Potty Training

I think it's funny how I keep putting off potty training Jeremy. He's 2 1/2, which is on the younger side of when boys are ready to don the big boy underwear. But, it's definitely in my thought process. A couple weeks ago, I pulled out the potty chair and bought Jeremy some Thomas the Tank Engine underwear. We've started talking more and more about it in hopes he will somehow put 2 and 2 together and begin to understand what will be expected of him.

During the summer months this year, which is usually when I love to potty train, I decided to wait with Jeremy until after we moved. I mean really, what 2 year old can handle moving and potty training all at once? It would end in disaster. So, we moved and then it was, "I'll wait until after we travel" or "after Thanksgiving." And now, I am going to wait until after Christmas. By that time, I may decided to wait until after the baby is born because I can't run very fast while 9 months pregnant. Why is this an important part of my story? Because if your 2 year old says he needs to go potty, he needs to go NOW! If I have to scoop him up and run with him, well....let's just say we'd both be sad and messy.

(I want to just say right now that the night before I begin potty training, I am pacing the floor, wringing my hands together, nervous as all get out! I ask Greg again and again if I can really do this, I get rid of the diapers and prepare for what seems like an impossible task. I know that once I get started, there is no turning back....I will not go back to diapers.)

I do have a few techniques to potty training that worked quite well for our 2 older kids. But, the child has to show signs of readiness before beginning. Some signs include waking up from nap time dry, being aware of when they are going potty in their diapers, etc. So far, Jeremy is only showing the latter sign, so that gives me good reason to wait until after Christmas, or after the baby is born, or after whatever will come up next after that.

As I mentioned above, my favorite season to potty train is summer. Why? Well, basically I put the child in big boy/girl underwear and a pair of sweatpants, (for absorbency) then I send them outside. I set a timer for every hour, or 1/2 hour if the child hasn't gone in awhile, and whenever the timer goes off, we try to go potty. (If the child does go potty, I set it for another hour all throughout the day.) I only set aside a week for potty training. And let me tell you, it is in intensive week! That's why the child NEEDS to show the signs of readiness. I also try to think how unnerving this is for the poor kid. Ever since he was born, he's been going in his diaper and now all of a sudden, Mommy is telling him it's okay to do it in the potty. He feels like there's no control! Sometimes it takes a lot of coaxing and reassuring for him to feel it's okay.

My other technique is to pull out Baby Carrie. She is a doll that wets all by herself. She came with her own potty chair, 'drinks' from a sippy cup, and immediately wets. Of course, you have to set her on her potty chair while giving her a drink, but what excitement there is when you discover what's in her potty chair! The idea is for your child to 'teach' the doll how to go potty. As soon as she does go, you celebrate, big time. Cheer, clap, do the happy dance! In doing so, your child will want that attention for him/herself too. It works like a charm. At least for my kids.

So, during this week of training, the 1st day is all failures. I make sure I have plenty of underwear and sweat pants ready. The second day there are a few successes, the rest failures. The 3rd day is mostly a success and by the end of the week, for the most part, the child is trained. I don't believe in pull-ups. They are expensive for me and confusing for the child. I want my child to get the full effect of being wet so they won't want to keep doing it. It is quite shocking and uncomfortable! Plus, they don't want to get Thomas wet! Or Cinderella, whatever it happens to be. :)

Now, my 'techniques' worked for my 1st two kids and I would love to have them work for Jeremy too. But, they might not. I can't say that training 2 kids has made me an expert or my techniques fool-proof. But, eventually I am going to have to tackle this task, to face that intensive week head on....and it might not be summer when I get to do it.

I consider potty training to be one of the most adventurous, hardest, most rewarding part of motherhood. It's not for the faint of heart, it's frustrating, we lose sleep over it. But, it's WORTH it, we CAN get through it, and we get to STOP buying diapers. (Or we buy fewer diapers, for those of us with babies....) If you have any tips or techniques you'd like to share, please do! This is a daunting task, even for someone who has done it once or twice before!