9/01/2011

Feeling Like An Amateur

Everything I was smug about while parenting my older two has been blown out of the water by Hugmonkey. Not that I was smug about a lot of things, but my few sources of pride have been completely decimated by the youngest.

Like potty training.

Ironflower and Lovebug were trained very organically. They wanted to sit on the potty, they wanted to wear underwear and they at least wanted their dirty diapers changed quickly by the time they were 2. They were both accident free at 3. I never spent days rushing them to the bathroom every 20 minutes or begging them to try or bribing them with candy.  Hugmonkey will be 3 in November and this morning was the first time I got him to sit on the potty without crying. Despite his love of accompanying family members to the bathroom, the kid has not actually wanted to try anything himself. He also hasn't cared about how dirty his diapers are. His interest in underwear is negligible.

I haven't forced it, assuming he'd come around sometime before kindergarten. But then we had all the preschool drama. We found a good, affordable preschool with space for him yesterday. He just has to be potty trained before he starts. In 11 days.

Obviously my organic potty training has been thrown out the window. I have 11 DAYS to potty train a strong-willed, passionate, articulate almost 3 year old with only the vaguest interest in mastering this skill. This morning we've been diaper free and sat on the potty twice.

This is our seat. Who wouldn't want to pee on it?


He has also peed on the floor twice. Not that he told me that he peed on the floor. Of course not. He asked me for a paper towel. "I gotta cwean, Mama" was his explanation. At least he nodded when I asked him if had to clean his pee.

So, I'm looking for tips. Tips on how to get a reluctant but oh-so-smart almost 3 year old potty trained in the next 11 days. Anyone?


6 comments:

liz said...

Potty training in three days or less:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_potty-training-in-three-days-or-less_10310078.bc

i've been debating whether or not to do this with tatertot. but then, she's doing well with the "organic" training, she loves to sit on her potty, asks me to change her pants when they're dirty (still working on the wet ones), etc. if you try it, let me know how it works out...

K. C. Wells said...

Exact same situation here! My boy turns three on Tuesday, speaks like he's thirty, and showed no interest in the potty. He had to be trained for preschool, so we went at it full-tilt. He was sans underwear around the house, I took him to the bathroom every 30 minutes, made him a treasure box, etc. The first three days were horrid. Beyond awful. On day four, something clicked. He's fully trained for #1, but #2 is giving us a few issues. He usually waits until he's in a nighttime diaper to poop, but I'm fine with it. He only goes to school 3 days a week for 3 hours a day, and no accidents so far. The thing that seemed to help was putting the responsibility on him. He hated being told to go; I finally said that HE had to tell ME when he needed to go. Maybe that helped him feel like a big boy; I don't know. But I know it helped to quit talking about it and harping on him. Once I was nonchalant, he was golden. (No pun intended!) Good luck! Let us know how things go! :)

jerseymomsblog said...

The. Third. Kid. Makes. You. Crazy.
That is all.

Maura said...

The book Stress Free Potty Training helped me so much. It has a quiz in the beginning to help you determine your child's personality type. The later chapters are then geared toward tips for each type. I apparently took the TOTALLY wrong approach with Alice and when I started using the other techniques I found more success. Hang in there!

Triplezmom said...

Liz - I highly recommend organic training. I don't think I could pull off this 3 days without leaving the house/2 adults present technique they talk about. The older 2 kids would go insane and so would I!

K.C. - I've got him at least sitting on the potty cheerfully now, so that's something. I did a similar thing with my older 2, but I just feel so rushed and worried this time.

Jerseymomsblog - I KNOW. I don't understand how people have to courage to have a 4th, I really don't.

Maura - I will look for that at the library today!

Dwija {House Unseen} said...

Our third, my first son, was just like this. I know how frustrated you feel! It was only when I told him he was going to have to put on a diaper again that he decided to do his business in the potty. Sigh. So contrary!

Anyway, we kept him pantsless and put the potty chair right next to him no matter where he was so he didn't have to go anywhere.

You'll make it, mama!