Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Happy Days Are Here Again!





The Potty training dilemma….to train or not to train……that is my question ~for now anyhow.
I just hate when you are out in public, like the park for instance and the ever all knowing mommy decides to engage you in a conversation about the joys of potty training. I personally think she is just looking for a opening to pontificate about their perfectly trained potty genius . I guess she just needed a chance to puff up that ego one more time! I just love the blank stares I get when I tell them well, I’m not potty training right now actually .We’ve adopted the child self guided method.( Ok, I’m not sure this method really exists, but it sounded good!) Ummm she asks, so you’re not doing anything? Of course we are silly! We’re waiting for our child to guide us! Doesn’t she realize I’d rather go to a proctologist than have to potty train another child?
Anyhow, I have mixed feelings about potty training. On one hand I hate poopy diapers, the outrageous cost of having three children in diapers, and the creative wrestling I do in order to catch the buggers to actually get the diapers on them. But~ on the other hand potty training produces unnecessary heart palpitations, do I want to have to buy a book, a creepy little doll, a singing toilet, a chart etc? Diapers may not be thrifty but neither are all the potty training paraphernalia. Also what about the stress of worrying that the wrong move in this process is going to produce a lifetime of counseling? And do I want to spend half of my day in the bathroom? So much to think about.
Hmmm three children in four years I’m walking that tightrope we called sanity right now as it is and it could go either way at this point!
Ok, after all that I do have some good news to report! Apparently our child self guided method is a success! (I’m thinking of writing a book on it!)
Bailey has just gotten out of diapers for good~ Even at night! And Grace has started to go on the toilet all by herself! Now she is naked most of the day, but I would be too if I could get away with it! So I guess that is ok with me! She won’t let me help her and I certainly can’t mention it, but she IS doing it, so AHHH The sweet smell of success! ( or no smell!) And I don’t even have to do anything!
Sooo ladies where do you stand on the nasty little debate of potty training? Do you begin at the ripe old age of 18 months or do you preserve what little of your sanity is left and wait it out? And for how long?
I like mom’s advice. It’s all good as long as they are potty trained and finished with their bottles by the time they enter kindergarten. Mom I guess you were right!













10 comments:

sherry said...

I'm with you sister. Besides, studies have shown that if you start potty training early it just takes longer to potty train. Frankly I would rather change a diaper then clean pee/poop off of a couch/carpet/bed/dog. If you make a child potty train when they don't want to, you are in for a fight you are going to lose. I basically let my three do it when they felt like it. As long as they are done by the time they are 3 (not including nights) I don't care. This has worked wonderfully so far . We should be starting the fun with Bren anytime now!

Shelli said...

OK, who is that poor trapped little boy? I've tried it both ways. When my oldest little guinea pig was 2, she started showing "readiness signs." So, I bought a book "How to potty train in less than a day." And she did it, bless her heart! Once I was a stay at home mom, I had the luxury of letting my kids lead the way. I kept some of the techniques I learned before, but I was much less uptight about it. And, yes, they were all trained before kindergarten!

Jenifer said...

I am all for doing it on their time. Who needs that stress? You can't force them into it no matter how hard you try, so why do it?

Jenifer said...

We should go "waste time" at the nickel slots some time! Can't believe you won $80!

DANI KYNASTON said...

It is stressful enough without having to force them to do it before they are ready. I think it is insane to do it too early. I think then it is just that the mommy is trained and not the kid. Anyway, I would much rather change a diaper than have an extra load of laundry every day!!

Kendra said...

I am with you...Jenna was totally gun-ho with the potty training back in April. She just wanted to be a big girl. I had her in panties with no accidents for almost a week. I thought I was done. Then she got the flu. Back to diapers, messes, and no more potty in the toilet. She has since demonstrated very little interest to go back to using the potty on a regular basis. I could force the issue and have her crying on the toliet all day OR I can just give her some more time. So, now she randomly goes on her schedule and wears diapers the rest of the time. Jadyn wore pull ups for months (she was just to lazy to get up and go) until I told her that she could not turn 3 and have a birthday party unless she was completely potty trained. She made up her mind that day and never has had another accident. She just needed to decide for herself and NOTHING that I tried from any of the books I read (or advice I received) helped until she was ready. You should write a book. Please include the photo from your blog when you do!! Loved it.

Crazymamaof6 said...

i'm on the same page as you! and i'd way rather deal with one loaded diaper a day than have pee dribbling all over. diapers are cheap compared to couches, and carpet. mine is 4 next month. she goes pee but craps in her panties. and i feel way better about chucking a pull up than panties everyday. and she is officially the last of her breed in the family(of 5 cousins) . everyone else is trained. and i say she'll get it when she's ready.

Jenifer said...

Tami Phelps is in the group, I haven't seen Amy yet. Come tonight!

raising4boys said...

Way to GO!! I say when they are ready they will do it. I had one potty trained right after 2 and another at 3 1/2. But I do think at 2 1/2 I'm ready to give them a push.

Aprilyn said...

My 1st son, Nathan was dry during the day before he was two. He didn't stay dry at night, or poop in the potty until he was nearly 4. NOT the best way to do things, I think! Marshall potty trained himself at 3 1/2. He just decided to do it and has stayed accident free and dry all night since. So, I've learned that they really will potty train when they are ready. I just never thought Marshall would be ready. SURPRISE!