we've been potty training afton on and off since september, mostly off, i guess. but the last few months has been intense, and i am so sick of it. people keep giving me really helpful advice like "wait til she's ready" and "you just have to find her motivation" well, afton would love to be in diapers for the rest of her life (or probably til she realizes it's not cool, say maybe when she's 16 or so), they really are handy. you don't have to stop playing and run to the bathroom for 20 seconds in the middle of your game. she's proven a couple times that she's totally capable of it, but she has no desire to keep going. and the motivations (candy, stickers, and special treats/events) are all wonderful, for about three days, then they lose their lure. i think we average 2.5 accidents a day, generally they come minutes after me asking her if she needs to go (or after me making her sit on the darn toilet--we've tried it both ways). the thing is, i've had 2 kids in diapers for almost a year now, and not only is it disgusting to change so many, it's really disheartening and expensive too. i realize this is a common problem, and everyone has to go through it, so perhaps i shouldn't complain, but i'm sick of it, and i figure it's my right to vent my spleen on my blog :). i keep thinking i've had some kind of breakthrough--three days with only 3 accidents or something... but no. grrrrrrrrrrr.
okay, i feel better, thanks for letting me get it all out :)
13 comments:
Heather and I were having the same problem. We tried pretty much everything, including some things that would be considered cruel and unusual.
Finally, we just figured that if he felt the discomfort of wetting himself, he would have to stop relying on diapers. William's progress increased dramatically after he started wearing real underwear. He still has an occasional accident, but he will finally tell us pretty much every time he needs to go instead of us having to force the issue.
yeah, we tried that too, she's been in real underwear for over a month constantly, really i think that just means i do a ton more laundry :)
Oh Elise, I feel for you. I'm doing the same thing with Natalie. She can do it - but only when she wants to. If you ever figure it out, let me know.
By the way, potty training my first child was a breeze. I just figured I was an amazing mommy. Apparently not.
This too will pass. I think she is big enough to go get clean underwear, then climb in the tub and wash herself off, dry off, hang up the towel and get dry clothes on. Once I did that with one of my kids - who shall remain nameless. It was cured in three days. You have to be willing to spend those few days though. probably not at Grandma's house? :)
I have this horrible, horrible feeling that the unnamed kid was me...
If you'd like, you can follow my fool-proof toilet training plan - let your spouse do it. (I haven't told Wendy yet, but I'm pretty sure she'll be on board (and yes, I'm aware that the only way to make a plan fool-proof is to remove myself from the equation))
well, there's definately no such thing as a fool proof plan, (even with super-wendy, i imagine), but afton loves bath time, and twice has voluntarily climed in the bathtub after accidents, (once with rayna), and i'm afraid to make it mandatory, cause i'm pretty sure she'll think it's fun!
sorry, potty training is a lot of work.
motivation idea: my friend motivated her daughter with a 'big girl princess party' for a few friends when she stayed dry a certain number of days (on a chart).
good luck, i promise it won't last forever. hope she decides to make your life easier *soon*.
What a pain in the rear! (No pun intended) It was a pain when we went through it with Eric and I don’t want to do it with Beth. Even though Eric is trained I have no idea what the turning factor was! He is still a mystery to me in so many ways. One day he didn't want to and the next he did. (He was over 3 1/2 years old too.)
i have not fully experienced the trials of potty training (bc i dont yet have kids) but worked at a daycare and was the teacher over 20+ 3 year olds ... all i can say is sorry and good luck! accidents are NO FUN! <3
Oh yuck. I didn't enjoy that stage very much either. (And I know how annoying the advice can be, so I won't give any.) :) So sorry it's been frustrating.
Hey Elise!
this post is so funny-- I guess because everyone parent can relate to this frustration! You just gotta laugh or else you'll cry! LOL
Afton is one of the CUTEST potty training girls I've ever seen-- so that's a positive! :)
All I can say is good luck. I think that Potty training is terrible. The Advice is no help and other people success just made me mad.
I'm so sorry Elise. Potty training is the worst. Go ahead, its ok to cry sometimes. Believe me, I've shed many tears over potty training my oldest. He still has accidents, often, in fact just had one today. The boy is 6 1/2 years old!!!! I've even sought professional help but, he's confounded most doctors. The good news is, not all children are created equal. My three year old is better trained than my six. I was so afraid to start with him but, it hasn't been near as bad. You are extremely capable, intellegent, and a great mom. Don't forget that and don't compare yourself to other's experiences cause it will just make you miserable. Some kids are just little stinkers when it comes to potty training (litterally :) I have learned a lot from my experiences, so if you ever want to chat gruesome details, give me a call. Otherwise, just keep trying and remember. All kids are potty trained by highschool!
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