Getting your kid potty-trained! Oh boy! Let’s be honest… it’s not my favorite part of parenting! Dealing with “I feel like going right now, but I’ve already started,” “I’ll sit there for 5 seconds, check if anything came out, and sit back down for 5 seconds… and so on.” Then there’s the smell of undiluted poop wafting through the house! (Well, yeah, I take care of that with Pouch-Pouch!) Ah! And the pee on the floor when you start using training pants. In short, pure joy!
With my first child, it was easier because I only had him to take care of and spot the warning signs of a number 2! A flushed face, a squatting position, and that distinct smell! Right now, I also have a little one who needs my attention and an older child who’s becoming more and more independent. I’m confident that by the time he’s 18, he’ll be potty-trained!
To give you some context, I started this process four months ago. He isn’t very interested in the potty. Every time we change his diaper, we ask him if he wants to use the potty. His favorite answer is “NO!” And he says it very firmly!
A few days ago, boom… He rushed into the bathroom, so my boyfriend followed him, and he started to do a number two in the potty. The whole family was there to congratulate him. Applause, high-fives, and stickers on the chart. Guilty as charged! I even gave him a piece of candy as a reward. (Which caused quite a bit of grumbling from the older one. Take a deep breath and keep smiling, Mom!)
We put up a sheet next to the toilet where he (read: his brother) sticks his reward sticker, but the little guy is a bit reluctant. He doesn’t like having sticky hands, so he refuses to touch his reward. We offered him temporary tattoos, but he doesn’t want those either. Drawing a heart with ink isn’t an option either.
So, we’re arming ourselves with patience, frequently suggesting he go to the bathroom, putting him in boxers, and crossing our fingers that he’ll feel like being potty-trained.
But when I think about it, it wasn’t that long ago that he was just starting to eat, laugh, play with his brother, and so on. Sure, some days are easier than others, but in the end, we all get there.