I swore to myself a long time ago that I would NOT stress out about potty training. I would not get all worked up trying to get them to train on my schedule, and I wouldn't rush the process. Other milestones have been relatively easy for us, so I thought if I just let it happen in its own time, surely potty training would be too.
To which I now say: HAAAAAAAAA.
I realize that A & M are still relatively young; there are lots of kids who are not potty trained at two and a half. I'm still choosing not to stress and still trying to believe that the girls will use the potty when they're ready.
See, the thing is, I think they ARE ready...they just don't want to do it.
The girls have an interest in wearing "big-girl panties" and they seem to be tired of wearing diapers (they fuss about the diaper fitting wrong, etc.). They know all about the process of using the potty, and Mackenzie had a day or two last week when she went and was excited about it. The biggest sign that tells me they are physically ready, though, is the fact that their diapers are staying dry so often and so consistently.
Both girls wake up every single morning with dry diapers...and they sleep an average of twelve hours a night! They hold it several hours at a time during the day, often not even needing a diaper change during school hours. Mackenzie especially will tell us when she pees, and will often demand a new diaper immediately.
Even with all these signs, and even with the offer of nearly any treat imaginable...they STILL don't even want to talk about using the potty. And if they happen to be in panties and need to poop, forget it...they are going to beg for a diaper. Ahhhhhh, so frustrating!! They're ready physically, but not mentally, I guess?
So what should I do? Is it time for a potty-training boot camp, where I just throw out the diapers and spend a few days letting them feel the consequences of not using the potty? (I feel like Mackenzie is even closer to being ready than Addison...she even wore panties overnight and stayed dry one time last week...so I'm not opposed to doing it one at a time.)
Ideas? Opinions? Suggestions?
Help me!!
Could it be the potty itself? I bought potettes and Claire is terrified of them being on the potty but she'll use them on the floor. Maybe if they pick the potty chairs, and a new pack of panties, they will be more motivated?
ReplyDeleteBribery isn't as bad as they say!
And if you hold boot camp I'll need the time and dates :)
I wish I had some sage advice. My Baby A pretty well trained herself, well before I even thought about starting to train (at 27 months). Baby B, though, is another story. She's showing all the same signs as you described (dry diapers overnight for months, long stretches of dry during the day, AND she flips the moment she has a dirty diaper)...but she's not willing to go on the potty.
ReplyDeleteI'm still giving it some time. B seems to be inching closer (she actually went on the potty a little bit last week, and she's asked to sit on it a few times). I'm hoping things will *click* for her one day, as they seemed to for her sister.
At some point, though, if she doesn't initiate things (maybe if she's still not trained after her birthday?), I'll have to think about a different approach. The thought of Boot Camp scares me, but I would consider it.
I will say...I obviously trained my girls on different schedules. Of course I don't have anything to compare it to, but I've thought on a number of occasions how glad I am that it worked out that way. It was completely and utterly exhausting the first few weeks...even though A only had a couple of accidents, she kept me running with 100 trips to the potty a day there for a while...and then there was the thrill of public toilets. :/ It was really nice to be able to concentrate my efforts on her, until the "newness" wore off (I guess), and have B still in diapers.
I keep reminding myself, though, that potty training won't *literally* be the death of me. :) It seems that way at times, but we will survive!!!
Oh, I can hear myself in that! The girls were not firmly daytime trained until 3, or 3 1/2. Longer for nightime. Just keep taking baby steps. I didn't do anything monumental, just survived through it. There will be an end... And even then there are super fun regressions. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteooooh, this makes me laugh - I am soooo taking cues from the kids and from anything I read that works.
ReplyDeleteBTW the only consistent thing I've read is that do it when they look like they're ready - don't focus on the age!
But... K pooped yesterday, still no pee in the potty but a poo!
I think they're still messing around - we bought Connor pullups and he's proudly in "underpants like Daddy" but does Kendra want some panties? "no, thank you"
BOOTCAMP. My girls sound just like yours. For me however I have to be mentally ready for any of these milestones. One day they both came to me with wet diapers in their hand along with a dry diaper in the other and said they needed to be changed. I said no! This is enough. I took all the diapers, hide them (foolish to throw out), and said no more diapers you are big girls. Took a few days of very trying and frustrting mistakes but we got threw it. I was armed with plenty of rags and cleaning products. I didn't put anything on their bottoms (underwear can make them feel like they have support on so they forget) but naked they felt it down their leg, standing in their puddle and I just siad ok no problem wehre do we go peepee and we all say in the potty, they help me clen up and we move on. I did give them lots to drink and made them try on the hour. Also before we left the house,even to play in the backyard, they had to at least sit on the potty. Good luck!!!!! I feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteps my apologies for the massive amounts of spelling errors!
ReplyDeleteNumber 2 was much more difficult for them to do but amazingly like many people say one day they just got.
I have no advice about potty training twins :) I am still trying to conquer one. Ava doesn't always tell me. Every couple hours I take her and make her sit on the potty. Almost every time she goes. Just the other day she actually told me she had to go and it was poo. I was SO excited!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with others. Eventually it will happen.
omg. i'm scared to death of potty training. i can't even think about it!!! hopefully you'll figure it all out and give me some tips!
ReplyDeleteI used the underwear as a reward...they went pantsless until they peed on the potty...it was a very big deal.
ReplyDeleteDon't be ashamed of having to revert and start over again either...sometimes it's just not in the cards at that time. I got lucky...they were ready at the same time that I was!
I wish I had some advice. I could use some. I think the boys are close to ready, and for some time I thought they officially were ready. But I swear, you put big boy underwear on them and they will sit on the potty at regular intervals and not do anything. They will stay dry until the one second you turn away and then you find out they are wet and you missed it.
ReplyDelete