Monday, February 16, 2009

Potty training or bust!

Harry is a boy on a mission. He wants to wear underwear in the worst way. Sadly he is not able to keep said underwear dry, but hey that is just details right?

Harry started flirting with potty training a few weeks before Evan's surgery. It was not a really good time to have this happen since I really did not have the distraction free time to devote to making sure that he was going on the potty regularly and keeping dry. I have been stringing him along a bit by letting him go when he asks (which is generally after he should go, again details) but now he is stepping up the pressure. On Saturday he took off his diaper and put his pants back on minus the diaper. Of course since he is still not getting that you just can't go on demand and have to go when your bladder is full an accident resulted.

I gave in to his demands even though I was hoping to put it off until the weather was warmer and tried to start the half nekkid training that I did with Evan. Harry was having none of that and would not settle for less than pants and undies. I think that I am going to have to try a new technique on him so that we can stop the accidents. I ask him a million times if he needs to go when he is wearing the underwear but he always says no and then of course an accident happens. I may try a timer or something. It is a bit exciting to think that there may be a small time period where I have no kids in diapers.

This whole potty training battle also illustrates the vast personality differences between the boys. I think that had I not forced the issue Evan would still be in diapers and happily crapping his pants. Peer pressure did not phase him a bit, he was happy to do his own thing. Harry on the other hand sees everyone else around him using the potty and therefor he must use it too so he can be like us. We all wear underwear, so he must also wear underwear. Let me tell you Harry is a force to be reconed with once he gets an idea in his head. The Terrible Twos have nothing on the Terrible Threes.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck!! I think (hope) we are fully potty trained over here!

Damselfly said...

I am skeert.

I thought Fly would train early, then he decided he didn't care if he messed his underwear *or* his diaper. I think he would sit in his own waste all day and not care.

Um, sorry, TMI.....

Jessica said...

We are still potty training at our house as well. Hoss also would not tell us when he needed to use the potty (and sometimes still doesn't). We just guaged when we thought he may have to go and have him sit on the potty. Sometimes this was a fight, but now he will go when we tell him. He still says "No" a lot if asked if he needs to go. We are just trying to get the pooping in the potty down. That is something Hoss is refusing to do.

Ice Cream said...

Plugging my ears and singing, La la la la.

I'm in denial about having to potty train one last child. But I get to live in denial for a whole year, and I'm enjoying it!

Good luck. Hope it goes well.

Heather said...

I feel your pain. I did not get any breaks from diapers, and sometimes had 2 in diapers at the same time. Not that fun. Hope you get a break!

Kate said...

Haha, too funny, I could have written this post! We're in the middle of potty training my 3 year old now, too and it's a load of "fun".

One technique I did hear of through a friend, is asking them "do you want to use the potty now or in five minutes?" gives them a choice, but then you stick to your guns when the 5 minutes is over aif they say no again.

Aunt Kathy said...

Ahh my boys are 26 and 23 and I am stuck potty training!!! HOW you ask?? Grandson, lol. He also must ahve underpants and pants on, or a pull up and pants, no bare bottom for him either. We started a little race, I ask him like every 10 minutes and then see if he can get to the bathroom before I count to 10, it's working. Not perfect yet, but better.

Anonymous said...

Wow! How exciting to have a little diaper free days before the baby comes!

A timer is a great idea ... a friend of mine used the microwave timer, laughed thinking about how the poor kid will grow up and his wife will wonder why he has to pee every time the microwave beeps!

Jaelithe said...

You know, I found these great underwear by Gerber when my son was potty training. I got them at Babies R Us. They look and feel like regular cotton briefs, and come off and on normally, but they have an extra layer of padding where it matters most, so they'll catch small accidents (not a flood, mind, but those "I was on the way to the potty and I got distracted by my toys took too long" kind) and then you only have to change the underwear, not the whole outfit. I bet you could modify even regular boys' underwear by stitching in a layer of extra padding- maybe you could cut swatches from old cotton diapers.

Candi said...

My boys were all so hard to potty train. I don't miss those days.

Good Luck...I can totally understand you wanting him to be trained before the baby comes. I had two in diapers at the same time and I felt like I was changing diapers all day long.

Unknown said...

Ugh. That is all I can say. Potty training is my worst nightmare. I cannot imagine having a child who actually WANTS to do it. Count your blessings!

The Estrogen Files said...

What a blessing to have one that WANTS to potty. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Good luck! If you figure out the magic answer than let me know - I am still working with Jacob on potty training - we are so hit and miss

Jen S. said...

We're starting a very "basic" potty training. Kiddo will sit on the potty while I fill up his bathtub in the evenings, and about half the time he manages to use it. He's just getting to the point where he'll tell us immediately after he's messed his diaper, so I guess that's a good sign.

I really don't know how to proceed, though. It's hard now that I'm working almost full-time! I'd love any tips you could pass on!

Life's a Stitch said...

I think most every year might have its own bit of terribleness. As my friend's dr said, "Don't worry, he won't be wearing diapers when he's walking down the aisle." Comforting, huh?