Once upon a time a house party meant loud bumping music, hundreds of people crammed into a basement or backyard, $5 for a red solo cup, and the steady flow of a bottomless keg.
This particular house party was a little different. This party was to introduce our little ones to the potty. Say what. No bumping music? No solo cups? No keg? Try explaining this to 21-year-old-Desirée.
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| Let's take a quick moment to note that we were able to get all four kids on the couch, at the same time, without any major melt downs. Though we couldn't get them all to look at the camera at the same time, or smile for that matter, I call this a win. |
Currently, Marcus uses the potty right before he hops in the bath. We hold the little man up to the toilet and if/when he pees we dance and clap and cheer like he's just won the Nobel Prize. Nine times out of 10 he will actually pee. I'm guessing this production is mostly so he can flush the toilet. He would flush toilets all day long if allowed.
With that said, I'm asking for some serious potty tips (specifically for little boys).
Do I do the three-day-no-pants method? Does that mean I'm going to be wiping up pee all day long? Do I buy pull-ups?
Do I need one of those little toilets for him, or can he just use the regular one?
What do I do for over nights and nap times?
What do you do when you need to run errands? Will I be confined to our house until this whole thing is mastered?
What worked for you?
And last, but certainly not least, what do I call #2? I.can.not.say.the."p".word. Cannot.
I am all ears!
Potty training is a difficult thing, only because each and every kid is completely different. I did the no pants thing with Emma, and it quickly worked for her. But I have friends that tried it with their little ones and it didn't work. I didn't use a little potty for her either, she used the big potty. It's a hard thing, but I hope you find something that works for Marcus...and you!! =)
ReplyDeleteI think there are TONS of methods that work. The 3-day did for friends and didn't for friends. Our situation was super weird as we did it while on vacation almost cold turkey in KC. He had family around him 24 hours a day and grandparents got him on the potty like every 15 minutes. Drew never really did pull ups. They are more $$ and I would just go straight to undies. I think Drew always thought if he had a diaper on, he could pee, but won't pee in undies. It's a mental thing and pull ups are almost the same as a diaper. Drew used the little ones for a while, but then quickly graduated to a cover on the big toilet and now doesn't use any cover. Also be prepared for M to want to stand. If he sees daddy stand, he will want to! Also, I know candy sucks and will rot their teeth but a tiny smartee or m&m will go a LOOONG way as a reward. Stickers are great, but that 1 calorie reward was all my guy needed to stay dry!
ReplyDeleteWe are just in the stages of starting ourselves so I don't really have much advice. We are not going to do pull-ups - seems like a waste of money to me and will just continue to use diapers at nap and bedtime. We have a little potty chair so we can keep it out in the living room (I know, gross) so he can get use to it and so we can also bring it with us. It's going to be interesting!!
ReplyDeleteI have no advice. Which is weird, since I have potty trained two kids. But let's be honest... Molly potty trained herself after watching my niece go to the bathroom. As for Brady, I honestly don't remember what we did. We waited until right around his third birthday and it just kinda happened. I think we might have put the fear of got in him, because in order for him to go to preschool he had to be potty trained.
ReplyDeleteMy only advice... Don't use a training potty. Just use the real deal.
I'll be anxious to see what you choose and how it works - since Baby #2 is due the week James turns 2, we are going to wait until a month or so afterward, so he has time to adapt to the fact he's no longer the only most important thing in our lives. :) But we're going to do it this summer, for sure! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI started potty training Noelle at 2 1/2 years. She is very persuaded by rewards, so I went to the dollar store and bought 20 or so small toy items and wrapped them in bright wrapping paper. I had her in panties, or as she still calls them "tannies" and them diapers for naps, bed, an when we had to leave the house. On the first day, every time she peed in the potty she would get to open a present. She loved this and would go every 15 minutes just to get a present. With my gifts coming to an end, I had to change to only if she went poop on the potty she got a present. After all the presents were gone, that was it. She mostly used a little potty at first but now uses the big one. I liked having the little potty because when she was older we put it in her bedroom for when she needed to go potty in the night. It is not an easy process and she still has an occasional accident a year later. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI tried to PT Zach when he was 2 1/2. After about 2 months, I gave up. I had always heard that boys were hard and to just let them decide when it's time. Every month after that, I'd give it a "try". About 2 weeks after he turned 3, he "decided" he was going to do it and did it. And never looked back.
ReplyDeleteI'd say that the little potty is a good thing as far as getting them used to the idea, but when Z actually PT'd, he went on the big potty.
As for going out, etc, we used Pull-Ups but really reiterated that they weren't to be peed in.
we started with Marissa right after her 2nd birthday and she was not ready. we tried again late last spring/summer and she was totally into it. I obviously dont have little boy tips but what worked for us, once she was ready, was:
ReplyDeleteno diapers, only undies for the whole weekend. for all of Fri-Sun she had 5 (waking hours) accidents. I also set a timer to go off at certain intervals. I started with 10 mins and worked up to 45 mins once she understood. I also made sure to let her drink as she usually would.
for nap and bed time, I used pull ups. but I made sure she at least TRIED to go potty before she went to sleep. (we still struggle with this)
NO NO NO NO you do NOT need a special little potty. waste.of.money. we have one of those potty seats that fits into the seat of the big potty and a step stool. save yourself the money and the disgusting-ness of cleaning out a little potty when he as an upset tummy. for real.
when I needed to run errands, I put on undies with a pull up over it. I reminded her that she HAD to tell me if she had to go. and that Saturday afternoon she told me at lunch at a restaurant that she had to go and she stayed dry the whole time.
dont forget to have potty books for him to read/push buttons while he is trying. that made it easier to sit there for Marissa. and we also did a sticker chart for a month or so. letting her pick out her own undies was a big incentive also.
I know I have rambled. but this is all stuff that worked for us. the most important thing to remember is to not get frustrated if it doesnt go well bc he might not be ready.
as for what to call #2... I cant help you, we have always just called it what it is :)
Hey!! I started potty training Jackson at 20 months and he was pretty much fully potty trained by his second birthday. We were home all week for Christmas break, so we went straight to underwear. I set a timer for every 30 minutes and when it went off, I asked him if he had to go, then had him try either way. It made it a fun game and we both got way too excited when the timer went off :). He had lots of accidents right away (mostly because I would forget to take him or he would go within 5 minutes of trying), but eventually I got to the point where we would have him try every two hours.
ReplyDeleteI think consistency is the main thing. I've seen parents try for a week, get frustrated and then go back to diapers. If he can talk well enough to tell you he has to go (or at least give you a sign) and if he shows interest, which it seems like he does, I would definitely go for it! It's not easy, and you might need your carpets cleaned after, but it's worth it! I think potty training is more about practicing your patience. Also, I tried to never get upset with him for going in his pants. They are going to have accidents and getting mad at them doesn't help the situation. (I realize after like 20 accidents this is much easier said than done!) Good luck!!
I just wanted to say this is a super cute way to introduce the potty, and that I'm following this post's comments for tips, too! Good luck!!
ReplyDeletePlease figure this out and then tell me what to do. I'm hoping Mace will just potty train himself (ha. HA.) I am thinking I will do it this summer when I am home with him.....but as much as he already tells me when he's going to poop......maybe I should try sooner?? (NO).
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this type of party....sort of weirding me out!
We used pull ups at night for a short while (a couple of weeks) but both boys were waking up dry already when we started (2 1/2) so weren't too concerned about them wetting the bed at night.
ReplyDeleteThey couldn't flush the toilet unless they went, that was part of their incentive. And they could pick out a toy at the store after they filled their potty chart w/ stickers (about 40 squares). I never did candy rewards, didn't seem right to me.
W/ Brennan he potty trained his Bobby ( a stuffed boy that has the zippers, snaps, buttons, etc, to master) while he potty trained, otherwise he didn't want to try.
And no potty chair for us, just straight to the toilet.
Hope that helps some!
Following! I need to hear all this stuff too! Someone please just tell me what to do! :)
ReplyDeleteUgh I am so dreading this! Can't wait to find out what you decide!
ReplyDeleteWe're no where near attempting the potty training days BUT I LOVE the idea of a party to throw around ideas and share supplies!! What a super cute party! I also love the pictures and my most favorite is Marcus in the last pic. It looks like he has a question, haha!!
ReplyDeleteThis is too cute!!! And how exciting, we are almost ready for this too .... I have no idea where to start!!! ;)
ReplyDeletewordsaboutwaverly.blogspot.con
I don't have boys so I am not sure how different it is, but with my girl I did use the cold turkey/3 day method. I told her that she was no longer wearing a diaper and she went without pants. I did spend the first two or so days cleaning a lot of pee off the floor. On the third day she was using the toilet more, and by the end of the week she was using it consistently. I did use M&Ms as a reward for going. I bought a little potty, and it was used some of the time. She liked using the big one and the little one. As for leaving the house, I didn't for the first few days. We just played in the yard and I ran errands on my own. After a week of no accidents, we started running errands again. At night time I still used a diaper for another month or so. Once I ran out of diapers I told her she had to start waking during the night to use the bathroom. We had many accidents during the night. I used pee pads so I wouldn't have to change sheets every time. Also, one of use would take her to the bathroom before we went to bed (maybe around 11) which cut down on the number of accidents. I also put the vinyl cover on the mattress to protect it from pee stains.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Every kid does it their own way. Patience and consistency are the keys.
I have a girl so I know its not the same. I feel like it would be hard to potty train a boy!! I know, sorry… What I can say is make him wear underwear during the day.. no pull-ups. Pull-ups are just like diapers. He will not care what he is doing if he wears pull-ups all day. He will have accidents and probably lots of them. I know some people won't agree with me but I was like a drill sergeant. I would get upset with Olivia if she peed or pooped her pants. I would tell her that is yucky. You could tell I hurt her feelings when she would do this and after about a week she learned not to pee her pants. Pooping took about a month. She didn't like to poop on the potty for awhile and would hold it for a long time and would go during her naps or at night just to get it out. Olivia has been potty trained for a few months now but I have to bring the potty seat everywhere we go.. She will not go on the potty unless her elmo seat is up there. She wears a pull-up during nap and at night. You will have to do that for awhile. I also rewarded her with m&ms and stickers. She hasn't had a accident for awhile but if she does I am not a drill sergeant anymore and I tell her its okay we all have accidents. haha That first week you start is key though! Do not give up! Once you start you have to finish, otherwise he may not be trained for a long time. You will do great!
ReplyDeleteI am saving this so I can read all of the comments! I need to know all of these things too as we will start in the next couple months.. I hope! Thanks for this post.. I think I will need all the help I can get :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck! I don't have any tips as Henry has been the child from hell when it comes to potty training. He will literally make himself hold it until he is in pain and then cry and have a meltdown if he goes on the floor (we were going pantless). He refuses to sit on the potty! It's terrible!
ReplyDeleteSnake. That's what my cousin called the p word until she was four or five. Weird, I know, but it works! We've had the potty out for a couple of weeks and Clay is finally to the point where he will go over and put the lid up and down and stick his hand in and tap the bottom (no clue what that's about). I figured in a couple of months we'll try sitting him on it and see how he does. My hope is that he's like me and will be easily bribed into using the potty like my mom did with me :)
ReplyDeleteDOOKIE!!!!!
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