It was that golden opportunity every mother dreams of…a little boy who WANTS to potty train! However, it has come at a most inopportune time.
I awake Monday morning to a little boy in a rather soggy diaper begging me to go to the bathroom. No way am I going to pass this up! However, as I am helping him get situated I realize this is NOT a good week for this. We leave on vacation soon…very soon. It’s a long drive and I am not confidant that less than a week is enough time to fully potty train a little boy…a girl…maybe…a boy…nope. But, it’s too late. He’s up there. He’s smilin’. And I am trapped.
So, I set the timer, put on my Superwoman cape, and I start my list of To-Dos. At the top is Potty Train. Below that follows pack, finish all sorts of preparations, teach school, oh yeah, and be pregnant.
Being pregnant often makes the Superwoman cape a bit snug. The simple act of going up and down the stairs to do laundry suddenly looks less like leaping tall buildings and more like running a marathon…with all your children strapped to your back. And guess what potty training creates? LAUNDRY! They are not perfect, they have accidents, they dribble just a little, they change underwear 90 times a day. I only *thought* I had a large stash of undies for this little guy!
So, on top of doing load after load of undies, I am also beholden to the timer. Some people hate the timer idea, but I am naturally forgetful, so when potty training, the timer is a must-have for me. However, it does put a bit of a wrench in the To-Do list. Every 15 minutes this crazy thing is going off and I’m saying, “Time to go potty!” in as cheerful and excited of a voice as I can muster. We trot off to the bathroom, leaving behind whatever other household chore I might be in the middle of, and we sit and read and sing songs and wait. My older children joked that someday the timer will go off while I’m baking bread and K will think it’s time to go to the bathroom! Hmmmm…Pavlov move over!
Now, I must admit, he’s doing quite well, but I am TIRED! I pulled off the Superwoman routine yesterday, but today I was not quite so super. I ran out of undies and had to literally find items to wash since I’ve been so “on top” of the laundry due to the potty training, I kept falling asleep, and I ignored the timer more than once. Will I succeed in having a fully potty trained boy by the end of the week? Let’s just say no…that way, if by some off-the-wall chance I actually get this accomplished, I will be pleasantly surprised. 🙂
Sarah Robinson says
oh the fun of potty training. I’m trying to decide if I should pack the potty seat for the many trips to the bathroom that Savannah usually takes!
Ace says
I have so been here…just a few months ago. My daughters are exactly two years apart and my Princess Joy wanted to start potty training around 18 months. I was EXHAUSTED and huge so I just started with the last potty of the night, right before bath time. Then after Princess Grace came, Princess Joy REALLY wanted to potty train and we did the timer too. It worked and she goes potty by herself now (almost three). She is also a VERY strong personality so if she wants to do something…it is all over but the shouting 🙂Many Blessings 🙂Acejoyandgrace.blogspot.com
Lilyofthevalley - Tanya says
I wish you all the best!!Potty triaing in hard work, but it is so nice when the little one is trained. With my toddler son, we have been training all summer, I think jsut maybe we have mastered the #2 now. At least I hope so, two days in a row I was able to get him to go on the potty. 🙂 Yes!! he will be 3 the end of Sept.Have a wonderful trip too!
Jackietex says
My second daughter did the same thing, she announced she was ready to get on the potty train when we were one week away from a three day car trip followed by a beach vacation. She did it and boy was I happy! Best wishes.
The Pauls' Family says
I have recently found the best way to potty train.What you need?A willing teenage daughter 🙂It’s the best potty training time I have had yet !!She has been doing it all, setting the timer, changing the mishaps and I don’t even have to do the laundry.Of course not everyone has one of these.I know, been through potty training 9 times:Not the most fun on my list of to do’s!
The Munck Family says
Oh’ I wish they could just wake one morning and be potty trained…wishful thinking. I’m going to embark into the potty world next week…see how I put it off a few more days. This won’t be Jonathan first attempt into the potty world, I think now he’s mentally ready. I really need him to be 🙂
kranberry216 says
I potty trained while pregnant…and then re-potty trained several months later after the baby arrived and her older brother regressed! It took a total of almost 2 years to potty train him…and one pair of underwear to potty train the baby girl! Good luck – you’re a pro by now I am sure!