Potty Training is For The Birds….
Soooo, you remember my goal about potty training that I made at the beginning of the summer? Do you remember that said goal was to have Pookah potty trained by the end of the summer??? Well, yeah. Pookah decided that he didn’t like our lofty goals. And after struggling these last few months…I now agree.
Potty training is for the birds.
The dreaded potty…
And I’m sick of it.
I’m sick of washing underwear and pants daily after school( they had this lofty idea that he should be in underwear ONLY now. They seem to think that that would speed up the process.)
I’m sick of taking Pookah to the bathroom every hour, or every 30 minutes. ( I tried every 15 minutes like they do at his school for about an hour one day and decided his school was crazy.)
I’m sick of struggling, reasoning, and watching Pookah just….fail at something he obviously is not ready for.
Because that’s the conclusion I’ve come to. My child, who is 2 1/2, is just not ready to go to the potty on his own. This has become, a potty training FAIL.
Now, he will go if you lead him to the potty. But the idea of going by himself….is just not sticking.
Soooo, the big question becomes, what do I do about it?
His school ( and the director) is heavily invested in potty training. They want all the kids in Pookah’s class potty trained NOW. They say, “Well, the two year olds are supposed to be potty trained to go to the two year old room…” Are you saying that if he isn’t potty trained, you will send him back to the 1 year old room even though he is almost 3????
OH HELL NO!
I’m about to pull up every piece of literature I can on exactly WHEN boys are” supposed” to be potty trained. Hmp.
Because I’ve decided that MY child will potty train when he’s ready. Like my mother pointed out, he won’t be in first grade still in pull ups.
Hopefully……..
My son is 2.5, and I have not even tried to potty train. He loves to use the potty, and will pee in the potty almost every time you put him on it. But he still has wet diapers, and I am just not ready to devote the time to it. I really feel like it is better to do potty training too late than too early. Boys generally come to it later than girls, anyway.
Potty training takes time especially for boys. I didn’t even start my son until he was 2 and it took a year for him to be fully potty trained where he didn’t wet the bed at night. I think once he sees the other kids go he will want to go it will happen in his own time….now with that said if your son is in pullups in 1st grade then I will be that parent talking about you.
I feel your pain here. I didn’t even think about the idea of potty training Zee until she was 3. She wasn’t ready yet. I know that some moms do it at 18months, others at 2 years old, but honestly, its when your child is ready for it.
For a child, it’s a huge transition from going in a pull up to potty. They have to stop doing what they like to do in order to go to the bathroom.
When he’s ready, he’ll let you know. Other than that, if you pressure him, he will feel it and resist more.
Ummm, the school is crazy as all children do NOT develop and are NOT emotionally ready for ALL things at the SAME time. Every 15 minutes? What in the world does that do for his self esteem with all that freaking pressure?
He will go when he’s ready. Just like most other kids. Forcing the issue can and does backfire… Just love him up and be encouraging which I am sure you are doing all ready. He’ll be fine! Good Luck
None of my boys were potty trained before they turned 3. My youngest was 4. They just didn’t want to do it and I didn’t want to push it on them.
He’s your baby. If your gut tells you he’s not ready then he’s not ready.
I don’t think daycare can put that kind of stipulation on it, so I call BS. Talk to the director again. Make sure you are heard.
Good luck!!
Sydney is 2 and all I’m focused on now is getting her to understand what the potty is. I’m all about allowing her to train when the time is right for her. She clearly does not understand at this stage. While I am in no rush, her daycare does not allow her to move up to the 2 year old classroom until she is fully potty trained. I’m sure I will have battles ahead of me.
My sister is going through the same thing with my 3 year old nephew. They’ll get it when they’re ready. Also, I’ve nominated your blog for the Versatile Blogger Award.
I agree with the pp’s. Like you, I also got hung up with the 2 year old bench mark, my son didn’t train until her was 3 years and 3 months fully. I did a lot of the stuff you did as well for a full year, I thought I would NEVER stop buying pullups.
Although he still wears them to bed at night, he doesn’t go in them. You will get there I promise, but i KNOW how frustrating it is. I was just there barely a couple months ago.
The school should realize that all kids don’t potty train the same. My twins are 3 and still not fully potty trained. And what your mom said is the approach I took with all my kids. And guess what? Not one (crosses fingers with the twins:) have worn pull ups to 1st grade:)
Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha
Potty training = THE MOST FRUSTRATING THING THAT I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED IN MY 2 1/2 YEARS AS A PARENT. OMG.
It’s the biggest power struggle ever and it drives me NUTS. I wish I had some advice for you. Instead, I will just recommend that you drink. A lot. Vodka, preferably.
Sorry to hear this. I hear training boys is much tougher than girls. My cousin was almost four before he got it and he still had accidents thereafter. 🙁
Potty training should be unique for each family. I remember when my oldest was a toddler, the daycare at my old church wouldn’t take her because she wasn’t potty trained yet. My mother who was very old school stayed on me about late potty training, constantly…she also put baby food in my child’s bottle when she was 6 weeks old. That baby needs food…smh, miss her but she wore me out.
I am honestly surprised by that from his preschool. Our preschool was always set up that kids had to be potty trained to go to the 3 year-old class. I think it is obvious your son is not ready and honestly he is only 2.5 years old, so it is not exactly like you are reminding him to change his diaper in his cap and gown.
Hang in there…I promise you he will not take Pull-Ups to college! 😉
Stopping by from SITS Saturday Sharefest.
My boys were 4 when they finally got it together and trained. With watty, we started trying at 2 and went thru pretty much what you did this summer.
I got tired of playing “find the poo” (got to blog that one – adding to evernote). I gave up.
He finally trained overnight when he was ready. Without my needing to prompt him every 15 minutes. Give it a rest, give him a break, and let him decide when he want to try again.
Potty training boys IS tough. With my first he was fully potty trained on his third birthday after doing it for months. I knew he was just ready at that point. Now, I am pregnant with my third and I WAS trying to potty train my second before the baby got here but, like you said, “potty training is for the birds”! I got so tired chasing him as big as I am (39 weeks now) and I’ve long decided to just relax and wait until he’s really ready. Good luck on finding a good resolution for you and your son’s school!
Girl, take your time! Even though my lil’ man was relatively “easy” there was many times I wanted to pull my hair out! I cried, I cussed over washing sheets and underwear and stains out of our carpet, I complained to the husband about NOT HELPING. You know your child and what he is and isn’t capable of. Alex did not like accidents and did NOT like being wet so, yes we started pottying early (12mths). I stuck to a loose schedule b/c I HATE schedules. He has been at the same daycare since about 3mths old but two different locations. The 1st location was like me and didn’t want to push him too too much and let him stay in diapers/pull-ups. They also did the line up thing with the children (which I DID NOT LIKE). At the new location they put him in underwear and it was almost two weeks of washing clothes but he caught on. Each child is different and that’s ok. There were days that I couldn’t push/harp on little man and work on my own mental. The CARS watch that comes with pullups did help because I’m not setting a timer for myself (although it did backfire on me when it went off during a slightly long car ride and he was SOOO proud of himself). I say all this to say, it takes time and just roll with it. If he’s not ready, that’s ok. I started at 12mths and he is just “getting it” at 27mths (yes, over a freaking year of potty training).
Yes, yes and yes! My mom was on my case about potty training by two. I told her that he wouldn’t be wearing diapers to kindergarten. He’s doing ok with potty training but doesn’t go without being prompted. Potty training SUCKS!
sometimes they’re just not ready yet!!!
my son will turn three in september and we’re still trucking along with potty training, figuring out which method is best for him.
we’ve finally figured out the best method is HIS method. we celebrate the process. it’s about him and what he’s ready for. all we can do is practice…he’ll get it. eventually…
i don’t like the whole “schedule” thing and really shy away from it simply because my kid is the one that’s ultimately going to decide when he’s ready to stop crapping his pants, not me. i can help the process along but until he’s ready to sit on the potty instead of in a corner of the living room, he’s going to dig his heels in.
we’ve had some really great days with clean pull ups (we are NOT ready for underwear…mostly because i cringe at the thought of all the extra laundry) and other days where he has run away peeing his pants as he goes when i tell him it’s time for the potty.
he’ll get it! patience really is the only virtue that’ll get you through this one. 🙂
<3