I'm trying to potty train my three year old. I have no idea what the eff I'm doing. Yes, I said eff.
I get lots of advice. I ask for lots of advice. I've skimmed the books. I say skim because after the first five pages, I stop. They all make it seem so easy. Just follow these five clever steps and voila...no more diapers. I've skimmed the articles, the blogs, polled the people on Facebook. I've heard if I use my seven year daughter's Baby Alive and have my son teach it to potty train its plastic self, he too will learn how, drum roll please, in a day or less.
Anyone over a certain age thinks I'm a year too late to the party. Some say it out loud. Others don't, instead they tell me about how their grand kids were trained and how their own babies were trained, all before age two. I will say, in their defense, if I had to scrub cloth diapers by hand I'd probably be more motivated. But I don't and I'm pretty sure that it's my son who's in control of his pee-nis, not me.
I can admit too, it totally intimidates me. I don't want to deal with it. This child in question is beautiful, smart and spirited in all the ways wonderful and behaviorally woeful.
Today we tried underwear. I asked every few minutes if he needed to pee. He tried several times. He went once and got his prized chocolate chips. Big high fives and knuckles! Then in the next 90 minutes he sprayed Thomas the Tank Engine, drowned Mickey Mouse and drenched The Hulk...in underwear and finally asked to wear his Buzz Lightyear pull-ups. I called it a day and we went to Wendy's for a Frosty and followed that tasty treat with a really good snuggle slash nap.
What's that Scarlett O'Hara said? Tomorrow is another day. Or was it, lather, rinse, repeat? No, that was the shampoo bottle I forgot to use today. It all starts to blur together after a while.
I get lots of advice. I ask for lots of advice. I've skimmed the books. I say skim because after the first five pages, I stop. They all make it seem so easy. Just follow these five clever steps and voila...no more diapers. I've skimmed the articles, the blogs, polled the people on Facebook. I've heard if I use my seven year daughter's Baby Alive and have my son teach it to potty train its plastic self, he too will learn how, drum roll please, in a day or less.
Anyone over a certain age thinks I'm a year too late to the party. Some say it out loud. Others don't, instead they tell me about how their grand kids were trained and how their own babies were trained, all before age two. I will say, in their defense, if I had to scrub cloth diapers by hand I'd probably be more motivated. But I don't and I'm pretty sure that it's my son who's in control of his pee-nis, not me.
I can admit too, it totally intimidates me. I don't want to deal with it. This child in question is beautiful, smart and spirited in all the ways wonderful and behaviorally woeful.
Today we tried underwear. I asked every few minutes if he needed to pee. He tried several times. He went once and got his prized chocolate chips. Big high fives and knuckles! Then in the next 90 minutes he sprayed Thomas the Tank Engine, drowned Mickey Mouse and drenched The Hulk...in underwear and finally asked to wear his Buzz Lightyear pull-ups. I called it a day and we went to Wendy's for a Frosty and followed that tasty treat with a really good snuggle slash nap.
What's that Scarlett O'Hara said? Tomorrow is another day. Or was it, lather, rinse, repeat? No, that was the shampoo bottle I forgot to use today. It all starts to blur together after a while.
You're adorably funny, my friend! You rock and Eli too, even if he isn't cooperating. I like your style of potty training...it'll all work out! It's not like he's going to be going to Kindergarten with a backpack full of diapers. It'll happen when it happens. In the mean time, take advantage of those nice snuggle moments. Those are the things that matter!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're blogging!
Put something at the bottom of the potty and tell him to go pee on it. For males, peeing on stuff is sometimes the reward in itself...not necessarily getting a reward after its done.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're blogging! Wish I had some sage advice to offer, I think Doug said it best!
ReplyDeleteBribes work...LOL! Vicente was bribed with school and Little Cisco wanted a big boy bed BUT it really doesn't matter how many times you ask or what bribes you give them. It's really up to them. We're just there for moral support. When Eli is ready then he'll start going. You're a good momma and I am so happy your blogging now!
ReplyDeleteI raised two boys. One of them got on the toilet at 3 and was trained in two days. I have no idea what I did, I think he was just ready. The other guy(you know who I mean Jen,) wasn't ready until he was 5! I was beside myself, but obviously, he was more of a control freak. I can't tell you how many bags of M&M's I went through. Perhaps he was onto something, so I switched from candy to money. Yes, even at that young age, he seemed to know the difference.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, they both turned out just fine. In fact, they are wonderful men.
The worst thing about potty training is the toll it takes on the mother. Keep laughing Jen!