The Humbled Homemaker: Tossing Aside the Pull-Ups and Putting on the Undies {Potty Training at the First Years: Guest Post}

Today we continue our potty training mini series as part of our ongoing "The First Years" series that is covering the most precious little years! I'm delighted to have Lauren from Serving from Home guest posting today! Please pay her blog a visit!

Image by Michael Bentley

Guest post by Lauren of Serving from Home

Many a tear has been shed, many a method has been googled, much advice has been requested and received - all over the monumental task of potty training our children.

Over the 7 years that I have been a mother, I have learned that ALL children are different, in pretty well EVERY way imaginable, and in ways we cannot even begin to recognize. Potty training is no different a beast than naptimes, eating, behaviour, discipline and training.

With that said, I wanted to share with you what I have learned about potty training over the years and how we have managed to accomplish it. Like I said, every child is different, and they certainly won’t all be ready to potty train at the same age, nor will they all potty train the same way. But as more and more mothers share their experiences and encouragement, I think we can all come to a place of peace instead of war over the area of potty training. And when I say war, I mean with our kids :0)

Image by The Wu's Photo Land

With our firstborn, we tried potty training him when he was about 21 months, after his brother was born. I wanted to wait until after he had adjusted a bit to having a new little one around, so we would (potentially) lessen the chances of regressing later on. Things went pretty well for a while, but more often than not he peed in his diaper.

I tried taking him every couple of hours - and would make him sit there, while I was reading, running the water, sometimes up to 20 minutes. Nothing. Then, after a while, the tears and tantrums started coming when it was time to go potty. This kid downright, plain and simple just REFUSED to pee on the toilet. So, with my hubby’s encouragement, I decided to back off and let it lie for a bit.

Image by abbybatchelder

As a family, we camped over the summer and he caught a bug from the lake water, so he had diarrhea for about a week and a half after we got home. Not fun! But I sure was glad he wasn’t potty trained! (I’d rather change messy diapers than underwear :D)

And then, suddenly, after the diarrhea left, he showed an interest in going on the toilet. He was 2 ½ years old, and he had decided he was ready. So, I cautiously, without any expectations, started taking him more and more consistently.

We followed the “no drinks after 6 pm,” pee before bed, take him every 2 hours (and about 30-40 minutes or so after drinking), and he did pretty well. BUT we had one big problem. And this problem was consistent with all 3 of my kids - he really couldn’t care less if he peed in his pullups or not. The “cool” feeling ones made no difference. The disappearing picture ones - meh, they didn’t care.

My mother-in-law suggested going straight to underwear. Since we were potty training at the end of summer and in warmer months (which is when all 3 of them were trained!), I decided to give it a shot. OH MY--was it frustrating. I felt like I was house training a dog; I was constantly cleaning up pee all over the floor. Fortunately, we have lots of hardwood and tiles, so it wasn’t a major disaster.

Image by Manish Bansal

However, we started to notice how uncomfortable he got when he peed in his pants. He was feeling it all right, and he did not like it ONE BIT. By the end of the first week, he was telling us BEFORE he peed in his pants (although occasionally a dribble), and within a couple of weeks, he was pretty well potty trained. Hallelujah!

While we’ve tried different methods with our other son, and our daughter, all three of them have potty trained at almost exactly the same age, and just the same way - straight to underwear.

Image by jencu

Now, I know this method won’t work for everyone - especially if you have carpets or don’t have much access to the outdoors, or are working out of the home. But the main things I learned are these:

1. Wait until they are ready! Up to a point, obviously, you may need to have them trained because of school or daycare. But they will almost always let you know when they’re interested and ready to go. For all 3 of mine it was right around 2 ½ years old.

2. Don’t sweat it! My hubby always says “How many 8 year olds do you know that aren’t potty trained?” I don’t know any (although I am sure there are situations where this occurs). They all get it eventually; take your time and be as encouraging as possible!

3. Don’t be afraid to get drastic. Switching everyone from diapers to straight underwear was always frightening. But it was what worked for us the quickest out of everything. Ask for help from people who’ve done it before, and do what works for your kids.

4. Don’t be afraid of regression. All 3 of our kids have had a point between age 3 and 4 where they suddenly forget how to go to the bathroom. Especially after times of being away, they get lazy or too busy and while it’s frustrating, gently encourage them to tell you before it’s too late.

I hope that in sharing our potty training journey with you that you’ve been able to receive some encouragement. Just remember, every child is different, but they all need to be loved through it.

Lauren is the wife of the best husband in the world, and homeschooling mother of 3 little ones. She seeks to spend her days teaching her children about their loving God and Saviour through his Word and her actions, that she may be a light to them and we may be the servant of all. Her favourite activities include spending quality time with her husband, homeschooling, baking, sewing and reading with the kids. She also loves to encourage others with what the Lord has been teaching her through personal experience as a mother, wife, and daughter of the king. You can follow her on twitter @ServingFromHome, like her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ServingFromHome and find her blog at http://www.servingfromhome.com.

Check out the other posts in this series:

Be on the lookout for these upcoming posts:

I'm so excited about the other upcoming posts in this series, including: