For the first time in about 6.5 years, I do not have a child in my house in diapers. A little over 3 of those years, I had 2 in diapers. So, to say that I haven’t changed a diaper in a little over 2 weeks should make me want to jump up and down with joy. We did actually celebrate this occasion with cupcakes.
But, as much as I’m thrilled to be a diaper-free household, especially in time for preschool, there are some pain in the ass unique challenges to having a newly potty-trained child in your house.
1. Cries at 5:30am to go to the potty. I’d much rather he use a pull up and let me sleep.
2. Requests to “watch me” and “help me” when really, he just wants a captive audience while he makes faces and tells silly jokes. I’d rather do this anywhere in the house except for the bathroom.
3. Increased potty talk. I already had 2 older boys who thought that “poop” and “butt” were hilarious words. Now I have three.
4. Speaking of three…. THREE boys with bad aim. Though the newest potty trainer is the worst, of course.
5. Obsession with public restrooms. I can tell my older two to wait until we get home, but I have to take the youngest. I shudder just thinking of walking into a public restroom.
6. Having to carry extra clothes, just in case of an accident.
7. Practice in undressing and dressing has resulted in youngest thinking it’s hilarious to moon people while yelling “Butt-y butt!”
8. Sudden curiosity in how mommy can pee since she doesn’t have a “peepee.”
9. Accidents in underwear are so much more disgusting to clean than changing a dirty diaper.
10. New bedtime struggle: youngest insisting about 12 different times that he needs to go to the potty. I want to get frustrated and tell him that he doesn’t and just to go to bed, but see #9 for why I let him get away with it.
What is your biggest potty training complaint?
P.S. Be sure to check out the contest going on over on ThisLife’s facebook page this week. Upload a pic with a theme of “laughter” and you could win a Kodak PlaySport Video Camera. I kinda think my little goofball up there goes with the theme.
I always told my husband that if we have three boys I'm having a urinal installed in the bathroom! This post was cute and informational since we are now in the middle of potty training!
Oh yes, I nodded right along. I am so glad that I am only using nighttime pull ups right now and the $$$ we were hemorraghing on diapers is going to better use (like buying shoes) but the accident suck and the bad aim (just this morning Gio sat down, forget to tuck and my bathroom was soaked in pee as was my son 10 min before we needed to leave.com..JOY) and they "need to go potty no matter where we are, they love an audience too…seems like I know exactly how u feel these days 😉
Where to start…seeing as we are on the verge of being diaper free after 7 years I can totally relate right now. My biggest complaint has to be her need to pee endlessly at the pool, thus having to round all the kids up, head to the nasty wet bathroom take off her floaties and her one piece UV suit. Yep, its a good time!
But what a total cutie! Love the funny face!
We are a couple months in and Will now wants private time when he goes and just yesterday after he pooped he pulled up his pants w/o wiping. I like that he wants to be so independent but I don't want to clean up poop!
I don't have any children and I am several years away, but I can't help but laugh at some of this. Your little one mooning people and yelling "Butty Butt" just makes me laugh! Hahaha!
I'm just starting to think about potty training with my youngest daughter. And a little bit dreading it…for all the reasons (minus the bad aim) that you mentioned.
Little boys should come with a lifetime supply of Clorox wipes. They are the best thing to have in the bathroom for all the little "oopses." At least we can buy them in bulk at Costco or Sams.
Cheers.
We just started potty training the girl. And while we may not have aim problems, she has an obsession with looking at whatever she "puts in the potty". Potty training is sort of gross!
I know I was excited when I was diaper free after 12.5 years. Well, almost diaper free, my sister hasn't started training with my nephew (who I have 5 days a week), but she pays for the diapers.
But my youngest was the youngest to train (2.5years old) and we have had some recent set backs at 4. Those get frustrating, but we got through it.
I am excited that I finally and personally taught him to stand instead of sit. I had it in my head I had the only 4 year old boy in the world who sits and tucks. With 4 males in the house, I swear my bathrooms will never be clean again.
It's so nice once they can go on their own, thank goodness that makes it all worthwhile! I'm not looking forward to potty training twins…
My almost 5 year old still wants me in the bathroom with him… he doesn't need me there, just wants my attention… so yeah… still dealing with that.
Shell,
I so remember these days, and actually dread it with my daughter. I hate to say it, but sometimes, a diaper is easier. No, I didn't say that, did i?
Thanks for your comment the other day. I found it today. Sorry about that. I had a giveaway, and the notification got sandwiched in between entries.
I ended up taking her to the doctor yesterday because she has had a fever, and Of course, I asked a speech. Wouldn't you know?
We just started potty training. Sort of. It's ridiculously frustrating. All of it. All of it, I tell you!
lol just to let you know, they actually DO make urinals for private homes – they've been on the market for about a decade, are ceramic and are on an angle (so less missing/splashiing) with a lid like a toilet….maybe something to look into with four males in the house!!!
I can't even contain the snorts going on over here in my neck of the internet woods…
My son has been potty trained since the beginning of the year and I can relate to EVERY SINGLE THING you said.
I just want to add that my son is obsessed with toilet paper and feels the need to spin the roll till there is no toilet paper on it.
Or the fact that he now says "Mom, get out of here. I'm trying to take a dump"…or "Mom, I took a nasty dump in here"…yea, those are all courtesy of the husband.
I could defintiely see where their are pros and cons to both…dirty underwear does sound gross! I bet you just want to throw it away like a diaper!
Ohmigosh, YES, especially number 9! My biggest complaint is that my son will sometimes just not WANT to go to the bathroom, so he'll whine, "The potty's scaaaaaary!" DUDE.
Oh you got it all right!
My daughter uses the "I've got to potty" as a stalling technique at night.
I keep forgetting (because we are so newly trained) to have her go before we go out. Many times I've been caught needing to find a bathroom. Finally I chucked a portable potty into the back of our car….
I love how some days Abbey slams the door: I need PRIVACY! and other days she opens it: I need you to COME WITH me!
I hope their aims improve…at least a little!
Ah, I remember those days. Did it with 3 boys as well so, there is hope Shell. Their aim might not get much better but at least they learn to clean it up. LoL
After reading #4 I was reminded of a friend who kept puppy pads around her toilet until her son got better with his "aim"…
she said she could care less about the eyesore, she hated cleaning up piddle more!
BUTT-y BUTT! BUTT-Y BUTT!
My wife & I are in the very early stages of planning a trip to Disney. We want to turn it into a great big thing – multiple families heading down, staying close together – if you want to do stuff as a group, we'll do stuff as a group. If you don't, you just hang out on your own.
Because we have multiple families in tow, we're not just on our own timetable. In a perfect world, we'd do this about 6 months before we get serious about potty training, or a good 18 months AFTER potty training is done. But, with the other families around, I can't say that we'll be that lucky.
LOL I feel your pain! We are potty training our 2 1/2 year old and it's a nightmare. He will go on the potty without pants on, but hasn't quite figured out that underwear are different than diapers. haha.
Stopping by from SITS!
Oh yes, for number 9! I'm so glad those days are over! Now, if you could just get a waterproof pen and draw a bulls eye in the toilet, your "aiming" problems would be over!
Yes, yes, and yes some more. Also having toilet paper all over the bathroom if I don't come fast enough after he's tried to wipe himself. My dude hates public restrooms, so instead of a fascination with them, we have the, 'I don't have to use the toilet!" screaming battle in public as I'm hauling his wriggling self to the restroom because he is doing the I-have-to-pee dance. I shudder to think about the bad aiming that will happen when the second boy graduates out of diapers. Thanks for the morning laugh!
I'm definitely with you on 8, 9, and 10. One of my big whines was telling my son to use the bathroom before we left to go somewhere. He's stubborn and usually said he didn't have to go. I'm sure you can guess what he said 5 minutes down the road in the car?
If I have boys I'm going to teach them to pee uniquely. You know, like between their legs but standing up. Or something like that – I have a little while to work out the particulars.
My 2yo hates public bathrooms! It makes for some speedy/anxious rides home. He's really good at holding it though. The aim is killing me. Why do I have to clean the bathroom 15 times a day?
Your #4 is the bane of my existence. I keep telling my husband that I'm going to make our *girls* clean the bathrooms so they can see how disgusting boys are and stay away from them longer. Lol.
Is it awful that I am avoiding potty training my youngest as I hate leaving the house with a new one in undies just knowing their could be a pee incident at The Gap.
I agree with ALL of this. But we haven't night timed trained yet. Because I'm lazy. I tried, but well… I hate changing sheets in the middle of the night.
After having such trials with my oldest 2 during potty training, I find myself in the somewhat new and unexpected position of my 22 month old potty training herself. Which means, she asks to go potty Every 5 Minutes!!! This may, or may not also include the normally for sleep hours of 12:30 to 3:30 and again 5:30 to 7:30 AM. And of course…when you are in a rush to get out of the house, standing in line at the check-out, or at the beach AND she is wearing a swim diaper. Thus, I have not ditched the diapers yet, but did switch to pull ups to make it easier.
As such, yes, we also now have our in-house resident streaker.
Little boys have the worse aim. My little guy has had to poop at bedtime all week. I need to break him of that. It delays bedtime by 30 minutes.
I'm in the midst of potty training. We're half way there. We pee in the potty, but we don't tell anyone when we have to go potty, so if we have to go, we go in the pull up.
Sigh.
The accidents are driving me nuts. The brown ones are the worst.
I think the worst has been when you're down to 2 pullups and your child has been accident free for three weeks during bedtime. Then bing, bang, boom, he wets both of them two nights in a row. I stood in the diaper section for at least ten minutes contemplating paying $10 for a pack of 19!! I debated on letting him wear underwear and change the sheets for an accident or buy pullups. Both choices were no fun!!
I feel your pain. I remember that time very clearly. It will get better. I promise.
Still one in diapers here. And Landon is still in a pull-up at night. On one hand, I can't wait until both my boys are potty-trained. On the other, no diapers means no babies! SAD FACE!
My last one is in this stage. It definitely is a love hate thing!
Nothing gets me to jump up faster than my daughter saying, "Pee Pee." Because we have about 2.3 seconds from then to get her on the potty or else I'll be cleaning up a mess. We haven't even begun to think about no diaper at night…
A friend of my parents just had their son stop using a pull-up at night.
He's 9.
Me? I'd much rather be woken up at 5 for a bathroom run than either wet sheets or a 9 year old in pull-ups.
This makes me with I wasn't potty trained!
OMG. We're newly potty-trained as well. Poop accidents in underwear are the WORST. Ugh.
And yes, the fact that "Farping" (farting) is now totally hilarious.
And the sudden preoccupation with butts and "pee-pees"
I have been working on potty training my toddler for the last 3 months and it's not going well at all.
I need more wine. For me. She needs more M&Ms.
Oh yes. I am right there with you. I would rather clean a dirty diaper or pull-up than deal with scraping poo out of regular underwear. Throw in there the headache of washing (and re-washing) sheets when they get dirty…sometimes I wonder why we are all so hyped up about potty training anyway.
Wooo! Good for you! My youngest trained at 2 1/2 and I thought is was a gift from God for me putting up with all of his other B.S. since the big ones waited until they were 3. Now…we just need to get him to agree to pee standing up.
I did a terrible job at potty training. Probbly why God brought my son home at age 6, when the job was done.
Bad Aim? This was a problem until I sprayed the whole area with environmentally friendly cleaner and handed brother the rag. Turns out he found urine filthy. Who knew. I only had to do this twice.
Ugh…public bathrooms. We are about to hit the potty training stage…I am not looking forward to it. Especially after reading all these posts 😉
Yep! It's amazing girls can pee at all, right? LOL
Seriously, crappy underpants are MUCH WORSE AND STINKIER than diapers.
Yeah, potty training is totally not all its cracked up to be.
Ahhh, potty training days. I sure don't miss that part of days gone by. My friend has three boys who are now teenagers. They've been trained well by their momma. A box of wipes sits on the back of the toilet and ever since the day they learned to stand up and pee, they've been instructed to wipe that toilet and the floor, (really, they pee on the floor?) down.
There is a downside to having an estrogen laden household, mainly the drama, but I definitely appreciate the fact that girls don't have to aim to pee.
I'm going through my first potty training experience and has been surprisingly pleasant. There was awhile where my daughter had a lot of accidents, but it's only been three months, and she hasn't had an accident in awhile. Even when we put on a diaper while she sleeps, most times, the diaper is dry! So I am counting my lucky stars right now!!! 🙂
We used to joke that Ahna was writing a Bathroom Book because she had to use EVERY public restroom available to her.
Glad you're finally diaper free!
the whole "not having a pee pee" thing? Remember, mine's called "not a penis" – So they laugh & say Momma pees out of her butt!
So glad I am past that…well for the moment- then it will be the whole battle again. I have been known to throw away a few pairs of underware as I didn't want to clean up the accident.
i just have to say everything you just said… is exactly what im going through to the T!!! Mommy wanna see my poopie? and everytime I sit on the potty, Mommy you making poopie can i see it? so good to know im not the only one going through this! lol
We have been going through this exact stuff for a year now with my almost 4 year old. He is potty trained, and then we have accidents galore.
He never wants to be alone in the bathroom and public restrooms freak him out more than me because he has a very real fear of toilets that flush by themselves.
I have written many a post on the conversations that have occurred between myself and my two boys about how Mommy pees. Some are hysterical, but gee it's frustrating and a tad embarrassing in public.
Oh, and I throw away the dirty underwear. I'm not washing that, I think I've been punished enough in other ways.
Congrats on no more diapers though, it is a big accomplishment!
ROFL at #7 and I would laugh in person too. hahaha. And my son would totally do that.
Bedwetting. My oldest took a week to fully potty train. She never wore a pull up after that. It was awesome. The other two…welll the middle is a very heavy sleeper and my son –forgive me here hit and miss but insists on underwear. ANd yeah…I totally get the missing thing. Bleah!
I love the accompanying pic for this post! LOL!!! So cute.
And "Butty Butt" totally made me giggle.
Yes! The middle-of-the-night pees are the worst. Sigh. How do I teach this kid to pull up his own pants?!
I think I would laugh if Bubba ever says butt-y butt…especially in public!!
WM
Hahaha! Oh my gosh…yes, to all of the above. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't step or sit in pee. But yay for no more diapers!!
OMG…I remember those issues! So happy to be past them, and have no plans of ever going back!!
The best was when he was first trained and we'd be on a plane before they turned off the seat belt sign and he'd have to go.
I still have one to go – one who is showing no interest. Ahem.
Anyway, those poopy underwear? Throw them directly in the trash!
I'd probably have to go with #10 for my biggest struggle. The potty is the main excuse for bedtime taking so long. I don't know how this happened – but I just now realized I have to potty train another child when you mentioned this was your third. I guess I felt like after doing the first one – I got to skip #2. Not really sure why my brain works that way. Wishful thinking, I guess? 😉
At least he's adorable. Man Shell, even though my days of diapers are still far in the future, I am already dreading the potty-training.
UGH! I feel your pain! Buggy is a ways off from potty training yet but I'm definitely not looking forward to it.
You totally hit the nail on the head with the aim thing. I'm still cleaning the "oops I missed" floors (if I'm lucky enough for them to tell me instead of finding it by smell) of my 8 and 5 year old. I'm really not looking forward to adding more mass to the mess.
You took the words right out of my mouth. I will be posting this week about my trip to Disney with a newly potty trained little girl… WHAT. WAS. I . THINKING????
The worst part- she calls everything POOPY so even when she has to pee its "I gotta do poopy!" and she will scream it on the top of her lungs in restaurants EVERY TIME.
I also agree ab the middle of the night. I would much rather her use the pull up lol
We are potty training our three year old little girl as we speak. Going pee pee is fine – she does great! But she refuses to poop in the potty. This resulted in 8 days straight of NO POOP, miralax to get things going, prune juice, prunes and finally, today (day 12) she finally pooped. In her diaper. It was the only way. *sigh*
I'm potty training the twins and I'M DYING OVER HERE!!! Those two are running me ragged. first – we only have a one bathroom house. second, the "pooping" potty sits in the "pooping corner" and everyone wants to sit on it. plus – we are not really pooping well in the pooping potty anyway, so i am stuck chasing them around as they yell, "i have to pee pee." every 5 minutes because they really have to poop. did i mention I'M DYING OVER HERE!!
Shell, if you don't already have them, you have got to get those removable toilet seats. I will make my link below to a post about it.
My son has really bad aim (worse when he gets up in the night to go), so these things have been GREAT. Not that cleaning a toilet is ever great. Actually, cleaning toilets just reminds me I was meant to be rich. Sigh.
Congrats on your graduation from diapers!
Don't forget how you cannot go anywhere without everyone pottying first (because heaven forbid that the littlest one forgot to pee and has to go while you are driving). Then when you get there, they have to potty. Before you leave they have to potty. It is exhausting. My thoughts are with you.
"Do you need to go pee? Do you need to go pee? Do you need to go pee?" Asking that a million times a day kind of sucks.
#8 made me laugh! I shudder at the thought of public restrooms. Gross. And I still think poop and butt are funny words, lol!
I know how about the sprints to the nearest public bathroom! You know the ones where you drop everything and hold the child out in front of you as you run. Good times.
Last year we finally said goodbye to diapers after 10 years. That my friend is a long time.
Ha! We're not quite there yet but I can totally see the downside (for a little while of course). Congrats though, that's a big milestone!
Oh how I loath potty training. My 3 1/2 year old is still not trained. And I don't know if we ever will be. I think he will be the kid that goes to Kindergarten not trained. We are trying and dealing with most of your list! Oh the things we do as parents!
I won't even pretend to lie to you, while potty training, all of mine? If we had "accidents" I just threw the underwear in the trash. I am so not built for the washing them out thing. Yeah, not going to happen. I get dry heaves just thinking about it. Yep, Just trash them and move on!
Oh man, yeah, it's great to get to sleep in… Until you go into your child's room at bedtime and there sits a soaked, nasty, stinking pullup oozing out all over the floor. It, of course, has been sitting there all day… Now the child will complain about their smelly room adding 10+ minutes to the bedtime routine as you, first try to convince them it's not that bad and then give in to rush downstairs for the Glade only to find that there is no longer any air freshener in the can because this child has used it all while sitting in the bathroom waiting to pee!
Hooray! 😀
I see one of your other readers said they threw dirty underwear away. Yup…exactly what I did! I HATED potty training and am so glad I will not have to do it again.
I can't wait until I don't have one of those little kid potties in the back of my car. My first born is a boy so it was always so easy to go pee on the go. My next 2 are girls and need the little pottie when we are on the go.
I love having only boys. Dad definitely slacked on the diaper changing duties, but he makes up for it now. When my youngest hit four Dad decided it was too big to get in the ladies room unless it was an absolute emergency. I've been enjoying my peaceful alone time because it never fails they have to visit the public restroom when we go out. Ah bliss.
Kira
Yes to every single one and car rides. The worst thing I can here is "I have to go potty" during a car ride. Stopping and getting everyone out so they can run wild in a public restroom makes us late for everything.
Ugh.. I'm not looking forward to potty training…
This reminds me of the empty bottle my dad made sure we had on every car trip, just in case my brother needed it. Something to keep in mind… 😉
#9 cracks me up – and that's why I wont cloth diaper! 🙂 I dont want to deal with it – I'd rathar just use disposable ones and deal with it when they are potty trained! Good post though 🙂 this cracks me up:
We are mid-potty training and my biggest pet peeves are the cost of PullUps and echoing your thoughts re: the disgusting mess of accidents in underwear and also on furniture…yuck!
Oh Shell, #s 1, 5, 9 and 10 just might kill me. My girl is only four months but I've thought about this often. A stage I'm definitely not looking forward to. Too bad we can't skip over it and wake one day to find her out of diapers and using the potty ;/ Wishful thinking, I know.
My biggest potty training complaint is that he's not TRAINED!!! AAAAAGH! And he starts school in a week and a half.
OMG…the last one on your list is driving me freaking batty.
I also have a son who would prefer to shit his pants than go on the potty…it's a choice…I know it's a choice…he's holding it.
Oh, and how the hell does anyone get a kid trained overnight? I am lost on that one.
Now my oldest wants to be left alone when he's doing his business. I always find disgusting surprises when he leaves the bathroom. Little boys can be so gross!
and here I was excited about potty training soon! haha