So I have been really bad at reading others blogs and updating my own this month. Really I have only one explanation: POTTY TRAINING!
Every book and article I read said to wait to potty train until your child is older and exhibits so many "signs" that she is ready. Well, Izzy is almost two and showed some of the signs. But I just really, really wanted to get a jump on potty training so I wouldn't have to worry about it when I'm super pregnant or when our baby comes. My sister, Amy, is the one who inspired me to go ahead. So on September 1st we put Izzy in panties. I was pretty patient the first few days. I got especially excited, when after three days, she seemed to get it and she was telling me when she had to go potty.
I feel like now she has reverted from that. The only time she tells me she needs to go potty is when she needs to poop. As a result, I spend the day trying to anticipate when she needs to pee and cleaning up pee-pee messes when I'm too late. I'm mostly okay with this, but it's starting to get very frustrating. I've tried various forms of positive and negative reinforcement, but it just doesn't seem to work. Please, please let me know if you have any ideas!! I'm so willing to try anything at this point. I definitely don't want to quit because she has come so far, but I can't live around her pee schedule forever. Thanks in advance to those of you who comment with your great mothering tips!
8 comments:
Let me tell you a little story. There was a little girl named Ava who was potty trained in June 2007 without a hitch. Yay!! Then her brother was born. It's been a potty training nightmare since December. My suggestion - wait until the baby is born, then worry about it.
If you don't like that suggestion, then at least let me make the cleaning up easier...buy those plastic Gerber liners that go over the underwear. She'll still get the idea, but you won't have to do as much clean up.
Good luck! And may the force be with you.
I'm probably not a good one to comment on this one but I've been told numerous times that a child will pretty much potty train themselves when they are 100% ready. It sounds like she's ready but maybe not 100%. We've tried to push it with Chandler a couple times and he's just not ready. I know that it's not what you want to hear, but maybe it's just not the right time yet. And if it makes you feel any better, Chandler will be 3 on Nov 1st and....nothing. Still going strong in diapers. I just have to remind myself it won't last forever. Good luck!!
You know I'm not the best at potty training. Justin is my shinning example! But I think you are determined so a lot of patience and maybe a couple of steps back to give Izzy some breathing room and a sense of accomplishment when she does do it. I still think it needs to be her idea...otherwise...thanks for the cute bum picture! Love it!!
Its always cute to see little kids in undies you can see here little bum and not the big diaper butt.
Wow. Good luck. My only experience in potty training is with autistic elementary school children...and with them we set a timer and took them to the bathroom every 15 minutes and made them clean up their own messes, laundry and all. Not really the best technique for a kid, sorry...but I do love the bum picture, you and your bum loving.
Ohh I'm so sorry. I am getting so nervous that the regression thing will happen with Cal. But anyway, a few things that worked for us... never ask them if they need to go, always say "If you need to go potty, then go" put all responsibility on them. Also I did make him help clean up any accidents, and if he did wet his pants he couldn't wear his cute ones, he had to wear plain white ones. Good luck. Little Izzy will be quite the prodigy - trained before two. That is awesome!
Ok I know I'm another of what you don't want to hear but I feel your pain or should I say frustration...I couldn't believe how mad I was getting over pee. But looking back I feel so terrible and guilty how I showed my frustration toward Alex. Here he was a smart and a good boy yet I was making him feel terrible over pee. I have to say it's not worth it. He was potty trained by 3 but I totally understand why you'd want to do it prebaby but sometimes they have their own time line. Right when we came home from the hospital 3 weeks ago Benjamin was insisting on using the toilet. I came home and Mom said "I guess you have a boy who wants to be potty trained." I thought to myself NO not yet (only because-like you said- I don't want to schedule my time around potty training right now. I wanted to wait till spring summerish b/c of school.) Well the very next week...nothing & he refuses. So this is his 2nd time ago at it and I have decided whenever he's ready I'll be there.
I've heard people say they do it in the summer time when they can run around naked and for some reason it's worked for them but I'm hesitant to try that one.
Oh and I guess cheerios won't work for you. he he he!
Good luck and like someone said before...diapers aren't forever...so close so close. One thing though is that I wouldn't recommend awarding with candy or food only b/c it can stick where she may reward herself with candy or food later in life (not a good habit).
Hey Abs,
Looks like you have a lot of advice to handle! Since you already know what I think, I won't bore you, but I do want to encourage you. Remember that YOU are Izzy's Mom, you know her best and when she's trying to push you and test her limits. Every kid does that. Remember too, that cleaning up messes doesn't last forever, I figure you can clean it up in a diaper (cost of more than a $1 a day depending on how many diapers you go through) or take a few seconds to clean up a little mess, which is more frustrating (and saves tons when you only have to do a load of laundry every few days, which you do anyway). Anyway, just weigh the pros and cons, listen to your motherly instinct, and help Izzy do what's best for her. Really, when it comes to letting kids decide when they're ready, it is easier, but a kids that can tell you they're stinky or they want to change, can surely tell you when they have to go potty. I think that we have to guide them in that direction rather than waiting for them sometimes, just because they don't know any better. Does that make sense? Of course, again, instinct is a blessing because all situations are different. There are things I would push Madison on that I wouldn't Preston, ya know?
Love you honey!
Amy
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