I have blocked out potty training Peter and Drew. I know that my mother-in-law tried to tell me Andy was trained at 6 months, but admitted it was more like 3 when Peter finally trained at 3. I know that I haven't ever worried about it because, after all, it's not like they'll go to kindergarten not trained. Both Peter and Drew were fully trained somewhere between 3 and 3 1/2.
And then there was Michael. We've offered for a long time. At 3 years and 3 months, though, I am ready for him to be done. I started seeing glimmers of hope this weekend. He was dry all day and went on his own. That's my one step forward. Now the 10 steps back...
This morning, after we returned from the grocery store, I noticed he was starting to go #2. I thought I missed the opportunity. I cleaned him up and sent him off to the bathroom in case he had more to go. I continued to unpack groceries. Suddenly, I heard Michael screaming. I rushed to check on him and the toilet was overflowing. Not a little. A LOT. Water to the rim, all over the bathroom floor and out onto the hall carpeting. He was crying that he broke the toilet. I removed him to the family room, and get the wet/dry vac. I get all of the water up, and lowered the level in the toilet so I could plunge. The toilet is fine, the carpet is fine-all cleaned up!
Then I went to clean up Michael. I praised him because he had indeed gone #2 on the potty! His response, "Mom, I am never going poop on the toilet again!" Ten steps back...
9 comments:
Fantastic and horrible all at the same time!!! Great post!
OH NO!!! He'll be back. Just keep up the positive reinforcement. I can imagine this wasn't a fun experience for either of you but this too shall pass.
I promise he will be potty trained by the time he gets married.
Mary did you Know is my favorite Christmas song, except I like the Mark Lowery version. I just could not find it on line. My second song is by Mark Lowery though.
uh-oh
Oh girl, I've SO been there! Potty training boys should get a Mom STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN! :)
If it makes you feel better, it is hard to train a boy - girls are done - like completely done in a matter of a couple days. Boys, on the other hand, are a whole different ball of whacks.
Hang in there - and I feel for you on the overflowing potty. I didn't blog about it, but Molly Fran overflowed the toilet last week. She did #1, #2, wiped herself, then proceeded to "clean" the toilet seat with lysol wipes that she dropped one by one in to the toilet and then FLUSHED. Of course it overflowed and I had to reach down in there and pull out the clog of SEVENTEEN wipes. And after the fact everyone is quick to tell me about using a coat hanger instead of my hand. But hey, if that's the worse thing I ever come in contact with as a Mom, I can deal with it.
Oh, boy! My girl will be 13 in a few days, but when she was "training" at 3 and an 1/2 she used to stand at the top of the stairs and shout, "Mama, I have go now!" and do so on the stairs. Waterfall! I had to clean that up a few times before I got her to understand she could just go upstairs - or downstairs - without announcing it. Just go. Please.
You know, we are experiencing something similar: both of our older sons were fully potty trained in a weekend...but with our youngest we are still limping along. He's fine during the day, but at night, no.
Really, though, I think it's because we are more laid back with him and I kind of feel guilty about that...
Good morning. You have expressed interest in the Pay It Forward so I'll be needing your mailing address. If you would email that to me at oldhamdj(at)comcast(dot)net, I would appreciate it. I'm in the planning stages of things at the moment. I have to get the logistics of what I would like to make and go from there . . . thankfully I have the year, but knowing me, it will be sooner than next December, trust me. :-) Glad to have you paying it forward. - Sarah
DITTO To Kim H. I totally agree. Zoom straight to heaven for potty training boys. William was tough because I had the babies and just sort of shuffled William into the mix. James and Joseph weren't much better. I used the reward for being dry system. Give them juice and water all day long. Encourage drinking. Wear big boy pants, no pull ups. Set timer for every 10-15 minutes. If they are dry then they get a reward, for Joseph 2 m&ms can't remember James' reward. Then sit on the potty for a little bit. It took awhile. And yep the pooping thing is always tough. I laugh at your story because I feel your pain. I had plumbers at my house so many times during the training phase I don't want to even think how much $$ I gave them. The best thing ever pulled out of a toilet was a kitchen spatula. The plumber and I decided at that we would stop betting each other what was in the potty. And it's always so far down I can't get it with hand or hanger.
Keep us posted.
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