Wow. Whoever said girls are easier to potty train wasn't kidding. With Amelia, we took a weekend and used the timer method and some mild bribes (charts, stickers, chocolate chips). Once we got her used to sitting on the potty and going, she started telling us when she needed to go and then she just got it. She went by herself and called to us that she had peed. She quickly was able to stay dry through naps and all night long. Within a few days, she even conquered her pooping on the potty fear. She was 100% potty trained at exactly two and a half, and I told everyone around how easy it was to potty train when kids were old enough and really ready.
Well, I guess Isaac still isn't ready at two years and 10 months. We've been full-on potty training for more than a month now (maybe close to two months), and Isaac remains about 50% potty trained. He wears underwear at home and a pull-up at school. He stays dry the great majority of the time. But Luke and I are the only ones initiating going to the bathroom. Isaac has asked to go maybe three times ever (usually in a gas station bathroom or somewhere else equally inconvenient/fascinating) -- this despite the fact that we tell him over and over that we will give him a chocolate chip if he asks. He has pretty much never pooped on the potty. He often fights us about going, especially first thing in the morning and right after nap... and all the times he is in the middle of doing something fun. And this boy is so stubborn! So we've learned to take him to the bathroom at transition times and make it part of our regular routine. And now we're trying to not do quite much initiating in the hope that we'll give him more chances to ask. And I try to wash those favorite Spiderman underpants as frequently as I can! But what usually happens is that he starts peeing in his pants and then tells us. Most of it makes it in the potty, but a change of pants is usually in order.
Are we making progress?? Will this ever end? I am so sorry to my friends with boys for ever suggesting that potty training boys and girls is remotely similar. Or maybe it's just my boy and my girl. It seems like those of you with two boys had a much easier time with boy #2. Is there an alternate boy method I don't know about?
Sigh... I am no longer looking at the three-year-old birthday as a goal. Just tell me it's before four!
4 comments:
Oh, I don't envy you at all! Potty training Calder was a long, drawn out nightmare! My only advice is to try to follow his lead and not push too hard. Hang in there!
Have you tried the naked method? At first Garrett would always wet his underwear but it didn't bother him. When he was naked and he felt the wet on his leg or saw the puddle, he hated it. So he went without bottoms for a while at home (and at good friend's houses). I did use pullups a little bit with G but not at all with Jack. Both boys had pooping issues at first but then it clicked. I still initiate Jack going to the bathroom half the time. Just keeping a schedule is helpful, but I think the initiating part is personality. G always takes himself but Jack still shouts "I have to pee" and expects someone to be there to watch. Hang in there!
Oh Jeez! This sounds really hard. Henry is definitely not 100% potty trained either. He will often go on his own and he can go days without an accident, but today he had three accidents because he was busy playing. Infuriating because I thought we were making progress! Also, we're nowhere near being night trained. Sigh...hang in there. All of these boys get it eventually.
You've heard my similar stories! At 3 years and 3 months, Oscar is about 85% trained. He still does better at school, and we have to catch him or he poops in his pants in the evening. I promise the fighting it will get better, though. As will the awareness and initiating. They just seem to know when we have our own agenda! Just think - you'll be long done with this when I'm training my second boy. ;-)
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