So, remember a couple of months ago when I talked about Addie spontaneously telling me she had to poo and then going on the potty? Yep, we ...

Potty Training, Take Two

So, remember a couple of months ago when I talked about Addie spontaneously telling me she had to poo and then going on the potty? Yep, we tried a potty training intro then and it really didn't take so I happily put her diaper back on and left her be for awhile. On Sunday night we started again after a lot of development in that area. She is able to put her legs in her shorts/undies and pull at least the front up a little. She can identify pee and poo and that she needs to go. She can hold herself and say "pee pee" & "poooop." So, I got her a potty chair and off we went. Honestly, she is doing great, but I am just really tired. I think she can feel my stress. I am not stressed about cleaning up goop from the floor or clothes, it's more just the lack of time that I have. Working from home doesn't give me hours on end to sit in the bathroom with her while she gets up and down up and down and begs for a sticker or a stamp well before she's done anything to earn it! I also have sweet Freddie lingering outside the bathroom wishing we would come out, missing both me and his sister. I tried letting him in on the potty training fun, but she gets way too distracted and just gets straight up to play.

The biggest problem I see right now is time, so hopefully she'll get more comfortable and it will be less difficult to get her to sit down for more than 5 seconds at a time. She tells me about 30 times a day that she needs to go, and only went pee on the potty 1 1/2ish times today. So, I've spent a LOT of time in there! Any suggestions on the #2 issue? I read once that children often feel like poo is an "extension" of themselves, so the idea of flushing it away down the toilet is actually frightening and disturbing to them. I don't know how that works in their heads, but Addie had a complete freak out last night when she needed to poo, crying, stomping, holding herself, but refused to actually sit on her potty chair or the training seat on the big potty. She just screamed, "NOOOOO," and cried. The only way she would calm down for a second is when I gave in with a sip of Diet Coke in the BIG Sonic cup. She held it like some kind of fiend and finished up her hiccuping sobs and then still only peed. She pooed in the floor today but she knew it was coming and just did not want to sit on the potty. Do we have a consensus here...I think she's ready but I'm perfectly willing to stall some more. Changing diapers is way easier at this point and anybody who told me differently was a liar liar pants on fire! ;)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm with you, my new slogan is "NEVER potty train your children!!!" They'll learn eventually when it becomes an embarrassment. Just kidding......but not really. I'm not sure what to tell you about the poo fear but I'll keep my eyes and ears open for any good advice.

Can said...

I hear you on the time thing...Parker constantly says "pee-pee" to me and runs to the toilet but he doesn't get what it means to go. Just to appease him, every time he says it, we run to the potty. EVERY TIME...he knows that is the one thing he can say to get me to do whatever he wants. He sits on the toilet and makes a peeee sound...but nothing. It's frustrating, but you've gotta do it. On another note, I've read that if a child is ready you can potty train in a day -- so regardless of all the other 'signs' that she's giving you, it sounds like she might not be ready just yet. :( Good luck!! (oh and document all this, I'll be coming to you for advice when she's potty trained and I'm stressing about Parker)

ainmemphis said...

Hopefully Sean will just train himself. =) I wish!

Amanda said...

Maryn was only afraid of poo if she was constipated and she knew it would hurt coming out. My kids have all loved saying "goodbye!" to their waste and waving while we flushed. That sounds a bit Freudian if you ask me! :)

I'm a big fan of not hovering, and I think it is okay to stall as well. My kids were "late" in pottytraining, but it hasn't made that big of difference, in my book. Sam was 3, and Maryn was 3.5. The only people who seem to be concerned about it are Dave's mom and grandma. I don't give a rat's bedonkadonk.

I'd love to have Lucy pottytrained to avoid the "three-in-diapers" thing, but if she isn't, I'm not gonna sweat it. Plus, I'll do cloth for the boys until they start eating food and making nasty poo.