Today is day one of potty training at Casa McFive. Day one for son number two. *The joys*
Two years ago around this time, Big Strong Man and I set-out to potty train our, then, two year old firstborn.
We were strictly cloth diapering him and held statistics stating that clothed diapered babies potty trained quicker than disposable diaper wearing babies as gospel.
In preparation, we stocked-up on M&Ms, were gifted with not one, but two training potties (one for upstairs and one for downstairs- thank you two sets of grandparents!), and set about taking Zeplin on an all-out "big boy" undie shopping expedition.
For my personal
Zeplin did not potty train successfully that first weekend. He would have one pee-pee in the little Disney's Cars potty for every three that went directly into his training undies, with stripes and cars. We pressed on, however, because the posts I read may not have been entirely clear; maybe a long weekend was really what these magical potty-training mothers meant. You know, four or five, or seven days long.
After a complete week of potty training, with no daytime diapers at all, we were not yet a family of fully-functioning potty trained people. No problem, it was time to turn up the antics!
Songs were sung with each successful attempt to get to the potty in time!
Stickers were given every 20 minutes when we "tried" once again and had dry undies!
M&Ms were doubled to make the incentive to make it into the potty that much greater!
We were not potty trained after a month. Not without "accidents" and defiant refusals from our Zep. Not without bribes and pleads from us parents.
Feelings of discouragement arrived immediately after the first weekend lack of success; the first month came and passed without much to show; the second and third month of dreaming of a potty trained toddler- or one who seemed to be a little less liberal and a little more conservative by ways and means of consistently using the potty.
That was not the case with us.
I think at one time we would have consider baking our Beloved an entire double layered chocolate on chocolate cake with candles and whipped cream for a triumphant day of potty sitting.
To say that I felt rather stupid and much like a failure would be large understatements. Although I understood that toddlers don't always do things on their parents timeline, I had still thought I could make this happen. That I, too, would be a blogging momma proudly boasting about her two year old's amazing ability to fully potty train in just one weekend.
Well-meaning friends had told me to resort back to diapers- to give myself that break and take the load off. To stop trying so hard.
It was either month five or month six until Zeplin decided that he was ready to be mostly potty trained. By mostly, I am referring to the ability to "tell" when he had to go, get there on time, and remain seated until completion. By "mostly" I am also referring to his (more-than-occasional) peeing in his undies because he preferred to complete an episode of Wild Kratts over taking a pee-pee break, and the few poopies which had to be cleaned out of his big kid undies because he "just didn't want to go to the toilet".
Today Zeplin is a fully (completely, undeniably, effectively, painstakingly) potty trained four year old. He was potty trained at two and a half, with six months of practice and preparation.
It is once again that time in the McFive household. Demitri is a rowdy two and (almost) a half years old. For two days now, he has be faithful to wear his big boy undies every hour he is awake. He was almost defiant to take them off in lieu of his diaper at naptime. He is doing wonderfully.
As for Zeplin? Potty training this time around is extra inviting, as he, alongside his brother, also receives a candy or mini marshmallow every time Demitri makes it to the potty on time and Zeplin is quite pleased with himself to be the older, wiser example of how a big boy does potty.
This time around I am not beating myself up over the time and effort it takes to potty train a child. I will not compare myself to other
I will take this time in stride.
So just how do you potty train your two and half year old in just shy of 200 days?
You don't give up. In our opinion, once we started, Big Strong Man and I knew we were in this for the long haul.
Be willing to try different things. A fun potty and funny song to go along with it. Rewards shaped like favorite (small- very small) candies and toys. Big kid undies with Paw Patrol or Jake and the Neverland Pirates on them- because children will try harder to keep Jake dry than they will your carpet.
Little boys can watch their older and more mature fathers and big brothers pee on a bush or run around the yard sans a care in the world to which they can pee happily down their legs if they don't make it to the porch potty in time. My husband did an excellent job of the former and, admittedly, it's exciting for the kids.
Give yourself grace, and lots of it. Oh!, and make sure to extend a bunch to your kiddo as well.
I just know that there are a ton of other bullet points to be offered on how to potty train, but you are reading my post of potty training, not one of those moms who did it in a weekend, so I have little more to offer. hehe
Potty training parents: YOU.CAN.DO.THIS.
God speed,
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