We have 25 days to potty train Pea.
That’s because Pea starts montessori school in the New Year and they require her to be potty trained by the time she arrives. So yeah, game on.
Now, we’re not starting from scratch here. Pea has been going pee-pee and ta-ta in the potty for quite some time now. And we had fallen into a good rhythm for a while, with her asking to go and succeeding, much to our delight.
But like any belligerent toddler who senses that her parents really need her to do something important for them — a solid, if you will pardon the pun – Pea has begun her typical regression tactics.
Like when she started speaking, and then stopped, only to start babbling again like a giddy 12-year old on her first date a few weeks later.
Like when she started walking, and then stopped, only to start walking again like an Olympic speed-walker on world-record pace a few weeks later.
.
Like when she slept through the night, and then stopped, only to… oh, no, wait… we’re still working on that one.
I digress.
So here we are, doomsday clock counting down to zero, fighting to get her back to where she used to be before we lose our deposit at a pretty good school.
Our plan is as follows: every weekend from here to January, Pea will be spending her waking time at home in a pair of brand new panties she personally picked out for herself this past weekend. We figure the best way to get her to stop peeing and deucing in her diaper is to go straight into her big girl underthings… to let her find out what the alternative to the potty is all about.
When we go out, and we will have to, she will be allowed a pull-up, to spare her (and us) the embarrassment of a public accident. But at home, it’s all panties all the time.
So, urbanmoms community, what do you think of our approach? What potty-training advice do you have for a guy who is a little on the desperate side? All comments welcomed.
In case I am not being clear, HELP!
Oh, and P.S. – If buying Pea a few dozen pairs of panties made me feel like she was growing up a little too fast, I can only imagine what her first training bra will be like. Wa-wa-waaaaaa. 🙁
A giddy 12 year old on her first date?….um, I’m hoping this is really not your idea of a good age to start dating.
As for the potty training, my mum always said, “as long as they’re walking and talking and going to the bathroom on their own by the time they’re 21 – they’ll do just fine.”
Ahh, the fuzzy haze of time has managed to help me block out most of the potty-training trauma! I don’t remember much, but one thing I do remember is that – unfortunately – this is one thing best left to the child’s own schedule. When you try to push it on them, it just doesn’t stick well. When they’re good and ready to do it, voila!
Here’s hoping Pea decides she’s ready to be potty trained in time for her new school!
Soooo, how is the potty training coming along? I know it’s late, but I do support the anti-pull-up movement — if you NEED to while you’re out, have underwear under the pull-up at the very least, it’s a little more uncomfortable, but still saves you when you need it 🙂
Bonne chance mon beau, je suis certaine qu’elle fera tres bien ca! J’ai hate d’entendre les nouvelles a propos du pot ET de l’ecole!!! 🙂
we put the potty in front of the TV and she sat there and watched. I know sounds gross but it was quick and (not) dirty. I also gave M&M s for all members of the PEEPEE club (seriously- how did I not lose all my friends?) – those that made it to the toilet/potty on time. Sheer bribery.
Agree with not using pull-ups. Even when the kids had been trained for a few years, we still took the potty on long road trips. Nothing worse than driving down the highway with no rest stops near by and a small, full bladder. Its just not so easy being a girl on the side of the road 🙂
I remember when my son decided he didn’t want to use the potty any longer. After the first couple accidents, we decided he could “help” by dealing with his own wet clothing (removing and placing in the tub, not the actually washing). He definitely didn’t like touching his wet clothing. I think he changed his own clothes twice before he decided using the potty was a better idea. Please note that he had been “dry” for a few weeks before he decided to stop using it.
Indeed – skip the pull-ups in the daytime, at least. If you go out to the store or something, you have to make sure she uses the potty before you head out, and make the public washroom your first stop the minute you arrive at the mall. And go again before you get back in the car… limit the fluids intake (no sippy cup in her hands all day long – meals and snack times.) It’ll be over fast – yay for Pea! And yay for you guys… it’s not the most fun, the potty-training stuff.
We were on a deadline too and absolutely – once you go undies, you don’t go back. Took a couple of days of going nowhere while he got the hang of it. We do use a pull-up at night, because learning to wake up and go pee is a different skill and some get it right away, but most don’t.
Branded underwear (or any underwear of her specific choosing) helps too. For us it was Cars, and we told him “Lightning wouldn’t like it if you peed on him, would he?” And if we were out an about and he pooped, the underwear got thrown out. Period. Happened a couple of times – no fun but not the disaster you’d imagine. But rewarding with Hot Wheels cars every time he got it in the potty helped with that.
Best thing ever though was we bought something called a Pottette Plus. It’s a foldable potty seat with liners. You can store in your diaper bag and whip it out to go pee anywhere. It has disposable liners that you can tie up and throw out. You can also use it without the liners on an actual toilet. Really helped for consistency.
I fourth the argument that pullups are confusing. If she doesn’t want to wear diapers anymore, she’ll wear the undies. that’s what trained my older one – she decided she wanted to wear Dora undies, so while I was still not keen on branded stuff, I totally went out and bought those for her, and it happened like a switch was thrown.
Now as sweet and easy as that was? I’m pretty sure the wee one is going to drag this thing out, since he’s more stubborn and in ni hurry just yet, so I’m watching this comment section for more ideas!
I agree with Christine, too. Skip the pullups, except for night-time, naps or long car trips. I used waterproof trainers with my own kids, instead of pullups for those times, and we still bring a potty with us almost everywhere. Between my kids, my siblings, and my dayhome crew, I’ve potty-trained eight two year olds and two one year olds. Consistency, patience, cloth underwear or cloth training pants, and a BIG celebration each time she’s successful (treats and stickers help, too, when she gets willful about it). Good luck!
i’m inclined to agree with christine…go whole hog on this one. we didn’t have any deadlines either but i do agree about the confusion thing. i’m sure the montessori teachers will realize when pea gets that “look” that they will get her to the bathroom.
and, once she sees all her friends doing it, you’re golden!
I say skip the pull-ups. In my opinion, it can be confusing to them. It’s just like a diaper without the tabs. The key is consistency.
For us it was all or nothing. “You’re wearing underwear. If you pee/poop in them, that’s ok, we’ll put a clean pair on and try to make it to the potty next time.” Very matter of fact – no frustrations.
If we went through 12 pairs of underwear a day, well then we did (but we never did…)
The only concession I made was diapers at nighttime as night training is an entirely different ballgame. But the diaper went on as I put them IN bed, not when they got their jammies on.
It’ll be different for you because it’s winter, but we kept a potty in the van and would get them to try before going into the mall or anywhere public. We took it if we went visiting.
I can’t remember any embarrassing accident incidents so if there were any, they couldn’t have been that bad.
All 3 were fairly easy to train (Cuyler was almost 5 – but when he did it, it was in less than a week). Cam was not quite 2 – young for a boy and Eva was 2.
Just relax.
Go with it.
Be patient.
Be consistent.
Have lots of spares – including socks.
Before you know it diapers will be a thing of the past. We were full time in diapers for 8 years straight. I couldn’t imagine the day I wouldn’t have to buy diapers.
It’s been 3 years that we’ve been out of them and it seems like forever ago!
Good luck – she’ll do great. So will you guys!
That is what we’ve been doing for awhile. Q still poops in the pull-up as soon as he has one on, though… never has in the potty. During the day, he’s in underwear at home. He has learned how to control himself, hold it, and pee when he can. So, when he starts school in Jan, he should be fine (though I’ll be packing extra clothes, just in case).
Are you implementing a reward system? Also, if you are using Pull-ups, I suggest you take advantage of the ‘learning designs’ or ‘cooling’ sensations. It’s a game for Q to come home and still have a ‘rocket ship’ on his pull-up. It challenges him to control it more.
Is Pea going straight to CASA?
OOOh that’s tough to be under the gun! I’d panic! But it makes sense to me – that is what they do at Will’s school. He goes right into undies for the day after he poops in the am. He has totally regressed….with thanksto mommy…I don’t stick to well to the program on the weekends. Good luck – I’m sure pea will ace it!
Sounds like a good plan to me.
We didn’t have a deadline so I don’t really have any advice for you as we were just able to “go with the flow” if you get my drift.
I’m a big fan of Montessori, the training push will be worth it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.