and tonight she went pee pee and potty in the potty. WTH? Crazy right? I'm sure this will be repeated again when she is 3. Until then I'll keep remembering when she did it on her own.
Well, I don't cook, so I can't blame him for peeing in the oven! I'm a kick girl too!
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