Normally when a toddler shows an interest in potty training, parents rejoice – “Finally, no more diapers!” they exclaim. They shout it from the roof tops that their child is potty training…especially when it happens before 2 years old, because surely their child is showing signs of genius at an early age. The parents then walk around with their chest puffed out, telling all in earshot about their child’s early potty training success (and their easily inferred genius) and providing graphic details about exactly what’s going into the toilet in their homes. Often pictures are involved.
Me? I’m totally the opposite. When my child shows an interest in potty training all I can see is running a toddler with short, little legs across a ginormous department store to the one ill-placed bathroom, bringing multiple outfits with me for a simple 15 minute outing in case of accidents, and cleaning up messes. Lots and lots of messes. In addition to cleaning up after the dog (who has tons of messes of her own), I now get to clean up after my 23 month old who is intent on giving this potty training thing a whirl. At least with diapers, one of their messes was contained. If there were more hours in the day, there’s no doubt that “researching doggie diapers” would end up on my to-do list this week. After all, one of their messes must stay contained, and if it isn’t going to be the toddler’s, well then…
I want to be positive, really I do, but for some reason, I just can’t. I’d be perfectly happy if she’d just staying diapers a little longer. Okay, a lot longer.
And unlike all those puffed chested parents, I’m left stammering: But, but, but…it wasn’t supposed to start this early! She’s only 23 months. Didn’t I just go through this with Greenleigh? Doesn’t a mom get a break? Besides, after nearly 4 years, I’m finally okay with the insane cost of diapers. I don’t even mind anymore that a decent-sized chunk of my paycheck literally goes into the garbage each week. Really, I’m fine with it. Let’s not get crazy. Let’s not do the unthinkable. Let’s not potty-train. Please?
But there’s no denying it – trust me, I’ve tried and there’s just no getting around it – Hazeline is ready. She’s been using the toilet for weeks now, pretty consistently (that’s not me bragging, I promise). And this past weekend, she started telling us in advance that she needed to go (again, not bragging). Literally dragging us by the pant leg into the bathroom with her, begging us to put her on top of that porcelain throne she now feels so comfortable on (so, so not bragging). Oh, and that silly song and dance that I made up for Greenleigh when she was potty training? Hazeline lives for it. If you don’t start singing right away, she’ll start for you. And, make no mistake, it’s adorable, and she’s even added her own artistic flare (okay, bragging a little, she’s a lyrical genius).
So this weekend, I sucked it up and decided that I was ready too to stop fighting it. I mean not to go full on potty training with panties or that crazy (yet apparently very effective, according to my friends) 3 day method. No, we’re taking the easy way out for a while – Pull Ups. Just far enough from diapers that Hazeline will agree to keep them on…for the past few weeks there have been incidents at school where she was taking her diaper off and swinging it over her head like a lasso, no doubt raising questions at daycare over exactly what happens at home. At least now those questions will come to an end. Maybe.
Why must I be the only parent that isn’t excited about potty training? And when I say, “isn’t excited”, I mean AT ALL. Cross your fingers for me, folks.
Totally questioned the 3 day method, but it actually wroked for us- we went cold turkey and never turned back (not braGging).
I know this is unpopular, but I allowed the kids to be my guide. That really worked for us. Plus, no stress and worry. Just because someone says it’s time doesn’t mean it’s time for your little one, you know?
My son potty trained early for one thing…poo. He hated it in his diaper. No bragging on this end. I knew nothing about when it should be done. No one told me when or congratulated themselves on their own kids. I was CLUELESS. One day I was changing his diaper and he kept saying “oh God oh God!” about the poo. My mom had already picked up a training toilet ages before so we just pulled it out. I think what you are doing sounds great. I wasn’t excited about it either, but you do what you gotta do. 🙂 Dropping by from Our Everyday Harvest’s weekend blog hop. Hope you can drop by too.
Ha ha ha! I had VERY mixed feelings when my son decided to potty train. He was almost 2.5 years old, and I was about 6 months pregnant. Just what I wanted to do- haul (or in my case waddle) a kid through the house, across the grocery store, and into airplane bathrooms when we traveled. Couldn’t he just wait until his baby brother was born? Why was NOW the time to do it? We travel a ton, and although packing diapers or buying them when we arrived is a pain, like you I was resigned to it. I could deal. It was the norm for us. In the end it worked out. My oldest was pretty much potty trained by the time his brother arrived and I only have one butt to regularly throw a diaper on. Not the best timing, and it caused way too much stress, but it was worth it in the end. Now I just hope he potty traines his baby brother when the time comes. I’ve done my duty. It’s his turn now 😉 So glad I found you on the Our Everyday Harvest blog this week!
Ha! I never thought about it that way – Greenleigh should be potty training her little sister, not me! Why, oh why, didn’t I think of this before? You’re brilliant!
I’m going to give it a whirl with my 18-month old…not expecting her to actually potty train, but just to see how she does…but maybe you found the secret. Maybe the secret it to not want them to potty train and they get so frustrated with us that they just do it all themselves ha!