Using pottying to delay bedtime

I am very proud of my kids for getting potty trained and they are doing fantastic. I'm just starting to get annoyed with the little things. Maybe it's because it's times 2 and I just feel like I'm constantly running around like a chicken with my head cut off ??? LOL The last few weeks they've started to get progressively worse with trying to delay bedtime with having to go potty "one more time". I always try to take them potty twice before naps and bedtime but the last few nights especially they keep saying they have to go again. I don't want to deny them because what if they really have to go? Ya know? Once they go to sleep they are good to go till the morning but it's getting them to go to sleep. Their bedtime is 7:30pm or a little before and they've been waking up around 6:15 am-ish to go potty and throw a hissy fit about going back to bed (used to wake up at 6:45). SO I've been trying to get them to at least 6:30 and just deal with it. Anyway - last night they were still screaming they had to go potty after I put my youngest down so I went in to check on them. To my daughters credit she did poop (hadn't in a few days so I knew that was coming). But after that both of them kept saying they had to go every time I returned them to bed. It was almost 8:30pm by the time I finally just said I had it (took them each at least 3 times) and ignored them and they did go to sleep. Even if I start naptime/bedtime early it still equates to the same thing. Sometimes I at least get them to bed on time but I still spend the same frustrating amount of time in the bathroom. I am venting a little bit. I just have SO much to do during the day that after 7:30 it's MY time. LOL Has anyone else had this issue with bedtime and pottying? What did you do? I mean they can't really have to go again right!? I don't give drinks after dinner except for a very teeny tiny sip of water because DD gives me that look like she's going to fall over from thirst if she doesn't get one. LOL Any ideas?

 

We went through the same thing and it was maddening! I will say however, that it was a phase and it ended just as quickly as it began. I too, didn't want to deny them going to the bathroom, so we went. And of course the tiniest amount trickled out. What are you going to do? So dh and I started telling them they were going to the bathroom and it was the *last* time they were going. They could go again as soon as they woke up. We kept reitterating that to them. It was a lot of repetition! Thankfully, that phase ended. It's definitely a delay tactic!

Now we are dealing with Anthony.. If he doesn't want to eat something, he automatically has to go to the bathroom, like yesterday. Oh boy is that just as maddening!!! Hang in there!

 

sorry! yeah, we had that too, UGH!! now bedtime is permanently closer to 9pm - big UGH! I don't have any solutions.

 

Yup, my dd used to do that all the time as well. Honestly I put a pull-up on mind at night time (just in case), but I would ALWAYS let her go potty when she asked. However, to try and curb it I started a sticker chart, and everytime she went on the potty she got a sticker, but if she said she had to go potty and didn't go I took a sticker off (so I think my daughter also got good at going potty and only letting 1/2 of it out!). This did seem to help somewhat. As well as just waiting it out, I did find that this stage took my daughter a few months to grow out of.

Good luck!

 

My boys each had 2 loveys that they slept with. Once they were in bed, if they said they had to go, they either had to legitimately go (dribbles didn't count), and if they didn't go, then they would lose one of their loveys for the night. That put a quick end to the delaying tactics.

 

Thanks for the replies A friend borrowed HSHHC and I'm kind of in hopes there is something in there to help (hopefully she'll get it back to me today!). It's good to know it's a phase but I can't wait for it to be over!! I started telling them we need to get all the potty out because it's bedtime. They're starting to take longer to fall asleep at night (so I'm really not looking forward to toddler beds!! LOL) and by the time I get the little one to sleep (he still falls asleep with me giving him a bottle...I know bad LOL but I enjoy cuddling him at night since he's my last baby LOL) sometimes they have calmed down and sometimes they're still having a party in there. Last night amazingly they did fall asleep without screaming potty so I guess I'll just wait it out. If they actually say potty I'll go in and take them. If they're just being crazy partiers then I'll ignore them. We did the 3 Day Potty Training thing and they've been in underwear 100% since we started so I don't want to go back to pull ups or anything. We'll get there. I just have to keep pushing through. Just frustrating at the end of a long day.

 

Are they just recently potty trained?? I found my girls did this for a couple weeks after we trained them and then the novelty wore off and they didn't use it so much as an excuse to delay bedtime.

Hang in there!!

 

It's been right around a month or so since they've been potty trained and I'm finding there are many of these annoying little phases that they go through and as quickly as they come they are gone. SO I guess I'll just be super happy this is one of those phases and hope this goes quickly too. LOL It's funny because they didn't do this up until a week or 2 ago. Maybe just realizing it could delay bedtime. LOL We'll get through this. Thank you!!

 

Mine are doing the same thing!

I stopped asking them if they had to go before bed. I actually put my kids in bed and don't even mention the potty any more, it's a given that they will ask to go potty once they are in bed. So once they ask I say this is your last time and no sticker. I make sure they get on the potty and walk away. I totally ignore them until they are done and then put them back to bed. It's normal for them to ask again but I tell them they need to wait an hour. So if an hour they still have to go then I let them but lately they've been asleep by then so it works out.

Good luck!