I've always heard that potty training girls is a lot easier than potty training boys. I've never trained either so I wouldn't know, but I will definitely agree it's hard nonetheless. The article I read about doing a 3 day potty training bootcamp made me aware it would be challenging so I didn't enter it thinking it would be a breeze. Originally, I didn't potty train L before H was born because I have heard children often regress when a baby arrives. Then I thought about doing it while Jeremy was home on paternity leave, but L just needed attention during that time so that wasn't good timing. We tried again a few months later (over Christmas break), but he seemed to want no part in underwear which surprised me. He's worn underwear quite a few times in the afternoon and evening because I didn't want to waste another diaper for something like 30 minutes of wear before bath time. Call me a cheapskate but I didn't think that was worth it. He always did great in the underwear during those moments, but when we tried to put them on him over the break he PITCHED A FIT or two... or just one really big one. We tried multiple days, but over and over he'd kick and scream. Yes, we have that kid who knows what he wants/doesn't want. I'm sure I'm not the only one with a child like this. I was so bummed that we didn't get to train him over the break because I thought it would help having someone there to help. Oh yeah, I guess I should mention the 3 month old sibling. She loves to be held and she loves to be in on all the action. All. The. Time. Now, that is fine and good when there are multiple adults in the house or on any normal day when I'm here during the day, but when trying to potty train... yeah.... and that's what brings me to write an entirely different post on just the potty training adventures.
The article I read had incredible information, but I read it during nap time of day 1. I didn't follow it precisely, so I'm sure it will take longer than 3 days... also I have a child that may not be completely ready but as the mother of the child, I'm ready so I'll forfeit my sanity.
Day 1: January 3
Accidents: 2
Gone on potty- 5
Sat on potty- 6
Reward-Stickers
He didn't love sitting on the potty and seemed a little fearful of it at times.
Day 2: January 4
Accidents- 2
Gone on potty- 0
Sat on potty- 10--- diaper from nap on because of plans with Evan and Morgan
He did okay sitting on the potty today but he didn't want to go. He wanted to hop right up.
Day 3: January 5
Accidents- 0
Gone on potty- 7
Sat on potty- 1 (long time on and off because he said he needed to poop) plus 9 other times
Wow! I'm so impressed with L today. He went to the potty 7 times. I asked him constantly, but we'd go about once an hour. He was so impressed with himself too. He'd clap and smile so big when he'd go. He got an M&M each time he went. I was most worried about nap time. He didn't want me to put him in a diaper so I took a deep breath, said a prayer (or two), laid down some mattress pads to help (oh he didn't like it that I put them down), and then looked at him every few minutes on the camera. He didn't go! We even went to a friends house for dinner. We took his potty seat and he went once there (with 2 other times just sitting there). Today he liked me to sit there with him and read books while he went.
Day 4: January 6
Accidents- 2 wet in hall, 1 poop in closet
Gone on potty- 2
Sat on potty- 2
The article said that day 1 would be the hardest. I think this day was by far the hardest (so far). The day started as any other morning. I went into L's room to get him out of his crib, give him his milk, and get him out of his diaper. He has a hard time waking up in the morning so he doesn't always want to get out of his crib. Some days he sits in there for a few minutes, then he will flop around and finally he will be ready to get up. During the break, I think he was still in the waking up mode and not quite ready to make the decision about wearing underwear. Well, this morning it started as a battle. He didn't want to get out of his diaper. He just wanted to stay in it. I don't know if it was because he was embarrassed that he wet in it or what, but he kept trying to hide from me and would cry if I tried to get him. It was so sad. I left him be, but knew I needed to change him soon because it was super full. He continued to act like this for a while and it finally was too full and started leaking, so I got him to let me take it off (but still was upset with me about it). I pressed on and he let me put underwear on him and even took his wet clothes to the laundry room to throw them in the washing machine.
I've learned over the past few days that he will go to the bathroom about once an hour. Even though I ask him if he has to go all the time, he usually says, "no." When it comes to the hour mark, I know he truly needs to go but may not be ready to tell me that he is indeed ready to go. He wet himself due to him being stubborn about not going. The article was very clear about making sure you don't make them feel bad, but it is always frustrating when I've been asking him, taking him to the bathroom, and trying to get him to sit on the toilet constantly. He's been really weird about keeping on his wet clothes today, I think that's due to him being embarrassed. It hurts me to see him like that.
When I try to get him on the toilet and he arches his back, cries out, or reaches for me as if the toilet terrifies him, it hurts me. It breaks my heart. I don't want to force something on him that he's not ready to do or is scared to try and I want to make it as fun as possible, but at the same time it's super frustrating when I'm trying so hard and he says he doesn't want to go and then that causes him to have an accident.
After accident #1, I kept asking him and finally I got him to sit on the toilet and he went. Phew... I thought we were off and rolling again, but I was wrong. The thing I was worried about for the entire day yesterday was bound to happen at some point and I was not going to let it catch me off guard. He hadn't pooped in a few days so I knew it was coming. He kept saying he needed to go but I wouldn't let him out of my sight. Well, then my body said that if I didn't go myself then I'd be in big trouble. Of course my little bathroom buddy joined me. He loves to play in the bathroom. He turns on the water in the tub, gets the toilet bowl brush, pulls out the cleaning supplies, and often brings his toys in there to play. He did his normal bathroom things but then he walked into the closet. I knew what that meant. I hopped up as fast as I could, but it wasn't fast enough. The frozen stance, grunt, and pursed lips only meant one thing. I failed. I rushed him to my toilet but he wouldn't have anything to do with it since it didn't have his little potty seat on it... and he wiped some poop on it in the struggle. I then rushed him to the hall bathroom and got working. Before I tell you what all that entailed, let me add to the story that I had to put H in her swing when I had to go to the bathroom and she immediately started screaming. Yeah, now review the story and think about a baby screaming for about 5 minutes. How can your nerves not be frazzled? I'm frustrated with myself because I didn't want him to poop in his pants but he did anyway. I'm also frustrated because it seems to be a much bigger mess than I even thought (and I knew it would be rough). Okay, back to the story... Beware it's gross.
As I slide his pants down to sit him on his seat, to find out that he doesn't need to go anymore, the poop spreads. There's no way around it. It's on his leg, foot, toilet seat, stool, and on the floor if he moves at all. I get his pants off and put as much of the poop in the toilet as I can, then I start to clean him with toilet paper. I then run to the bedroom to get some wipes so it will be easier. When I come back he made his way off the toilet seat and is standing on his stool so the poop spread even more. I am already grossed out by things like this, so having to clean it up is absolutely miserable. Oh and remember I have a screaming child in the living room waiting on me to come pick her up. The toilet clogs (of course it would) when I flush (and no I didn't flush the wipes). I then have to get out the plunger so it won't overflow. L then wants to play with the plunger and I'm just trying to clean everything up. I get the Clorox wipes out from underneath the sink and start cleaning with them. Then I get the toilet bowl cleaner to try to sanitize everything I can. I have a 2 year old running around the bathroom without any underwear or pants and he is trying to play with the plunger. From there, we venture to the laundry room and wash the poop off of the clothes in the sink, but of course he needs to watch (because he's super sad about what I'm doing). I tell him to go get his stool if he wants to watch, so he does. The 3 month old is still screaming. I finally get the clothes soaking in detergent, put knew underwear and pants on him (after a fit), and get to go pick up the baby. She immediately stops crying but is wet with sweat from all the crying.
When I picked him up from his chair after he finished his lunch, I noticed he was wet. He didn't even tell me he had to go, so I didn't have a clue he went. He cried a lot during lunch (about everything-what he got to eat, what he didn't get to eat, me washing his cup, me turning on his nap music...) but until then I didn't make the connection it was because he was embarrassed he wet himself again. After many tears and a change of clothes, he wanted me to lay the mattress pad covers down on his bed for his nap. We were both ready for a nap.
His new potty chair came. He went on it. Let's see if he will use it often.
Day 5: January 7
Accidents-1 on our bathroom mat
Gone on potty-3
He pitched a huge fit when I tried to make him go and he said he didn't need to go-"no potty no." We've had some incidences like that recently too. He will arch his back (if I try to put him on it) and make himself stiff or even lay on the floor and kick because he doesn't want to go. I was so afraid he would have an accident because it had been an hour since he went, but he didn't. Jeremy said he may not have to go all the time since I'm really not making him drink lots of drinks. He even held it during his nap!!!
Day 6: January 8
Accidents- 2 (1 in floor of his room, 1 in his highchair)
Gone on the potty-2
He kept sitting on the potty because he wanted a treat but he wouldn't go. He had an accident in his highchair at lunch at my parent's house because he kept refusing to go and then he said he needed to go and my mom was in the bathroom with his potty seat. He stalled 30 minutes after we got home from my parent's house because he said he needed to go but was just sitting there. He'd hop up and down from the seat. I finally made him lay down for his nap.
Day 7: January 9
Accidents- 2 in floor of room plus 1 with a little poop because he apparently didn't finish
Gone on potty-3, 1 poop
Face timed Miriam (and Jolly the cat) as a treat. He had his little people from his train set go potty too and wanted them to get a treat.
Day 8: January 10
Accidents- 1 in highchair
Gone on potty-2 standing up, 1 sitting
He wet through the diaper last night. He didn't want to sit down to potty today. He saw Jeremy stand up so he thinks that's what he needs to do now.
Day 9: January 11
Accidents-1 poop, 1 wet at church
Gone on potty-6
He insisted on standing up again today. He went two times out in public during the day. He went at Hobby Lobby and at Your Pie. He went for Hannah two times at church but he had an accident in the nursery at church.
Day 10: January 12
Gone on potty-5
Day 11: January 13
Accidents- 2 (poop/didn't finish; wet in dining room)
Gone on potty- 5 (1x at the park)
We went to the park in the morning because it was nice outside. I thought it would be fun to go play on the playground. What I didn't know was that he would find the bathroom (where we spent about 20 minutes) to be more fun than the playground (where were spent maybe 5 minutes). What a fun experience! I don't think he'd ever been to a public restroom other than the one at Hobby Lobby and Your Pie the other day. Well, this was the first time he'd been to a bathroom that had an automatic toilet, automatic soap dispenser, automatic faucet, and automatic hand dryer. Oh can you imagine the size of his eyes when things started without him having to do anything.... well, I will add to that... the size of HER eyes changed as well. His eyes were full of excitement, but hers were filled with fear because the noises weren't that soft in an enclosed cement room. Needless to say, he decided we needed to visit that bathroom another 4+ times. He didn't have to go again any of the times, but he sure knew how to get me there quickly. He found it quite fun. As soon as we'd get 10 steps, no maybe 5 steps, away from the bathroom door, he'd say, "potty!" and we'd have to go back in. Pulling a stroller in the door and then pushing it into the stall every time wasn't enjoyable to say the least. I finally got him to go on the track around the lake and that kept his mind off of going to the bathroom. Phew, it wore me out! After we got home from the park, he told me he needed to go, but he started to poop before we made it to the bathroom. He said he was finished when I sat him on the toilet and wanted to get up immediately after I sat him down. A few minutes later he went again in his pants because he wasn't finished. It got all over the stool (I had to wash it and use a toothpick to get it out of the crevices), on his foot, and even on the door because he turned around and hit it while I was wiping him. It was quite an experience. My mom and I were working on some scarf bibs during his nap time. When he woke up he was excited she was there and wasn't paying attention to his body and wet himself in the dining room while he was playing with all the sewing stuff.
Day 12: January 14
Gone on potty-6 (1x at Costco for me not Jeremy, 2x on small potty chair with Cindy)
He went to the grocery store with Jeremy in the morning and held it the entire time. Then we went to Costco. He went for me at Costco, but didn't want to go with Jeremy when he took him to the men's room. After his nap, he spent the afternoon with Cindy and the Cash family. They were outside and she had his potty chair on the porch. He told her he needed to go and they ran to the porch and he went.
Day 13: January 15
Gone on potty- 7 (1x at church with me; 1x at the Rosbury's house)
He went a total of 7 times. He went before we headed to church, held it during the entire service, then I took him and he went before we left church. I was so proud of him. We had a birthday party for three of the Rosbury's but he went during the party too. He seemed like he needed to poop but I think he is a little scared to go. He went back and forth to the potty a lot in the evening and even got out of his bath because he said he needed to go. Sometimes he just needed to toot. No accidents!!!
Day 14: January 16
Accidents-1 poop during nap; 1 wet in highchair
Gone on potty-5
Today, was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I took H to the doctor for her 4 month check up so Jeremy kept L while I was there. He did great while I was gone. Then I had a Gym Dogs meet, so Jeremy got to keep both of the kids. First, we all went to lunch at Taqueria Tsunami and then he took the kids back home. L asked to go to the potty twice at lunch which was great. I was hoping things would go smoothly because much of the meet would be during nap time. Nap time was cut short by a fun pooping accident. Yeah, he went in his bed. It was contained though which was a blessing. Needless to say, he didn't really want to nap after that. He then had an accident in his highchair during dinner. I was feeding H, Cindy and Jeff were there and had just left, and then Jeremy and my mom were cooking a Blue Apron meal. He got a little distracted by everything and just went and didn't even say anything. I saw it dripping on the floor.
Day 15: January 17
Accidents-2 (in our bedroom and on backdoor mat)
Gone on potty-6
He went 6 times on the potty during the day. We went to turn in his preschool application and I was on the phone with Miriam when we got back home. I asked him if he needed to go potty but was on the phone so he was distracted by me. He started going in the bedroom and after I cleaned it up he went some more on the backdoor mat (I guess he wasn't finished/was embarrassed so he didn't go all the way).
Day 16: January 18
Gone on potty-7
No accidents!
Went a total of 7 times during the day! He went 3x within 5 minutes in the morning, went at Hobby Lobby, and went at Jason's Deli!!
Day 17: January 19
Gone on potty-5
No accidents- went at Zaxby's!
Day 18: January 20
So, this was the day I'd been anxiously anticipating for a few days. Yes, I can anxiously anticipate something. Since the potty training adventure started, L hasn't been pooping every other day so there are days I am waiting and waiting for the disaster to strike. It can strike at any moment and because I am not feeling what he is feeling, I don't necessarily know when the poop may come. I thankfully avoided the Monday nap poop, but now it had been 4 days and so I knew the poop had to come eventually. We had been accident free all day. I had to go to another Gym Dogs meet so I was preparing things for Jeremy because he was taking the kids to his great aunt's birthday party at Provinos while I was gone. In the midst of setting out things, L told me he needed to potty. I put H down on his floor and we rushed to the potty and he went and even had a solid bit of poop. I was SOOOO proud of him. First off, I was proud he told me before he went in his pants. Second, I am glad we made it to the toilet before he went. Third, I am thankful he went in his little toilet because there are times he's afraid to go poop or to sit there a long time. I asked him if he needed to go more because it wasn't a ton (for 4 days), but he said he didn't. I flushed it and cleaned the potty and went back to preparing things for Jeremy. I dodged a bullet, right?! Ha, I wouldn't tell you this story if I had. Over the next few minutes, he kept telling me he had to go potty. I took him every time because I knew he wasn't really finished. It wasn't until the 2nd or 3rd time that the fun times came. I laid Holland down again and tried pull his pants down as quickly as I could to sit him on his little potty. I noticed he went a little beforehand and it landed on the floor. I told him to sit there and go potty so I could clean up the floor. I noticed it seemed to be tracked on the floor. I looked on his shoes and they were clean. Phew...That's when I realized I stepped in it on the way to his little potty. I immediately took off my shoe, put it by the sink and got the chlorox wipes. He seemed to be done, but I wouldn't let him move until the floor was clean. That could have been so much worse, so again I thought I'd made it out fairly well. It was when I went to pull up his pants that the poop had made it's way into his underwear and onto his pants. Of course it smeared when I pulled them off and got on his legs and socks. By this time the house STUNK. I cleaned him off with baby wipes, cleaned out his toilet and then went to wash his clothes. My mom showed up during all of this and picked H up off the ground. L still didn't have on clothes because I was more worried about cleaning up the poop so I could leave. (Oh yeah, Jeremy got stuck in traffic so he wasn't home yet... if he had been home at the time we planned, he would have gotten to deal with this). While I was in the laundry room washing the things off in the sink, L came running to me rubbing his eye (that was super red). He wasn't too happy. I screamed down the hall to my mom to ask her what happened to him, but she was with H so she didn't even know what he was doing. I ran to the bathroom and realized he'd gotten some 409 out. Now, I know him well enough to know he turned the bottle around and sprayed it in his eye.... but the 409 is kept in the kitchen underneath the childproofed cabinet. Yeah... well he thought he'd help me out and clean some more and got the 409, that wasn't in the OFF position, and sprayed himself. My mom then put H down on the floor and we both went to splashing out the spray from his eye. Jeremy walked into this and was like, "what's going on?" Ha. He missed the adventure that's for sure. After that, L was great at Provinos for Jeremy and even went potty twice there. H on the other hand cried the entire time.
Day 19: January 21
No accidents!
Day 20: January 22
No accidents!
He did a great job holding it while he was in his class at church. He went right when I picked him up and took him to the bathroom.
Day 21: January 23
No accidents!
We had dinner at my parent's house and he went there without a problem.
Day 22: January 24
No accidents!
He still has days he doesn't want to get out of his diaper in the morning and today was one of them. He pitched a fit every time I tried to change him. I finally got him out of his diaper at 10:30 AM! Jeremy had to change him during the night because of a poopy diaper though so maybe he was embarrassed.
Day 23: January 25
No accidents!
He does a great job at going at church on Wednesday nights now. We haven't had another accident at church yet. For the past few days he has put some treat on his nightstand for when he gets up from his nap. I always think it's his treat for going before his nap but he doesn't eat it until after he gets up and goes potty.
Day 25: January 26
No accidents! He gravitates to the actual toilet with his potty seat on it these days. That's easier for me because I don't have to clean the little chair insert every time he goes.
Day 26: January 27
No accidents!
He went poo-poo in the actual potty--with his little adaptor! I can tell when he needs to go because he wants to go to the bathroom every few minutes. We took some spinning suction cup table toys in the bathroom with us and he sat there until he was completely finished. I was so impressed. It was right before I had to leave for the Gym Dogs meet so I was also glad no one else had to worry about it.
Day 27: January 28
He went at Publix and even got a balloon! We had an accident today during nap time. This was the first time we've had an accident in a while. He lays down about 1. He was still sleeping after 3:30.... then 4:00 came along. I was so impressed with how long he was sleeping, but knew it might cause a problem. He always goes to the bathroom before laying down, but that's a long time for a little boy to hold it. I don't know if he woke up and went, or if he went and then that woke him up, but either way I heard him and went in there as fast as I could. His pants and sheets were wet but nothing that a quick change of clothes and load of clothes couldn't help. I'm so impressed we've done really well with nap time over the course of the past few weeks and that's something I was most nervous about. We haven't started tackling night time though.
Day 28: January 29
No accidents!
He had a great day and even went to the bathroom at church for the nursery workers! I usually take him immediately when I pick him up, but I was super impressed he went for them. We had small group that night too and he even went for those nursery workers too.
Day 29: January 30
No accidents!
We went out with some friends and Momma kept L. After she had put a diaper on him and got him ready for bed he said he needed to go. She had to take off the diaper, but he wasn't kidding because he went. Some got on his pjs because his pants weren't down far enough so they changed his clothes. She asked him where his pjs were and he picked out athletic shorts. He said, "poo-poo" and put the wet clothes in his hamper and drug it to the laundry room. When we got home Jeremy smelled something and a little bit later L woke up. He'd pooped in his diaper and it STUNK! At least it didn't get all in his bed.
Day 30: January 31
No accidents!
He carried around a Costco muffin all morning and said "treat" as if he were asking if that was his treat for going potty... It was his breakfast, but it turned into an all morning snack/treat for going potty. It got pushed around in his shopping cart, put in a bowl and his pots/pans from his kitchen, and it even got put in his dump truck and wheeled around. We played outside in the morning and one time he said he needed to go and we ran into the house but he held it. He cracks me up with how he saves something from lunch and puts it on his nightstand so it can be his treat for when he wakes up from his nap and goes potty. These are things he picks out so it's quite interesting...Sometimes the treats are better than others (popcorn, raisins, fish sticks, M&M, Cheese-Its, cookie). I'd personally want something sweet, but to each his own. When he was in our bathroom, he said, "poo-poo" and pointed to the floor mat where he wet himself a long time ago and I told him we washed the mat. He went at my parent's house in the evening too. I still ask him if he has to go all the time. I am going to pull back on that and see how he does with just telling me he has to go.
Feb. 1-7
This week we had a few accidents mainly because I wasn't asking him constantly. He also didn't want to get out of his diaper most mornings (he doesn't like to be rushed) so when we did put on his underwear, he didn't let me know he needed to go to the bathroom since he was used to having on a diaper. One night he stood in the kitchen and went and I probably looked at him like he was CRAZY because he didn't even mention he needed to go and I'd been asking him throughout the evening. We had a fun time at Taqueria Tsunami one night because we were up and running him to the bathroom more than we were actually at the table eating. He said he needed to go over and over but never went when we took him to the bathroom. We finally put a diaper on him because we decided he must have had to go #2 and he still has a hard time sitting still and waiting. He didn't go in that diaper, but did go that night. He went #2 again a few days later but did a great job of sitting on the potty the whole time. It was an entire morning of running back and forth to the potty, but once he finally sat on it to go, he actually went. We now play with some toys, take a book, and even have a squeeze pouch for him while he goes so that helps. I think he's starting to get better at telling me he needs to go without me asking him all the time. He even started a trend at church because he said he needed to go and then a few other kids said they needed to go too. We are still wearing athletic pants most days though because they are super easy to remove when the time comes to go potty. Still, almost daily we read his "potty book" and learn things about going potty.
End of May-Middle of June
For about 4 weeks I wanted to pull out my hair. L would hold his poop in for days. He'd go about every 4 days. The 3rd and 4th day were MISERABLE for him and me. He'd walk around saying, "I need me mummy." He'd hang on me. He'd say, "Hold tight" and want me to hold him.
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