We've been at this potty training thing for over a week now. We won't be the miraculous children who got the concept the moment our bums touched the toilet seat. In fact, right now, I'd be happy if they didn't pee five minutes after we put the pullup back on.
This isn't so say we haven't made progress. They have gone from arching their backs and screaming, "No, No, NO!!" to sitting with minimal resistance and cajoling. (By minimal resistance I mean that it only takes five minutes to divert them from whatever toys they believe they must take along - I cringe at some of the things that have been in our bathroom lately - instead of twenty minutes of screeching, kicking and biting. Yes, biting. My son has renewed this habit and my daughter and I have the teethmarks to prove it.)
However, once they are sitting on their potties with every toy we own properly positioned around them, they will not pee. They have either already gone during the five minutes of stalling, thus accounting for their delay tactics. Or they hold it until I decide they don't have to go and all their clothing has been meticulously replaced (See post Three Most Hated Words.) and then they come and tell me they need to be changed.
At my mother's suggestion, I've tried running the faucets for inspiration. I've tried encouraging them to sit another couple minutes while we read a book. (M.M. The boxes of books are really coming in handy. :-)) But yet even after allowing them to drink three glasses of juice this morning, which was pronounced 'tasty' and 'delicious', the results were minimal.
I fear that to them this has become the weird thing that Mom makes us do for a gummy bear.
I just love reading your posts! I really hope, for your sake, that the twins make more progress soon. Do they not mind being wet? I think Luke has milk OCD and is very particular; water is one of those things that he doesn't like. Advice from my mom was that kids were smart enough to know that pull-ups were just like diapers, they just look cooler. This is completely true for Luke. I had to go directly from diapers to underwear. He had to physically feel the pee runing down his leg and soaking his socks in order for him to want to sit on the potty. He's been fully trained since February, but will still happily pee in a pull-up if we don't get it off quickly enough in the morning or after naptime. Just a thought....
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Oh how I remember these days...please know I mean it affectionately when I say, "better you than me." ;) With my kids and the daycare kids I think I potty trained nine altogether.
ReplyDeleteLuckily my two kids were heavily into pirates, so whenever they successfully peed, they got a plastic treasure coin. It was great motivation for them. :)
For what it's worth, I second jacobcassie - skip the pullups whenever possible, and go with the undies. :) And good luck!!!
Hang in there! The light bulb will go off about the time you are ready to give up!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the encouragement. I had hoped to start right with underwear, but needed to get them to sit on the potty. We are trying underwear tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteBronwyn: 9 kids! There's a special treasure in heaven for that one.