Potty-Training of #2
I remember potty-training KB. I was so excited! More importantly I was pregnant and didn’t want to be changing two kids’ diapers – much less paying for them. She was verbal, she was ready, let’s do it!! We started off with M&M’s rewards and made a day of sitting on her potty and watching cartoons all day on our hardwood floors. She was only about 21 months, but she learned quickly within a couple of days. She was potty-trained for 90% of her waking hours within those couple of days. It took a couple of years to get the sleeping hours down. Maybe a year for naps, and another year for night time. She really just got that completely within the last six months. She only got it when we told her only big girls could paint their nails and big girls didn’t pee-pee in their beds. That did it. We tried sticker charts, ice-cream, Happy Meals, all kinds of privileges – we racked our brains! Finally painting nails did it! Whew!
Well, now E is hitting that stage. He sees sissy going potty and wants to do the same. He hates poop in his diaper – unlike KB who didn’t care one bit what she was sitting in for hours at a time. He’s not quite as verbal in being able to tell me when he’s ready, but he’s 23 months and is asking quite regularly.
UGH! Why am I not excited at all about this? I was telling Mary Julia about my potty-training reservations and she thought it was funny as most parents are excited when their child is ready. I wondered aloud whether this was true for first children only or second children and after? I am speculating that it is NOT as exciting to begin potty-training on 2nd or subsequent children as we know what is to come.
Even though KB learned quickly, there were lots of accidents. There were times we were at the mall with no change of clothes and she would have two accidents. I’d just go buy her something at the mall and put it on her. We also got the advice to never put on a pull-up or diaper once you started training because it confused them. So we didn’t. It makes sense, but that meant for nap time and night time (twice a day), KB was having accidents. That’s a lot of laundry to do! We eventually just put down small blankets as her bottom “sheet” and I would just store those dirty ones in the basement until I had at least half a load’s worth – what a stink though! PHEW! I just remember potty-training her as one long string of cleaning up lots and lots of pee!!!!!
Well, when E started showing he was ready, I went out and bought ADORABLE big boy underwear and pull-ups. He’s very motivated by the Spiderman big boy pants, and they will look so cute on him. We started though with the not as cute padded plain white underwear and pull-ups. He did pretty good on day one, a Saturday. But, the next morning we were getting dressed to go to church. He was wearing a little jon-jon with no snaps, and then I wondered about whether he would get a room at church with no bathroom. And what if they didn’t have time to do that? I know how it can be in a nursery class. You can’t remember to ask one kid to go potty every 15 or 30 minutes. So, I stuck on a diaper and and resolved to re-start when we got home. I didn’t.
We’ve spent the last week or so going when he requests, but I’m going to save those Spiderman big boy pants for… well, I don’t know. Until when??? Part of me figures he could go at least another couple of years with just diapers – can’t he? Four isn’t that old to be wearing a pull-up, right???
So, I’m not looking forward to starting this with another one. Is it just me? Does anyone else have less excitement for potty-training child #2 or other subsequent children as I do?
i obviously am not anywhere close to potty training child # 2, but while i was potty training kate, it made me not want anymore kids so i wouldn’t have to do it more than twice!!! aaaauuuggh!!
It does get less exciting with each one, you’ve been there, done that, the excitement of the unknown is gone. Boys are also usually harder and take longer than girls. Good luck!! Hunter was 2 last month and I am so not ready to go there yet.
HA! I couldn’t STAND the smell of wet/dirty diapers, so when each of my children turned two years old, THAT DAY we started potty training – and it only took two weeks to get it all down, except for an occasional accident (Cody was waking up with dry diapers before he turned two). We used pennies or Skittles (“one for #1″; “two for #2″). And for the girls, the sibling(s) older than them made for more people cheering and dancing for them! I can remember the girls just beaming when they used the potty – not only for the “reward”, but also because Cody and I would cheer and dance around for them! They did not get that if they just went in the bathroom and didn’t do anything, because otherwise, they would want to go back in the bathroom as soon as we walked out of it! We DID use Pull-ups, though. And I will recommend that to my kids when THEY are potty training their own. Pulling off pee pants and undies; swishing out poopy underwear in the potty was just too…..ewwwww, I’m cringing at the thought of it!!!!! EWWWW! Yuck! The Pull-ups did not hamper the training.
ok, all i can think is “oh my goodness, B is almost 21 months and we are SO not ready..” or maybe I am so not ready. of course, he does tell me when he is poo-poo’ing and when he has so maybe we’re getting close. but EEK!!
so here’s my question…when do you know for sure that your child is potty trained? Gracie is so close. she can tell me when she needs to go, can go by herself, but there are still several accidents. I’m sure it is my fault for not having the intensity I need but I just don’t know how to convince her to always go in the potty. I actually look forward to #2 b/c she will have an older sibling to look up to and help with the process.