We are currently in our 5th round of potty training. No, it hasn’t gotten easier for us!
There are those families that can successfully do the 3-day potty training thing. If you’re one of those, stop reading right now! Get in your car and come directly to my house. Please pack enough things to make it though those 3 days, because you’re not leaving until it’s done.
Other families however, like ours, must enjoy cleaning up pee from the floor and changing poop diapers for toddlers who may or may not refuse to use the toilet (for the record, our youngest will poop, but will not pee in the toilet.) Yes, friends, things are getting graphic in our house.
So, if you were to drop by unexpectedly, you will most likely find my toddler nakkie from the waist down, while I continuously ask if anyone needs to potty on an extremely regular basis.
Going to the bathroom is no longer (was it ever? I can’t remember?) a solitary event (fellow contributor, Leah, knows this all too well in this hilarious and adorable video). It’s a big deal! “LET’S GO TO THE RESTROOM! WHO NEEDS TO PEE?”
Bodily functions are dinnertime discussion and no one is safe from not talking about it. So, if you are potty training and also have a teen, make sure his friends are prepared to be asked if they poop in the toilet, too. (Insert hilarious teen laughter here!)
You would think, or I would anyway, that we would have this figured this out by now, but I’ll tell you, we don’t. Every time is different. Every kid is different. And I’m pretty sure that I have blocked it all out in my memory (there are only so many times you can wash “accident” undies). Although most of mine have been closer to 3 when fully toilet-trained, I’m not giving up hope that this one will be done within the next six weeks.
I’m tired of buying diapers!
We had most recently been doing the reward method, meaning the smallest one gets a jelly bean whenever he uses the toilet properly. This was really working well for us until said smallest one climbed on the counter, dumped a full bag of jelly beans (yes, I bought them after Easter for the purpose of potty training, knowing it was coming!) and ate most of the bag before brother busted him. Sadly we are now out of jelly beans and stickers, and candies and patience. I know, I know, they will use it when they’re ready…but I’m ready NOW (I just sang that in my best Veruca Salt voice)
So back to my original plea – I mean idea. If you’ve had the 3-day method of potty training work for you… when should I expect you?
I guess, if nothing else, send wine. And coffee. I’ll need something to make all of those extra trips to the bathroom worth it.
Book “oh crap potty training” helped me to trained my baby before she was 2. Well it took almost 3 months. But well worth it.
Sending you positive vibes and energy (sorry no wine and coffee 🙁 ). Hope you’ll get there soon :-).
Thank you! My oldest is 3.5 and refuses to be potty trained. It’s great to know that even a mom who has been through this 4 times before still has a child who has their own way of doing things.