How I Started [and Stopped} Potty Training in 24 Hours
At the beginning of May, Skip and I decided it was time to start potty training Little M. We bought a potty in the summer, and have watched the Elmo Potty video about a million times since then, but never really made a big deal out of the whole thing. But with New Baby's impending arrival, we thought it would be a good time to do our own version of Potty Training Boot camp. Little M was almost 2 1/2 {what I thought would be an ideal age} was able to take her clothes off and on, and was able to sit still for at least a few minutes at a time. I assumed we were ready
I always knew that I did not want to drag potty training on for months and months on end, just my personal preference. Once we started, there would be no going back. I would not go back and forth between underpants, diapers, and pull-ups. {Well, pull-ups would be done at night still since night training solely depends on their physical development, and can take a lot longer} I was prepared to keep us at home for a few weeks until she was completely trained during the day.
I awoke the morning of May 3rd feeling determined. When I went in to get Little M out of bed I told her we were done with diapers and from now on she would be going bathroom in the potty and only wearing underpants. I brought her into the bathroom, put her on the potty, and waited....and waited...and waited. Little M patiently sat on the potty for almost 5 minutes, but nothing happened. She must have just gone in her diaper before I woke her up and so she was good for now. I put her in some underpants and we headed downstairs for breakfast.
Not five minutes had gone by when we had our first accident. No big deal I thought, I had prepared myself for this. But the rest of the morning only went downhill from there. I put Little M on the potty every 10 minutes, but she would never go. Instead she would go in her underpants in the five minutes in between potty times. We watched Elmo Potty, read potty books, sat on her little potty, sat on the big potty. By nap time we had gone through six pairs of underpants and tried just about every trick in the book. I was exhausted and at my wits end. I popped Little M in some pull-ups and we thankfully both napped. I figured we would be rested enough to go for it again once Skip came home.
But the rest of the day was as bad as the morning. Even with Skip's help, nothing was working. By the end of the day I was crying {and not just from these pregnancy hormones} and Little M was yelling "no potty!" every time we tried to put her on it. She had not once gone to the bathroom in the potty {even after sitting on it for 20 minutes one time} and she really didn't seem to mind running around in a wet diaper. It just didn't seem to bother her.
After talking it over with Skip that night, we realized Little M was just not ready for this next step, so why force it. I didn't want it to turn into a miserable experience or turn it into a battle. It would be a much easier process once she was really ready. So if that means we are going to have two kids in diapers for awhile, so be it. We'll reevaluate the whole thing again in the fall when Little M is almost three. But until then I'll just enjoy having fun with my little girl who could care less about still being in 'diapies"
I always knew that I did not want to drag potty training on for months and months on end, just my personal preference. Once we started, there would be no going back. I would not go back and forth between underpants, diapers, and pull-ups. {Well, pull-ups would be done at night still since night training solely depends on their physical development, and can take a lot longer} I was prepared to keep us at home for a few weeks until she was completely trained during the day.
I awoke the morning of May 3rd feeling determined. When I went in to get Little M out of bed I told her we were done with diapers and from now on she would be going bathroom in the potty and only wearing underpants. I brought her into the bathroom, put her on the potty, and waited....and waited...and waited. Little M patiently sat on the potty for almost 5 minutes, but nothing happened. She must have just gone in her diaper before I woke her up and so she was good for now. I put her in some underpants and we headed downstairs for breakfast.
Not five minutes had gone by when we had our first accident. No big deal I thought, I had prepared myself for this. But the rest of the morning only went downhill from there. I put Little M on the potty every 10 minutes, but she would never go. Instead she would go in her underpants in the five minutes in between potty times. We watched Elmo Potty, read potty books, sat on her little potty, sat on the big potty. By nap time we had gone through six pairs of underpants and tried just about every trick in the book. I was exhausted and at my wits end. I popped Little M in some pull-ups and we thankfully both napped. I figured we would be rested enough to go for it again once Skip came home.
But the rest of the day was as bad as the morning. Even with Skip's help, nothing was working. By the end of the day I was crying {and not just from these pregnancy hormones} and Little M was yelling "no potty!" every time we tried to put her on it. She had not once gone to the bathroom in the potty {even after sitting on it for 20 minutes one time} and she really didn't seem to mind running around in a wet diaper. It just didn't seem to bother her.
After talking it over with Skip that night, we realized Little M was just not ready for this next step, so why force it. I didn't want it to turn into a miserable experience or turn it into a battle. It would be a much easier process once she was really ready. So if that means we are going to have two kids in diapers for awhile, so be it. We'll reevaluate the whole thing again in the fall when Little M is almost three. But until then I'll just enjoy having fun with my little girl who could care less about still being in 'diapies"
You are a very wise, and loving, mother! Good decision - for all of you!
ReplyDeleteAww. It's tough! Its good that you realised she's not ready. As Elmo's Potty Video says, everyone uses the potty eventually. (We totally have it memorized, too!)
ReplyDeleteI hated potty training! We did the long drawn out version. Partially bc Preston was interested in the toilet early on. If he felt like using it he was encouraged but if he didn't I left it alone. Which then turned into naked trained. If he was naked he would use the toilet as necessary but the moment I put underwear or anything over his bottom half he forgot all about the toilet and peed in whatever he was wearing. I'm sure if I'd encouraged him or forced it he would have done it but I just didn't have it in me to stay home for weeks or worry about accidents or deal with fighting with him. And I'm not even kidding one day he was just ready. And since then he has only had one actual accident ever. Which made it so worth it for me that one day we just switched over to underwear and went about our normal routine. Keep your head up, when she's ready it'll happen!! It's not worth stressing out about! And you survived the day, that's gotta be worth something right? It has to at least be worth a cupcake! :)
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