Friday, 16 June 2017

The Potty-Training Diaries - Volume 1

A few years ago, when I was thinking about potty training JD, I was advised by someone to wait until he was 3 - "boys are a bit slower with these things, don't want to try before he's ready". Well, I happily and gratefully took this advice on board, and waited until I was "gently prompted" by his nursery that perhaps I might like to tackle it over the summer. 

He's been 100% sorted for a couple of years now, I was very lucky with him... despite a few accidents here and there (mostly with number twos - uuuggghhh), he was quite quick to learn and figure the whole thing out. I did recently wonder why JJ had so few trousers passed on from JD, and I realised it was because I used to just throw them away if we'd been out and about and had an accident! hahaaa! 

Fast forward 3 years... Mr JJ... my little scally-wag who either doesn't fully understand what I tell him, or just stubbornly ignores me (probably the latter), he's still waddling around in nappies! He turned 3 back in May and I've still managed to put it off. In fact, here's some amusing proof of him wearing them where he got caught on our fence whilst trying to use his ninja/monkey skills to scale it:

(yes, this is the stuff of embarrassment with future girlfriends 😉)

At first, it was "oh he's not 3 yet... I don't want to rush him", then it was "well... we've sold the house, I don't want to leave a house smelling like wee, also he might digress after a big life change", then "we've just moved, I'm too busy unpacking and getting the house sorted", eventually, a few weeks after moving, I did have a go at it... 

I let him potter around the garden in a t-shirt and pants ("let them just go outside... they'll soon notice when they've got wet pants and legs" I was told - HAH!) 


I asked him every 5 mins or so "do you need a wee wee?" "No fanks mummy", I had the potty right there outside with him, "do you need a wee wee sweetie?" "No fanks mummy", I stayed outside with him for a lot of the time, "do you need a wee wee Joey-Jo?" "No fanks mummy", I try putting him on the potty every 10-20 mins, "do you need a wee wee yet?" "No fanks mummy"
(Am I conveying the monotony of it yet?)
I go inside for 2 mins.. come back. Wet pants! Daaammnnn it!! 
That's okay, it's the first time... I'm sure he'll notice the sensation now and be a bit more aware of it... Nope! A full day of little puddles turning up here there and everywhere and a very dry potty. Even the bribery of sweets didn't help.

So I tried that for 2 or 3 days (felt like an eternity!), and then just give up. I know, I know... I broke the cardinal rule - consistency, but I was about to lose my mind!

Anyway... that was a few weeks ago... he's now been 3 for well over a month, I had planned to start this week, aaaaand guess who's potty got left outside the entire time and is now totally unusable?! I even tried to buy one at good old Home Bargains the other day and no luck. Seriously, is the Earth and Hell conspiring against me on this one? 

BUT the reason for my blog is that I am going to start again next week... I'm determined to do this!! He can't start funded nursery (September) not potty trained! I am going to try that whole, every 15 mins put him on the potty for at least 5 mins and get him to sit there... maybe get some colouring to do whilst he's sat there. I'm wondering if my "in-his-own-head-constantly" little guy is just genuinely clueless when it comes to what bodily functions even are! 

The plan is that I will write a daily update on how it's gone... I'm not sure if anyone has much interest in the highs (if there are any) and lows (there will be plenty) of a potty training journey, but at least it makes me accountable and ensure that I'm actually DOING it! It's certainly something I will be able to look back and laugh at.

Wish me luck!

(also if you have any tips.. they'd be gratefully received!) 

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