Potty Perspective: The Things I Didn’t Expect

Posted on Jun 9 2015 - 11:03am by Aubrey

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Potty training is like this unknown beast for a first-timer and with two toddlers, it seems like I’m trying to hit both birds with one stone. However, who knows how long this “training” will be going on and while I find joy in the little accomplishments where we celebrate with a potty dance, IT IS WORK!!!

So, for those of you who’ve been through it, are going through it or are completely clueless, this is what I’m finding and you may have to look forward to:

Monkey See, Monkey Do – Since my almost 2 year old wants to do everything his almost 3 year old big bro is doing, he has also started to pee pee in the potty. I appreciate the “early” start!

Competition – We only have one potty and they both want to use it at the same time.

Bribes – I started with stickers and then I offered M&Ms for #1 and little Hot Wheel cars for #2…they could care less.

Port A Potty – Yeah, so we went to an outdoor festival over the weekend, and while my older toddler never tells me he wants to go at home, he tells me when the only available “restrooms” are the portable kind. I was faced with telling him to go in his diaper or taking him to the oh so fragrant portable one…he got to use a Port A Potty! LOL!

Public Restrooms – And pretty much the only time he has taken the initiative and actually told me he needs to go is when we’re out and about. Like at the water park, the mall and at the park… it’s not always convenient, especially when one decides to go, then we all have to “pack up” and head for a stall, no matter where it is…near OR far!

Potty Party – My older toddler has a good friend who is also learning to use the potty, so on play dates it’s like, “Everyone’s doing it, so I’m going to do it too!”

Sweet Little Lies – Sometimes because everyone’s doing it or it just seems like the cool thing to do, they’ll say they need to go and you may trek to who knows where to find the potty, only to have them tinkle a couple drops!

Waste Disposal – For whatever reason, my kids both get a kick out of watching their waste get flushed down the toilet – which I guess is a good thing, but I’m not a fan of when they attempt to remove the receptacle from their smaller potty and dump it into the “grown-up” one…on their own! eek! It makes for bleach-able moments…

Butt Wipes – Fortunately for me, both of my boys have no problem doing a #2 in the potty (telling me they need to is another story). But, now when they are able to “drop it” in the potty, I have to chase em down to wipe their behinds!

Night Time Training – The other night I was dead tired from a LONG day and once they were all settled down and in bed, the younger toddler is having a fit because now he wants to potty, I had no desire to get up and take him…BUT I DID – because the alternative of telling him it’s okay to use the diaper would be regression, right?

Holding It – And on the night time subject, my older toddler is able to hold his all night because for the last couple weeks he’s had a dry diaper in the morning, but when I ask him to go first thing, he refuses and then completely wets his diaper! Ay yi yi…

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So, I’m about a month or so “IN,” you know consciously trying to enforce and make the diapers go away, and I’m sure there’s more to come because of course boys are (typically) more difficult to train than girls, right?

Any tips, tricks or sure fire success tactics you want to share? If not, just tell me the most horrific laughable moment you’ve encountered while potty training…because we might as well all get to laugh about it.