Our potty training kind of happened on its own and I went with it. Symeon started pooping in the potty about 6 months ago. One day I came out of Marin's room from putting her down for a nap and he was on the potty pooping (this word will be used quite often in this post) and from then on out he pretty much pooped in the potty. Now peeing was another story he told me he was just to busy to pee in the potty and I figured one day he would probably just do it and that would be it and pretty much that is what happened. Last week he decided he would pee in the potty and now he does. He wears big boy underwear all the time and is usually dry every morning so we might get rid of pull ups at night in another week or so. I know what you are thinking that does not sound like an adventure well wait for it...
In April I did start saying that May would be underwear month in our house and everyone would wear underwear so true to his need for transitions this worked well for Symeon and May brought undies. The adventure comes with his new found love of peeing and pooping in the potty which means we go into every public restroom everywhere we go. If you know me you know I avoid public restrooms at any cost having almost peed myself trying to get home so you can imagine my angst.
Okay now Marin. She came to Shawn and I one evening and said Mama me pee potty. I asked her do you need to pee in the potty and she said yes. So we took her and nothing about 10 minutes later the same thing so we took her again and she peed. We praised her and the rest of the night she went in the potty. Then we were flying to PA in two days and decided potty training in an airport and on the plane was not our idea of fun so we allowed her to go when ever she wanted but did not push it.
When we returned from PA she entered into May undies month with great excitement. We went to Target just us girls and I let her pick out underwear. She choose princess undies and Super Why boy undies she was so set on boy undies I figured who cares and Symeon could always wear them so we left with our girl and boy undies and she was excited. We went home and everyone put on undies. Symeon did great deciding it was time and although we have had a few accidents he is potty trained. Marin peed almost as soon as I put undies on her which is exactly what Symeon did a few months ago. So we changed her many many times that day and cleaned up pee off of several pieces of furniture and the carpet. The next day I set the timer and took her every 20 minutes which seemed to work until she decided that was enough. After several more clean ups I might have made a rookie mistake I am not sure I put her into pull ups. She continues to use the potty pretty much every time Symeon does and today for the first time she pooped in the potty all on her own. She just went in and used it. We all cheered and made a big deal about it so we will see what happens. She is doing great and I am confident in the next couple of weeks she will get it and we will be a diaper free house except at night.
So the adventures began when Symeon pooped in the potty and I had to look at it every time and then Shawn had to come look, and then Babes. Although I don't have to look every time now he does feel the need to describe it to me the size how many pieces etc. I will spare you the details and Babes always runs to see the poop gross! They are super sweet to each other encouraging and cheering when the other one goes in the potty. Symeon usually closes the door and says he needs privacy. Well I have learned that does mean he wants privacy but as soon as he is done I better get in there because privacy leads to the toilet brush being smashed into poop and then smeared all over the toilet because he was cleaning it. It also means an entire thing of flushable wipes being used for one small butt, and finally it means he puts his foot in the potty while he flushes because it feels cool Babes taught him that one. Today I found them arms deep in the potty flushing it really really gross.
Public restrooms should we even go here. Let me lay out for you what it is like for me and two adventuresome, inquisitive toddlers in a public restroom. We enter with my strict warning do not touch anything and please please please do not touch the potty. Symeon stands to pee and let's just say he is working on his aim so at home he wipes up his mess which is quite a bit. For example this morning he peed on my foot, my pj's and the bathroom rug in one shot he said sorry Mom I had a little spill and I just laughed. So you can imagine in a public restroom when he is distracted there is pee everywhere which he wants to clean up and I beg him not to but he says I have to Mom. So he wipes the toilet and floor in a public restroom while I cringe. While he is doing this Marin is standing with both hands on the toilet seat and I am losing it at this point. Then Marin says she has to pee in the potty and I think dear God help me no way but she needs to so I put the TP all over the seat and place her down next thing I know her butt is in the toilet, the TP is gone and toilet germs are encompassing her body as far as I am concerned. Next thing I know Symeon says he needs to poop and I remove Marin when she is done clean her up with wipes and place Symeon on a TP covered potty and remove his shoes, pants, and undies because well as he tell me he needs to spread his legs to poop. Now he is in a public restroom with no shoes and I want to run out leaving both of them behind screaming for hand sanitizer I can bathe them and myself in but being a committed and loving Mother I see it through to the end. Finally Symeon says nope I don't think I need to poop and we get him dressed again. We head to the sink and pray to God there is some super power soap not some watered down bottle that has not been changed in 5 years sitting there. So we survive and head out of the restroom and resume whatever it was we were doing having spent 20 plus minutes in the bathroom. As we continue on about 10 minutes later my sweet guy says Mom I really have to poop now and I want to freak out but I say okay big boy lets go and we are off for our second potty adventure and I pray we get home before it happens again. Imagine this scene just about every time we go somewhere!
I know you would think that would be the end of the adventures but no this week we entered a new realm the emergency pee but with no potty available. It began innocently when I explained to Symeon that he was going with Daddy on a bike ride and although there would not be a potty if he needed to go he could tell Daddy and he would help him find a private place to pee. Symeon's eyes lit up and I knew I was in trouble. I don't think it ever crossed his mind that you could pee anywhere but in the potty and I thought oh now what have I done. Next Symeon said so I can pee in the road and I said no that is not what I mean and I reviewed the need for an emergency, no potty in sight, and a private place. He said okay Mom and before they left I asked him if he needed to pee and he said nope. They all headed for the bike and I heard Shawn say Shelva he had an accident and when he comes around the corner walking sprawl legged I say Symeon wereyou holding it so you could pee in the road and he laughed and said yes Mom. We changed him and off they went. When they returned there were no incidents and I thought okay let's just drop this pee outside thing and hope forgets. Yeah right!
Later that evening the kids were playing outside and they were being to quiet so I went to check and there is Symeon in the middle of the yard with his pants down peeing. I said hey what are you doing and he said it was an emergency and I told him again we have toilets he needs to pee inside. Now I know what some of you are thinking no big deal well maybe if you have a huge yard but we have a city yard which means boy pee smell all summer when the sun hits it if I let him pee outside. After another talk Symeon says he understands and will pee inside. Great done, not quite. Later we were eating dinner and Symeon and Marin finished and once again they were to quiet so I go outside and they are around the corner of the house where there is a cement slab and they have all their clothes off and they are both peeing in the corner and once again I say what are you doing and Symeon says Mom we can pee over her this is not the yard. I want to laugh because he is right but instead I calmly explain it is not okay to pee outside anywhere when we have toilets in the house. He agrees and done right?!
Once again we are back in the house and I am finishing my not so warm dinner. He is walking toward the back door and I think he says this whole house smells like poop I am going outside and he walks out. I thought to myself I need to talk to him about saying stuff like that but I am so hungry so that will have to wait. Next thing I know Shawn says look and from where I am sitting I have a straight shot to the back yard and he has his pants down and he is peeing. Well this was the first time Shawn had seen him do it and he wanted to get the camera because well it was super cute even though, so I am watching him while Shawn gets the camera and our housemate Denise is at the table chuckling. Next thing I know, honestly this is gross, poop is falling out of his butt into our yard and I am so grossed out. Forget the camera I was out of my seat so quick and asking for the 100th time what are you doing? He looked up at me and says Mom you said I couldn't pee in the yard so I am pooping. I guess what he said when he left the house was I am going to poop in the back yard. Note to self if any poop statement comes out of a boy's mouth make sure you know what he said. At this point I am beside myself and I have to clean up poop which Marin has now stepped in and I explain again that all poop and pee needs to go in the potty and he says okay Mom.
The final story is about our trip to the park to go bike riding. He was riding his bike pretty far and he said he needed to pee and I had to let him pee outside near the bike trail. Ahhhh what is he going to do now well we got about 2 minutes up the path and he need to pee again and I thought oh no he loves this and when nothing came out I told he could not try anymore until we made our way to the potty. He agreed but he was so happy letting it all hang out there in the wind maybe a bit to happy for this Mama!
Well since this has all happened in the last week I am looking forward to our continued adventures with the potty. I guess if you know our family it might not strike you as odd that potty training has brought some excitement to our lives and I am sure you are having a good laugh at this post (especially you Lisa). Never a dull moment with my sweeties and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I must confess I have not taken many pictures of our adventures because honestly it is just gross but here is a sweet one of Marin with her new undies. She was pretty proud!
3 comments:
Oh MY! Laughing? Yes, and also fully aware that you have been pushed to your max of what is humanly possible to deal with. The public restroom scene killed me. I have spent MANY hours in public restrooms over the last four years. I still say everytime Don't touch ANYthing! And also pray for superpower soap. :)
We're just about to begin this adventure with Aiden...to date, my LEAST favorite parenting task.
I'd love hear these stories retold by you in person the next chance we get. :)
I, too, was laughing out loud! About a month ago we spent two straight weeks cooped up and pooped up. I thought there would never be an end in sight, but to date, he's doing great in his big boy underwear!
Oh, the public restrooms...I'm with you both, don't touch anything, just stand there, hold this. It's hard with Sabrina not walking yet. I stand her in a spot holding on to my keys or something but before I know it, she's crawling all over the germ infested floor, over to where we are. Aaaagh! Then I'm holding her, losing my balance and William pees all over both of us. Something you said a while ago, that I say outloud often, "at least it wasn't poop" :)
A friend suggested using a cup for boys. It's worked amazingly well and it's so easy to take along on walks and car rides. I'm guessing that won't work so easily with Sabrina.
Multiply your adventures to get Mozambique, where there isn't always toilet paper or a seat or soap...i think we, too, have one who likes to visit every possible bathroom available.
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