Letters For Lucas

Wonders, Mishaps, Blunders and Joy.. commentary on my life as a mom in the form of letters to my son

It’s Potty Time!

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Lucas is 2 1/2.

It’s time.

He’s been in a twin bed since April, off the bottle since June and attending preschool since August.

I know it’s time.

Once Upon a Potty, Prince of the Potty, Everybody Poops, Potty Time With Elmo and Potty Animals; we own them all and have read them all. Six dozen times each.

There’s interest there.

On his part, I think.

Cars underwear has been purchased (and probably outgrown). 

We have the potty seat and he’s been on it once or twice, thanks to Daddy.

But, his mom, on the other hand, she is still hesitating,

procrastinating,

and dreading beyond words, what I know must be the next milestone we reach:

potty training!

Please send wine, any helpful and/or successful tips, four leaf clovers, rabbit’s foot key chains and cupcakes my way. Thank you.

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Comments

  2. Good luck!! I will send wine and cupcakes!! Still have issues with my 1st who will be 5 in May, my 2nd was a piece of cake, wish I had some fab advice! Stay positive!

  5. With my first boy I used a bribe at first – m&m’s worked for him as far as peeing. The first day I started though we had lots of juice, koolaid, and water and went to sit on the potty every hour for the whole day for a week and after the first week he got it.

    I also have a thing in my house with all boys I make them sit to pee, I know its not manly, but I am the one cleaning up all the urine that does not make it into the bowl so I taught both boys to hold their peepee’s down while peeing. Pooping was much harder, used bigger rewards. He is still not completely potty-trained at night (6 now) due to his ability to sleep through anything (changing his clothes, slumping him on potty, flipping upside down – you name it he sleeps thru it).

    The second one – a breeze – on his second birthday he took his diaper off sat on the potty said “peepee mommy” and he did. Was completely potty trained both pee and poop, day and night since! Go figure, I wasn’t even trying due not wanting to begin the process.

    Best of luck that was probably more advise sharing than you wanted.

    • Oh dear, I appreciate the advice, but now I’m feeling even more ill-prepared. If that’s even possible.

    • I keeping her the “over the weekend” thing. Is that really possible?! Guess I’ll find out… Sigh!

  7. I dreaded it with Liam too, but he was so easy. I will say that he is much more comfortable in boxer briefs or a larger size of regular briefs (those things are tight!). Once you get to the other side, you will be so glad you did it. And always carry pants and undies in your purse 😉

    • The size 2/3 underwear I bought looks suffocating! I LOVE the idea of boxer briefs and had no idea they even made them for little guys.

      The other side… the other side… the other side… so excited for the other side.

      Thank you for all of your advice!!

  10. We had many ups and downs, but what really helped in the end was someone else, in ‘Timan’s case a doctor, telling him he can’t wear diapers anymore. Having said this the doc took the diapers off and threw them in the bin. And that was it.
    When Lucas is reaching a stage he actually knows what to do but refuses to do it, because it’s more convenient for him (‘Timan’ always wanted a diaper for a BM) get someone he totally respects to tell him he can’t have diapers anymore.
    Good luck.

    • Yes, I think someone would a little more authority (a doctor or teacher) telling him it’s what we are going to do would help immensely. Good advice. Thank you!

  11. First, I ADORE You…and I will send WINE, CUPCAKES, and a host of other things that will make this easier for you if you want me too. 🙂

    Next, I am going to be the “BAD FRIEND”, the “LAZY MOTHER” and tell you this. Lucas is 2 1/2…and just the fact that he has interest is ENOUGH for now. I spent much of the year between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 in a near panic and dreaded talking to anyone about PTing. My boys were interested but just not ready and what I didn’t do…what I wished that I had, was listen to ALL THE PEOPLE that told me “they will wake up one day and they’ll just decide they are done with diapers” .

    Instead I let my mom, my sister, well meaning strangers tell me that i needed to “Be more forceful”, “do a chart”, “embarress them” and in the middle of it gave myself a panic attack about once a day worried about what other people thought about my mothering if my boys weren’t PT’d yet…

    and then one day, both of them woke up and they were DONE with diapers. No tears, no yelling, no threats, Just DONE.

    I wish someone had just taken me by the shoulders and said, just keep encouraging…but don’t drive yourself nuts…so that is what I am doing for you…when Lucas is ready, he’ll be ready and you just won’t believe how easy it was.

    drink wine until then. 😉
    xo

    • Wine is such a great (temporary) cure all , isn’t it?

      I’m not beating myself up about this. Honestly. It’ll happen. I’m just going to start the process and be more diligent about it. It’s our next “big” hurdle to cross, but I’m certainly not worried about.

      I love all the tips this post has been getting and the encouragement makes me feel amazing!!

      xoxo

  12. Good luck! Monkey knows all about the potty. And that you get a peanut m n m if you use it. He just doesn’t care. 🙁 I feel like I’m going to be changing his diapers till he’s 12.

  13. Dang! lucas is WAY more “advanced” than Eddie who is also 2 and a half. While Eddie has been off bottles since he turn one, he is still in his crib and doesn’t go to pre-school (although he does go to daycare).

    He totally knows about peeing and pooping in the toilet, and occassionally asks to sit there, but we haven’t had more than 3 drips in there yet.

    And no undies purchased.

    I refuse to think about this until after Charlie is here. So, when Eddie is 3 this summer.

    So ::fingers in ears:: “la la la la la” 🙂

    But GOOD LUCK! I will actually be watching you…so I know how to handle this in a few months!

  14. Ours is almost 2.5 and started potty-training last month….he started to show an interest. Probably helps that he sees his big brother, etc.

    Right now, we keep him in diapers but I think we are ready to move to pull-ups. We’ve told him that as soon as he is PT, he can sleep in the bunk bed in his bro’s room.

    Oh! Have you seen the book ‘The Potty Train’? That’s a personal fave for both of my boys.

    • I haven’t see that book, but will check our library to see if they have it. Thanks for the suggestion.

      I’ve talked to a lot of people that say go with Pull Ups first.

      Incentives are key, huh?

  15. My boy, who is now almost 7, needed some definite convincing to get potty training started. Wow, I’m a little embarrassed to say he was 3 1/2 when we did it. He just wasn’t interested in it before and I didn’t want to force the issue. I think this is key with most children…they need to show readiness and we need to relax as much as possible and realize that it will happen.
    I read that link that Alison pasted and I love those tips…true and helpful!

    Good luck on your potty training adventure!

    • I’m anxious to read that too… In the meantime, I just need to relax. It’ll happen. Sooner or later. Right? Hold me!

  17. My Blake is three. He just gained interest in actually going into the bathroom. He gets a sucker every time he goes potty on his own. It works… Every 15 minutes!

    • Yes, I hear the rewards make it worth their while. I have stocked up on M & M’s, Lucas’ favorite treat. 🙂

  18. Potty training is daunting, for the child and adult but if you just go with it, it’ll happen. Don’t force it unless LMW is really ready. And expect frustration and accidents but also the magic of when it all works out! There is nothing more exciting then when your kids poops and/or pees on the potty without making a mess. 🙂

    The sticker reward board worked really well for us, plus his school helped so it wasn’t just on us and him seeing other kids go and get to wear big boy underwear was an added incentive.

    Good luck!

    • Yes, Lucas’ preschool will be helping out too, so I take some comfort in that.

      I’ll let you know how it goes.

      We are SO over diapers!

  19. I also recommend Dr. Merry’s PottyPal toilet seat. It’s the BEST and way better then having to clean out a little porta-potty thingy!

    • Yes, you have mentioned that to me a couple of times and each time I went to look for it, it was out of stock. I found a potty seat that I like… and it seems to work well for LMW too. We’ll see. Sigh…

  21. Screw wine and cupcakes, send me more Pull-Ups. I guarantee you will have more success than I’ve had with Hank. I am absolute worst case scenario as he makes bed wetting a sport and he’s 4!!

    You are such a practical and patient mom, you two will figure it out.

  23. At least you are able to consider it. At almost three Amelia absolutely refuses to walk around without a diaper. She won’t wear “big girl panties” and is completely unable to sit on her little toilet.

    Asher was so much easier. I’m sure Lucas will be a piece of cake.

  25. I had sort of an odd experience. My son decided one day he wanted to wear underwear. We had been talking to him about it and he just said I want to be a big boy and use the toilet like grown-ups. Never expected it to quite go down that way but it did. Sure we had a few hiccups as nothing is perfect but that is when it all started. Best of luck, it will happen.

  26. I agree with you. It is time. And he will get there when he does. From everything I’ve heard, it’s all about when the child shows a big interest in doing it. I guess Lucas just hasn’t quite gotten there all the way yet. He will soon though, I’m sure. I will of course help him along this journey any way I can.
    Just think of how wonderful it will be to no longer need diapers! Yay! That’s going to be exciting!

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