Wednesday, January 6, 2010

I'm losing

Calling all moms with experience in potty training...

I've met my match. This kid is impossible. Way too old to still be in diapers but so frustratingly stubborn I can hardly handle it.

Yes, I'm well aware that this isn't the best time to start trying to potty train him... But we've tried so many times in the past when timing seemed impeccable. So when he expressed a mild interest last night before going to bed I jumped on it- all set to go with several pairs of undies and multiple changes of pants this morning.

And then we sat. And waited. And waited. And I loaded him up with juice and water and milk. And we waited some more. And I'm slowly going insane. Because he's so stubborn he's squirms around refusing to go on the potty while I just know the minute he gets back in his undies the waterworks will suddenly break loose.

No amount of bribing works. He's been offered trips to Wal-Mart, colorfully wrapped presents to chose from, candy, and several other miscellaneous prizes. He'll gladly put the undies on- his head swirling with all these great offers- but then he refuses. to. go.

Any advice? Besides try again another day- because most likely that is what this is all going to boil down to once again. If there was one part of parenting I could hand over to someone else to deal with- this would by far top the list. In fact, it's so far above anything else on the list it's been granted a super-special list all of it's own.

Argh.

9 comments:

Brita said...

The only thing that is certain to me after having trained 7 kids is that they have to WANT to. It HAS to be their decision not your's. It's good to talk about it a lot, but until they decide they want to, you might as well not stress about it.

Anonymous said...

I remember when we were trying to train Devin, he was just over 3. We put undies on him that morning and sat and sat in that bathroom many times that day waiting for him to go. He sat on that potty so long some of those times and still refused to go. We took turns reading books to him and kept the water running, to no avail. Pete came home from work and took his turn with him. Nothing.....finally that evening after not going ALL Day we gave in and put a diaper on him. He was bawling by this time and wanted no part of the toilet. Within minutes he had Filled up that diaper from front to back...soaked it, poor kid...and he was happy again. Well, the next morning HE decided he wanted undies on and Lo & Behold he's been potty trained ever since, both day and night and besides for that day before I gotta say he was probably the easiest one to train. No accidents or anything.....so, maybe there's hope for Jack over there. He'll decide on his own, in his own time, when he wants to go, hang in there, Mom. Enjoy the bathroom now, before you get these little boys who somehow always seem to miss the toilet or "forget" to put the toilet seat up... :) The joys of boys!! He'll get it eventually!! Until then, Happy Training!! Tanya

Anonymous said...

I've been working with William at work and today he was having trouble going. He tells me "Emily my pee isn't coming out of my pee thing! Help me" Uhh..how should I help you? "Go get a screwdriver. Oh never mind the pee is coming out now!" Whew I was wondering what I was going to do with that screwdriver! :) Maybe you should try that! haha. Good Luck!
-Emily

Sarah said...

Thanks for the advice... I'm thinking it's not going to work out right now for him. He seems to want to do it, but he just won't (if that makes sense!)

And Emily, I'm laughing at William's comment! What a character! : )

Anna said...

Hmm, I was gonna say send him outside to pee on a tree (hey, it works great out here in the sticks) cuz then it's different and exciting...but it might be a little cold for that...;)

Oliver got interested when my cousin was just finishing training and I babysat her...anyone in that stage for him to get jealous of?

Sarah said...

His cousin who is a YEAR younger than him is potty training right now... And they're going to be together twice next week- maybe that will spark something.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sarah,
I have lots of potty training stories as I 1/2 attempted to train Carl for pretty many years, and last fall, when he turned 7! he was ready overnight just like that!
Of course developmentally he is behind so my stories may not be as much help, but I do have to agree with the above posts, and it was why I only did 1/2 attemts, despite the school wanting me to do it differently--I knew he would train when he was ready. That and hearing so many times that boys are so much slower to train.
But one thing I did that I think really clicked was to give him a little can to pee in, and also having dad show him. He went in a can for some time. We also did fluid loading and brought him to the bathroom every 5 minutes.--it might have helped give him the idea, but it wasn't the clincher!

I enjoy your writings!
Kathleen H

Anonymous said...

wait a little longer -
according to the farmers almanac the best days to potty train are Jan. 12-21.

good luck

rodney was easy for me. when he started taking his own diapers off, i left them off and he trained fast. but that was summer (in the country) - a little easier to let them run naked.

Mari said...

You can put a kid on the pot, but you can't make him pee.

I haven't trained a kid yet. No, they're not all still running around in diapers. They have to train themselves, because I don't have what it takes to fight with them.