In case you haven’t been following my blog (in which case, you and Ireally need to have a talk)I have been attempting to potty train my little man, Jack, for the past several months. It hasn’t worked. He could care less. I think he actually likes peeing his pants. I’m in big trouble.
But,he recently celebrated his 3rd birthday which has prompted me to hit the training a little harder, i.e. make him wear underpants. And it’s been hell. Truly.
Nary a day goes by where I’m not subjected to him standing in front of me, watching his pant legs darken as he pees down the front of his legs. Or hiding in his sister’s bedroom while he tinkles on her carpet. My reaction? “Jack! Why didn’t you use the potty? You ruined your big-boy pants!”His response? “Oh, man. I peed again. I need new unerpants.” Gawd.
Getting that kid new “unerpants” 4100 times a day weighs a little heavy on my heart, folks. I have visions of him attending Harvardmedical school on a full-ride academic scholarship(hey, it’sa dream) and running home every 90 minutes so I can get him new big boy pants because he “made a messy.” We’ll have to move to Connecticut just to keep the kid in clean underpants! It’s very disheartening.
Okay, it was bad before. But it just got worse. Much worse. Two days ago.
There I was, minding my own business and enjoying a little bit of silence while Jack was taking his nap. Or so I thought. I was doing what I do(you got it, folding laundry) when I heard his bedroom door open quickly and shut even quicker. I thought, “Oh, here we go. Time for the sparring match,” and headed down the hallway to force him back in bed. I rounded the corner and that’s the moment when I realized things had gone too far.This attempt atpotty training has hit a major misstep and we now have a new problem and having only potty trained one other child I have no answers.
Here it is.
Jackson apparently pooped his diaper while napping, climbed downfrom his bunk bed, cleaned up his own bottom, wrapped the wipies up in his dirty diaper and deposited it outside his bedroom door.
Yeah.
He left it there in the hallway like he was visiting some swanky hotel and was leaving his dirty laundry out to be dry-cleaned. “Lady, I need that cleaned ASAP. Take care of it.”
After picking myself back up off the floorI went into Jack’s room and found him laying in his bed…buns in the air…commando-style. I tried to be mad but seeing that little boy laying theresunny side up I just couldn’t find it in my heart. I climbed up his ladder, threw a diaper on him and let him finish hisnap knowing we would later have a little talk about it. (ETA: We did talk about it and he promised he would never do it again. Mm hmm.)
So, now I am regrouping and restrategizing my approach to this whole situation. Jack has changed the name of the game now, folks. And I have to be ready to meet him tit-for-tat.
I know he won’t be wearing diapers in medical school, but I wouldn’t mind him kicking his habit sometime before the first grade.
Love to all, Mindy
Omg Mindy, that’s hilarious! I was always one for not pushing them into potty training until they’re ready. (ie: close to 3). But the diaper manoeuver shows he has a pretty good grasp of the concept, that and the fact that he has a “tinkling spot”. My best advice is (if you can afford the extra heat), let the little man run around naked for a day or two. Of course, you have to stay close to his side, but as soon as he starts doing anything remotely resembling pottying holler “hold it!” and get him to the potty asap! It’s recommended by Dr. Penelope Leach, an older british child psychologist. (see I didn’t make this up myself!) And it helped with my youngest.
Good luck, my friend. =]
♥Spot
I think you might be on to something here Spot…I’m thinking this little man will have to be naked for awhile. I guess I’ll have to resign myself to getting random peeks at that little winkie all day long. =)
Mindy
Oh Mindy how I had a good laugh! Sorry. I think spots idea is a good one I have hear about it before. I have also heard that you should have the Dad do the training for the boys because the have the same unit.HEHE Good Luck! Love ya, Val
Oh, trust me. I am A-okay with the idea of Jer training this little man. We tried the whole “watch daddy go peepee”. Gave Jer some major performance anxiety. I was laughing so hard that I had to leave the room. Although, in hindsight…why was I even in there in the first place? =)
Mindy
Oh I hate potty training. By the time my son was finally trained I don’t know who had more emotional scars – him or me.
I have no advice, just sympathy.
Yes, I’ve seen a pretty ugly side of myself during this whole situation. I think this is God testing my resolve. Hope I’m passing. =)
Mindy
Sorry to be rolling laughing, but I am. I did what Spot suggested, put the boys in the backyard naked and they figured it out. So glad I am done with that and do feel for you honey!
The Park Wife
I’m planning on trying the naked strategy here real soon…problem is the colder weather is a comin’ and I don’t want the little man to get frostbite on his weewee.. =)
Mindy
I wish I couldn’t relate to this post… but I can. My daughter, who is our fourth child, is now 4 1/2 years old and potty trained. (Thank you, God!) When it originally came time to potty train her, I thought, “Ah, no problem, I’ve done this three times before. I’m good at this!” HA! I felt quite successful at first. We moved into underwear within a week and were even going out in public without the pull-ups stash. I thought, “Wow, I’ve really got this potty training thing licked.” THEN SHE CHANGED HER MIND. She started going potty and poop in her underwear, without much guilt or remorse. (OK, make that NO guilt or remorse.) She would just go take off the dirty underwear, leave them behind and get herself a new pair. Being an experienced mother, I knew I could solve that little problem by making her go naked. Surely I was way ahead of her. Um, nope. She didn’t care if she was naked… she would just pee or poop on the floor. (Or in the yard. Wherever.) The back and forth, and pleading, and crying (both of us), and agonizing went on for months! In the end I had to resort back to pull-ups so I could take her places without being a nervous wreck. The pediatrician told me this was perfectly normal, particularly for the “baby” of the family. It’s a way of ensuring they are still the baby. (Didn’t make it any easier.) Unfortunately, I think for some of these stubborn little ones, we really do have to just let them decide to do this in their own time. Easier said than done, I know! (My daughter just put underwear on one day and never looked back. No accidents, wetting at night or anything.) Looking back, I know I could have saved a lot of time, and especially energy, if I had backed off a little bit. I’ll be crossing my fingers that all goes well with Jack!
Hi Pam!
First of all, thank you for your comment! I appreciate it! Second of all, sounds like your little one and my Jack are kindred spirits. He has the exact same attitude about the whole thing that your daughter had. I’m looking forward to the day that Jack throws his underpants on and leaves em there for good! Thanks for the encouragement! =)
Mindy
Hi Mindy,
OMGOSH! I can’t imagine how trying that must be. LOL. I only have one child. Her potty training got pretty hairy, right at three. She is a girly girl and wore dresses all the time. I told her if she had another accident in her panties, I was throwing a dress away every accident. It took ONE dress going in the big plastic garbage and that girl was potty trained! I knew she knew what she was doing.
🙂
Best of luck, I’m rooting for you to achieve this before Harvard. 😉