Potty training has got to be the worst thing about the terrific terrible 2s. Seriously. It's just so much pressure from all the other parents who have kids about the same age. Molly is potty trained! She wanted to do it even before she turned 2 1/2! Well la ti da Molly! My kids seem to think their potties are step stools so they can reach the sink and wash their hands. Yes, hand-washing has become a fun activity in my house. (Does Molly know how to wash her hands? Huh? Does she? Does she?) I kid. Sort of. My twins did show an interest in going on the potty a few months back. They sat on it. Clothed and with pants down. But there wasn't any action.
Now, like I said, they just use the potty for other things -- as a stool, a place for toy cars. When I was talking to my pediatrician about it, she told me something scary.
Never force them or make them sit on the potty to go, she told me. Not that I was, of course. She said that pressuring your kid to go on the potty could make them end up holding it and not going when they should, making them all constipated and backed up ... and um, if you are an adult and ever had that problem you know how horrible that is. Imagine how bad for a little kid?! My doc also said that if we try the potty seat on the toilet, instead of the free-standing ones we do have, to make sure they have a step stool that allows their feet to rest on when they are sitting. It helps ground the feet so they can go properly. Interesting.
All of this makes me think ... and I'll have to ask my mother, but I'm so very poo shy in public bathrooms that I wonder if there was ever some forced potty training going on oh-so many years ago. I swear since I've become a stay-at-home mom (TMI warning!) and am able to go number two in my own bathroom, I am much more regular.
Oh wait ... let's get back to the kids. I'll admit that I am totally fine with changing diapers. And if my kids aren't ready for potty time, they aren't ready. But I know they aren't going to be in diapers forever, so I'm not worried. It WILL happen. For now, I'm changing diaps, knowing that they grow up so quickly and I will cherish even these poopiest of times.
I'm going to call my mom now.
Are you worried about your child not being potty trained yet?
Image via Manish Bansal/Flickr
Ashley Is a Widow Who Stays Strong...
This Hot Dad Wants to Vacuum Your Rug
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
Comments 40
My twins are 2 and i have been trying to potty train since 18 months. i am a teacher and work so my sitter was helping during the school year, however now that i am home for the summer i am really trying to get them trained..but they dont go all the time and the dont want to sit on the potty chair just the insert for the toilet., which is fine but they fight over it and i only have one regular toilet in my bathroom. when they go i cheer, give stickers etc.. i am not trying to force it, i know better. now they take their diapers off and dont want to wear them, but also dont tell me when they have to go until they r peeing on my floor. which forces me to keep them in diapers. i know ppl say put them in underwear but really i dont want pee on my sofa, and pull ups are diapers!!! i think i would do better potty training 1 kid but 2 at the same time boy does it get interesting. i hope to have them trained but Sept... but maybe thats wishful thinking :)
When my son saw his sister use the potty, she is 16 months younger then him, he finally started using it! I guess he didnt like being shown up by his little sis. Now we just gotta get the nighttime part down....
cute picture, my DD potty trained very easy ...
my daughter is almost 3 we cant afford pullups this month we bought waterproof pants guess what theyre not waterproof
My first dd didn't show any signs of being ready. She was 22m. I tried anyway. I took her every 30 minutes and had her sit for 10 minutes each time. She was taking her self to the potty at the end of the 3rd day. Don't tell me you can't control it or you can't train them if they're not ready. You just have to make it fun for them and don't show any signs of irritation or frustration.
True story: I live on a farm in the middle of almost no where. Potty training has been an adventure for us. The one sure fire way we were able to convince our 3 children to go to the bathroom outside of thier diapers, was to allow them to water our trees and grass so to speak. Once they learned how to recognize that feeling of needing to go out side and being able to go any where they wanted, they started using the potty as if we had started them off there. Of coarse it was a little difficult explaining to the pre k teacher that our children werent trying to be rude by using the playground as a restroom, but those episodes didnt happen much either once they learned they couldnt do that at school. I agree with not trying to pressure your children to go potty. I do however suggest that parents step out of thier relm of normalsy and add some fun to the training, like letting them pee outside. ;-)
AHHHHH.. The potty training days... I do NOT mis that! Hang in there mommies!! You do what YOU feel is right for YOUR little ones, and don't let ANYONE tell you that you are wrong. There is no guide to children, and none of them are the same!
My kids were all over 3. They all trained completely in a few days. They were more than ready and it wasn't an issue. Waiting made it much easier a process for me.