We are several weeks into potty training my nearly 3yo. He pees in the potty like a pro. Without any prompting, he runs to the potty, pulls down his pants, and pees. And if I tell him he needs to pee before we leave the house, he runs to the potty and pees. He also has been dry at night for several months (long before potty training began) and has stayed dry for more than 3 hours while we were out of the house. And I should be grateful. But sometimes I'm not. Because he still poops in his underpants. He pooped several times in a row in the potty a few weeks ago and I thought we were home free. In fact, I read this post and felt really sad for all the poor schmucks (i.e., post author and commenters) whose boys just take so darn long to go #2 in the pot!
Well, the smugness is gone and desperation has arrived. You know how all those potty training books tell you to stay positive even when your kid has an accident (no blame! no shame!)? Yesterday I was positive during the first poopy accident, neutral and stoic during the second, and pretty ticked cleaning up the third ("Poop goes in the potty! Poop goes in the potty!" in an unfriendly voice). I shouldn't care that much, because I just throw his poopy underpants in the wash with the baby's cloth diapers. Yet, I do care, because my expectations have shifted. For the last 6+ months, he has NEVER pooped when we are out (only at home) nor in front of us, so I know he can control when he poops. So now I have pulled out the big guns: ridiculously awesome "Poo Poo Prizes" (leftover Christmas gifts he never got around to opening, etc.) and a "Poo Poo Treat" he picked out himself at Trader Joe's, which we purposely eat in front of him after we go #2. I'll let you know if it works.
On the other hand. . . inspired by this post and frustrated by my efforts with potty training a preschooler, I thought, maybe I'll try sitting my baby on the potty. My preschooler was not a very regular baby, but my second child, she poops every morning when she wakes up. So this morning when the baby and I woke up, I got up to change her diaper as usual when she started to strain just as I removed the diaper. Remembering my vow to do potty training differently with the next child, I took off the baby's diaper and whisked her off to sit on the potty seat on top of the toilet. She was kind of weirded out, but I sang some songs and made funny noises as I held her there. After a few minutes I thought to myself, this isn't going to work. And then you know what?
She pooped in the potty.
-------
What are you best potty training tricks?
To read everything I know about early potty training, CLICK HERE.
This post is part of
Awesome. You are so entertaining!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ashley. I'm so glad you find my children's use of the potty entertaining. I mean that. Maybe you want to do a guest post? You always seem to know stuff from your Science mags, etc.
ReplyDeletestruggling with the VERY same thing! Hang in there...
ReplyDeletesawin,
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one. If you solve this mystery before I do, please let me know.
Before I had Sophie, I had seen something about Asian babies being potty trained from infancy. I was so determined that would be my baby! And then the reality of taking my child to work with me set in. If Landon gets on a regular schedule, I'll try this!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving this blog, by the way. Keep posting and I'll keep reading :)
We are doing Natural Infant Hygiene with our 6 mo son and it's going well! Most poop is in the potty and we are working on pee. Had we started earlier I think it would have been more effective (although a lot of work up front admittedly). Keep trying, I find it worth it!
ReplyDelete