Saturday, March 14, 2009

Potty Training...YUCK

I've said it before and I'll say it again.... If I could pick any parenting task to pass on to someone else, it would be POTTY TRAINING!! I'll take the pregnancy soreness and sickness, labor/surgery, runny noses, whining, even the occasional bout of the flu complete with throw up...but I can think of nothing more repugnant than spending weeks or even months cleaning poop and pee off of 30 pairs of underwear. And that's if it doesn't end up anywhere else! I don't know how to convince my toddler to poop on the potty. After a week of trying my nerves are shot and we haven't really had any noteable progress.
I've tried asking him if he needs to go, taking him to the potty every half hour, threats, rewards, showers, lots of time on the toilet, begging, crying...(guess that's going to far huh?:) It seems like a battle of will, but then you wonder if they even understand what you want them to do. And if they don't, how do you teach them.. He begged to sit on the potty and asked to go potty so we thought he was ready. I don't want to ruin his self esteem and make him feel like a failure, and I don't know how to help him succeed. It is very frustrating. Not only that, but I am not a believer in pull ups (at least around the house) so if this goes on much longer, we are going to need more than a good carpet cleaning!! Blech!!
Any tips would be greatly appreciated :)

9 comments:

Daley Family said...

Potty training in a day! I did this with all 3 of my kids. I didn't stick completly to it, but each one of them was trained withing a week...

Jacob and Mindy T. said...

Potty training totally sucks! Austin was poop potty trained before he was pee potty trained which apparently is the COMPLETE opposite from most kids. I got lucky. I have NO idea how to get them to go potty...Austin kind of just decided to do it. GOOD LUCK!

Ben and Taryn said...

Are you potty Ethan?! We haven't even started on Soren. Wow do I feel like a slacker! All I know is that I can't force it. I tried that on Stryder and it was MONTHS before he did it on his own. I plan on working with Soren this summer but we'll see how it goes. Good Luck

Becca said...

Hi Tara! Your blog is so cute! I think it is so neat you have 2 cute little boys and then your little girl! Isn't it great to get a girl after 2 boys? It looks like you have lots of tough trials in your life, but you are always so positive and say such inspiring things! I wish I could be more like you! Yeah, and potty training does totally suck---but you know what sucks more---having a bed wetter at night for like 4 years!!! Wait and see if you get that fun!!! No, just kidding, but I feel your pain! I hope everything continues to go well with Ethan. I understand the struggles when there is something different with one of your children. We've had a lot of those struggles with our one with Asperger's, and there is always so much to not know or how to react. I like your blog a lot. You are a good person and always write such nice things.

Shantel said...

I'm so glad you discovered my blog! Your kids are so darling! I'll be checking in on your blog every now and then too. It's great to stay in touch!

Melissa DeMoux said...

I hate potty training too, and wish I had fabulous advice for you. If you find anything amazing I would love to hear. Four down, two to go (at our house).

mindy said...

We don't like pull ups either. Just confuses the kid. However, we didn't go to underwear until David could keep them dry and clean for a good week. We're only in the beginning stages w/Devin. We usually let it be his idea to go but ask him when he wakes up, before bed and whenever we see him getting in stance to poop. Always give a treat when he gets something in the pot. I don't know if the 2nd child is really ready to be potty trained when they first want to try, I wonder if it's more that they see the older sibling and want to be like them?

Candace said...

My Mom actually managed passing it on to someone else... My Grandma potty trained me ;-)

Tara said...

I'm jealous, I guess I'll have to give my mom a call :)