To Potty Train or NOT to Potty Train
Seems like a strange title doesn't it? I mean, of course we ALL want our children to be potty trained (and usually sooner is better than later)! If you have been a parent and ever had to potty train I'm sure you will understand my delight in my youngest showing signs she was ready to potty train!
Jocelyn had become more and more interested in what happened in the bathroom with both myself and her siblings. It was a normal curiosity, and I was willing to work with her and this new passion. I would explain what was in the bathroom and how things worked, and more "intimate" details of bathroom processes.
She had also not only shown some readiness in the way of curiosity, but had also started pulling her diaper off any chance she had. We pulled out the potty chair and she naturally went straight for it to check it out. On her very first experience, she both pooped and peed! I thought we surly had a potty training genius!
It was short lived, I assure you! Since our first experience, she hasn't been as "spot on" as she first was. In fact, it usually goes something like this:
She takes off her diaper. She sits on the potty for 30 seconds- 10 minutes (totally depends on what she has in mind). She gets up...walks around the room, squats, and pees. Yes, almost every single time. And it is almost like she is a dog, simply in the sense that she only pees just enough to make a mess, then walks to a new spot and continues to pee. I think she is marking her territory!
So this has been happening often. I've been trying to discourage the taking off of the diaper. Although I've tried, I haven't always been as successful as one would hope. She has an amazing will and talent for taking off a diaper in almost any situation!
So the other day she woke up from her nap and came into the living room. She promptly took off her diaper. I sat her on the potty chair and we waited. Nothing..... About 10 minutes after that, she climbed onto a dining room chair and peed. Her words are ALWAYS the same (and they are cute.....despite the mess) "Uh Oh! WaaWaa" She got down and came running to me for a towel. I gave her a paper towel since I was in the middle of getting supper cooked. She went and put the towel on her "waawaa" and then waited for me to finish cleaning it up.
I went back to cooking, and she went to play with some blocks in the living room. I hear "Uh Oh, WaaWaa". I look and she was squatting above a puddle of pee. She came running in and I gave her another paper towel. She ran back to the mess and placed the towels over her puddle. I was just in the middle of getting the hamburger I was frying to the "done" point so I didn't rush to pick up her mess. BIG mistake.
For those of you that are weak stomached, stop reading! So I'm just finishing with the hamburger as I turn around and see her EATING the wet paper towel! Yes, it freaked me out! All I thought was "Survivor Man drinks his own urine! Survivor Man drinks his own urine!" I ran and took what was left of the wet paper towel (and it wasn't much) and threw it away. {sigh}
I put another diaper on her. Placed her at the table for supper. Said a silent prayer that she wouldn't eat anything else soaked with body fluids. We had a lovely dinner of burritos.
After supper, she got down from the table, and took off her diaper AGAIN! Now I'm thinking....."where is that duct tape?" But I sit her on the potty chair. We sit there for at least 15 minutes. I bring her lego blocks to her and we just build towers and such. I'm thinking that surely with so much time on the potty.......if there is ANYTHING inside that little body it will come out.
WRONG! She got up and within 30 seconds (yes....literally) she squats and pees! I don't let her help clean up this mess. I run and get a towel and clean it up myself. Less than two minutes later she goes and sits on this little cloth chair and says the same things as always (as it runs through the cloth and onto the floor)! {sigh......Grrrrrr}
I put ANOTHER diaper on her and Pj's that not even SHE can get off.........YET! The joys of potty training!
Jocelyn had become more and more interested in what happened in the bathroom with both myself and her siblings. It was a normal curiosity, and I was willing to work with her and this new passion. I would explain what was in the bathroom and how things worked, and more "intimate" details of bathroom processes.
She had also not only shown some readiness in the way of curiosity, but had also started pulling her diaper off any chance she had. We pulled out the potty chair and she naturally went straight for it to check it out. On her very first experience, she both pooped and peed! I thought we surly had a potty training genius!
It was short lived, I assure you! Since our first experience, she hasn't been as "spot on" as she first was. In fact, it usually goes something like this:
She takes off her diaper. She sits on the potty for 30 seconds- 10 minutes (totally depends on what she has in mind). She gets up...walks around the room, squats, and pees. Yes, almost every single time. And it is almost like she is a dog, simply in the sense that she only pees just enough to make a mess, then walks to a new spot and continues to pee. I think she is marking her territory!
So this has been happening often. I've been trying to discourage the taking off of the diaper. Although I've tried, I haven't always been as successful as one would hope. She has an amazing will and talent for taking off a diaper in almost any situation!
So the other day she woke up from her nap and came into the living room. She promptly took off her diaper. I sat her on the potty chair and we waited. Nothing..... About 10 minutes after that, she climbed onto a dining room chair and peed. Her words are ALWAYS the same (and they are cute.....despite the mess) "Uh Oh! WaaWaa" She got down and came running to me for a towel. I gave her a paper towel since I was in the middle of getting supper cooked. She went and put the towel on her "waawaa" and then waited for me to finish cleaning it up.
I went back to cooking, and she went to play with some blocks in the living room. I hear "Uh Oh, WaaWaa". I look and she was squatting above a puddle of pee. She came running in and I gave her another paper towel. She ran back to the mess and placed the towels over her puddle. I was just in the middle of getting the hamburger I was frying to the "done" point so I didn't rush to pick up her mess. BIG mistake.
For those of you that are weak stomached, stop reading! So I'm just finishing with the hamburger as I turn around and see her EATING the wet paper towel! Yes, it freaked me out! All I thought was "Survivor Man drinks his own urine! Survivor Man drinks his own urine!" I ran and took what was left of the wet paper towel (and it wasn't much) and threw it away. {sigh}
I put another diaper on her. Placed her at the table for supper. Said a silent prayer that she wouldn't eat anything else soaked with body fluids. We had a lovely dinner of burritos.
After supper, she got down from the table, and took off her diaper AGAIN! Now I'm thinking....."where is that duct tape?" But I sit her on the potty chair. We sit there for at least 15 minutes. I bring her lego blocks to her and we just build towers and such. I'm thinking that surely with so much time on the potty.......if there is ANYTHING inside that little body it will come out.
WRONG! She got up and within 30 seconds (yes....literally) she squats and pees! I don't let her help clean up this mess. I run and get a towel and clean it up myself. Less than two minutes later she goes and sits on this little cloth chair and says the same things as always (as it runs through the cloth and onto the floor)! {sigh......Grrrrrr}
I put ANOTHER diaper on her and Pj's that not even SHE can get off.........YET! The joys of potty training!
Comments
Well... maybe not my FAVORITE quote, but one that makes me laugh every time I hear it!
Jimmy and Peter are 3 and almost two and I totally know what you're going through!
Hang in there, you're not alone. If it makes you feel any better a few months ago Peter woke up covered from head to toe in poop!!
Some days you do get really tired of cleaning up pee and poo!!
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