I don't know where to start!

Discussion in 'The Toddler Years(1-3)' started by twinzmom2b, Nov 19, 2007.

  1. twinzmom2b

    twinzmom2b Well-Known Member

    My girls will be 2.5 next month and I don't even know where to begin with potty training. First of all, we are moving them into their new room with twin beds probably sometime this weekend. So, they will have that to get acclimated too. I would "like" to get them potty trained (mostly) by the time the baby comes in mid-March (they will be 3 months shy of 3 at this time). Is this realistic? I'm thinking if so, I would start the potty training process in January after the holidays.

    However, my other dilemma is...I work 3 days a week in my office, 2 of those nights I'm not home until 10:30 pm b/c I work at BRU part-time and then I work at BRU all day on Sunday. So, they rotate between myself, the babysitter and DH watching them. Nothing is really "consistent" to where I can stay at home for a week or two and just potty train them and have them sit on the potty all of the time.

    We get the potties out now, but they think it's a game. They like being naked more than anything. They are up, down, up down and if the potty is sitting out for 15 minutes, they probably spend a total of 2 minutes on it total. It's all funny and a game for them.

    But, do I even start in January or wait? If I start and it works out, will they regress when the baby gets here? Or do I just wait until the baby is here and that "newness" has worn off? I will be off of work for 12 weeks, but the girls will still be going to the sitters 3-days a week during that period. But, I will be home with them for 4 whole days when I'm off of work.

    What should I do??? So many changes are coming up and I'm so confused, overwhelmed and NOT wanting to do it at all. I feel horrible. I feel like it's something I *should* want to do, but at this point it seems like more of a hassle than anything.
     
  2. Song

    Song Active Member

    I have always been told that potty training is really up to the child. It depends on when they are ready. If you are planning a lot of changes in the next couple of months...i.e. changing their rooms, having a new addition in the family soon, I would consider letting them decide if they are ready. If they don't seem interested, I would wait. I have always heard that changes during potty training can cause regression. You may spend all the time and energy potty training, and they may regress later.

    I tried potty training my DD at 2.5, and it sure was a major struggle. I waited until she was three. It has been so much easier. What a difference six months can make.

    Good Luck
     
  3. momofmandb

    momofmandb Well-Known Member

    If you think they are ready, there is no sense in waiting IMO. If they are verbal and give you other cues that they know when then have gone and don't like having a wet or stinky diaper, those are all indicators they are ready. Because of your schedule, I would say you are going to need to get everyone involved in their care on board that you are doing it. I would not wait until the baby is here. That adds a lot of stress to you and them, you don't need to be potty training in the middle of that.

    My youngest is potty trained. She turned two in June. She has been since late September or early October (I can't remember now??). She had never gone on the potty prior to training her. I started potty training her on a Wednesday, pretty much I put her in underpants, told her she was going to use the potty like a big girl and that was that. She wet her pants and didn't go on the potty (even though we sat on it lots) on Wednesday, Thursday and all day friday until 4:00. She was able to hold it for long periods during the day, but I don't think she had any idea what I was expecting her to do. Finally at 4:00 Friday afternoon she went a little. We made a huge deal out of it. The next day she went more times on the potty and a few accidents. And that just kept up. After week I would have called her trained. We still had a few accidents here and there for a few weeks, but now I honestly don't remember the last time she had an accident. She is also dry through the night, although she will wake at night sometimes to go. I should also mention, I didn't use pull-ups to train. I bought some to use at night and when we were out, just because it made accidents if we were out easier. We just used the gerber training pants.

    My experience with my older daughter was much the same. My son was older (over three) and he pretty much one day decided to use the potty and that was that.

    Good luck! I absolutely HATE potty training. It is my absolute least favorite thing to do. You will be so gald once it is over once you are done though! If it were me, I would much rather deal with it now, than with a new baby. That would be my incentive!
     
  4. j_and_j_twins

    j_and_j_twins Well-Known Member

    I would wait until u are off work with them, unless they suddenly change and show a huge interest in January..

    I personally don't agree with "training" as such, if u go with a schedule of keep putting them on the potty they are bound to go at some point, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are feeling the need and letting u know.

    Good luck


    amanda
     
  5. NicoleT

    NicoleT Well-Known Member

    Becky, my advice is you need to set aside at least a 3-4 day period where you can camp out at home and start the training. In the beginning you will need to take them every 30 minutes until they get the hang of it.

    When mine started talking alot about the potty and began sitting on it and going before bath time I knew we were close. I basically talked about going potty all the time and then for 2 weeks started a count down to our magic Saturday when we would wake up and put on big kid underwear. We kept a calander and put stickers on it. Bought their favorite character underwear and we only bought seats for the toilet and not potty chairs. When that Satruday arrived I put them in underwear and it officially started. Katelyn had 1 accident the first day and quickly got the hang of it. Blake had a couple and then slowly got better, but I will admit he still has the occassional accident if we don't remind him. We basically stayed home for 3 days straight. (I did this over Labor Day weekend as I also work full-time) and would take them in every 30-45 minutes. Katelyn caught on very fast and by the 3rd day was going in by herself when she had to go. But again we had been talking about going potty for a long time-- months. I also got my childcare providers on the same page and then its just naturally progressed. We started in September and I can't remember the last time Katelyn had an accident and is dry during naps. Blake has the occassional accident-- if he is playing he will not stop to go potty and is also dry through naps. So our current strategy is working on being dry through the night. But I know this will come in time.

    Good luck and remember it is a process! :)
     
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