Last updated on March 4th, 2024 at 08:15 pm
We are at that stage where we are stuck on the potty training front. It’s the end of B’s potty training where we have mastered the days but the nights are still a struggle with pull-ups and lifting him to go to the bathroom at 11pm. I thought by school time we would be done with it. MM is at the stage where she really wants to use the potty one day and for a week afterwards point blank refuses. I am at my wits end with two in potty training mode and the amount of pull-ups we are going through isn’t cheap. Where do I begin?
B’s potty training went easily at about two and half years old. It really only took a matter of days before he got it the second time we tried. The first time was when MM was born and breastfeeding a newborn baby and trying to potty training at 22 month old at the same time is not recommended. He wasn’t ready and I wasn’t ready. But when we both were ready a few months later it was a breeze. Somehow I don’t think it’s going to be anywhere near as easy with MM.
With MM I have looked for the signs and she did just turn two but she also seems to grasp the concept faster than her brother did at her age so I thought she would be ready by now. I am not one to push as I saw how bad the results were when I pushed B to start earlier than he was ready for. I think I have been thinking more about it as we just had our two year check and the lady wasn’t happy with MM not going on the potty yet. She will gladly sit next to her big brother on the potty but she has never once gone in the potty. No bribery or sticker chart has ever worked for her either. So I think we will go at a slower pace than I did with her brother. Every child is different right?
We just got a mini potty to sit next to our downstair’s toilet so the kids can go together. I think having the kids go to the bathroom together has showed more of an improvement in MM’s interest in her potty and what you do on it. She is asking to go with B now every time he goes. It does make it a little awkward to explain why he is standing and she is supposed to sit to have a pee or the fact that she chats the entire time with him while he does a poo (that’s sibling love right there) but I am hoping the more B helps encourage her and show her, she will be more willing to participate. It might be a weird tactic but we have tried every type of potty training I know.
Bribery and Promises.
Sticker Charts.
Reward Charts.
Liquid induced method (pure sugar high day).
Go in the deep end, knickers only.
Potty sitting every 20 minutes.
Lead by example, watch what brother does (still in progress).
I know she does almost anything for her brother or like her brother so if he can get her potty trained I told him he will get all the Cars he wants. If only it were that easy!
It’s been a long journey the past two years from having them both in diapers at the same time to slowly getting B fully potty trained during the day and now working on MM. I will be relieved when we can see the end of the diapers/pull-ups era. It’s one baby/toddler stage I will never miss. I really do think there should be a potty training bootcamp somewhere were they kids can all learn together for two weeks and come back fully ready to take it on themselves. What an invention that would be?
Are you potty training your toddlers together? Or do you have advice to give me on how to approach a child that grasps the concept but plain and simple doesn’t want to do it? Or for an older toddler that sleeps so deep nothing will wake him to go to the bathroom, I would love to hear your advice, comment below.
Gosh, I am dreading the potty training. My daughter is 22 months and I know we are getting close, but not quite there. We’ve tried introducing a few potty training books into the mix in hopes of helping to get her ready. We have her sit on the potty, but she’s unimpressed. No advice to give on potty training, but hang in there it will be over soon I’m sure =)
I hate it I won’t lie. Not that it was hard with B once I waited until he was ready but the pressures and looks and judgment from everyone else really gets on my nerves. We used books to get the idea planted in their heads. I think she is just not ready but will soon get there.
I’m in the same situation as you… I’m in the middle of potty training my little girl who is 2 1/2 and still not getting there yet, while also trying to train my little boy who’s 5 for not wetting in bed. It’s so stressful especially as we’re both working, so the training is not consistent and now it’s taking ages. So, you’re not alone in this battle, lol
Oh glad I am not the only one and it’s tough when you are doing it twice on two different ends of the whole potty training journey. I know what you mean we both work and it’s hard to just get them to understand it all. Good luck to you with both.
Ooh I think you are going to get a lot of advice now Jenny and some of it will be conflicting! However, my two pence worth can only be based on our experience – for a start I’m just glad I didn’t bother with two year checks because its insane that you were made to feel bad for MM not being on the potty yet. Neither of my boys started til they were around about 3 years of age and JJ got it very quickly – EJ is still a bit hit and miss but the one thing I refused to do was use pull-ups (except at night). Not only is it very expensive but it gives the kids mixed messages in my opinion. I think you just have to be prepared to deal with a certain amount of accidents which will taper off over time. I always carry a bag with two changes of clothes and a pack of wipes. Since EJ started potty training back in mid July he has only had two poo accidents (horrendous but we got through it!!) and he is so good about telling us when he needs a wee now – the main thing being that he sometimes just doesn’t make it quite in time or gets too engrossed in play but that happens a lot less frequently. I know you say you’ve done the deep end – knickers only – but I urge you to go all or nothing – don’t go back to pull-ups after a couple of weeks – if it has been really bad in that time then I’d say she’s just not ready. Good luck Xx
Thanks Sam for all your advice, I am open to it all. Yes I was very cross with the lady for judging. I think MM is just not ready even though I want her to be because she has an accident every 10 minutes not just a few a day all day for weeks and it’s just wasting laundry but guess I wanted to see if there was a trick I was missing.