I use the word “guide” very loosely, and the lazy mom here is me. This is how I’m potty training my almost 3 year old daughter. First, wait until she is just 2 months shy of turning 3 and so tired of wearing those wet pull ups that she takes them off herself. Second, let her run around naked for awhile, she will only pee and poop on your carpet once, okay maybe twice. Third, if you happen to run out of pull ups one weekend day, just declare “okay sweetie, no more pull ups, time to start going pee pee in the potty”. And…voila! what you get, apparently, is a potty trained little girl proudly donning her Dora undies.
Okay, so I’m oversimplifying here but that is pretty much the gist of it. Honestly, I did not want to go through the requisite pain of potty training. I was perfectly okay changing her pull ups and she didn’t seem to mind either. Yes, I was a little self conscious that some of her peers were already potty trained and happened to be for quite some time. Still, this did not embarrass me enough to want to get it started.
I’ve been through all the hoopla before: being home bound for a week, acting like quite the fool good mommy while pretending to be an actual train, the “potty train” encouraging my son to hop on board (choo choo) and make our way to the potty. I’ve done the toy and candy bribes rewards, been through the protests, begged and pleaded…ugh! No Thanks! I was in no hurry to get this ‘potty’ started.
Still, I did have the looming start of preschool fast approaching but the fire had yet to be lit. So, what prompted me to get off my lazy bum and potty train this little girl? I simply ran out of pull ups. See, I told you…lazy. So, that’s the day I decided she needed to start wearing big girl undies, and, thank goodness I had just the pair of Dora undies to do the trick.
Well she must have been ready because she has not looked back. She even does #2 in her potty! Seriously? No hoopla, no pretending to be the “potty train”, no waiting another full year before poop goes in its proper place?
So are girls really easier to potty train? Well, I don’t think it’s quite that simple. First of all, I waited until she practically potty trained herself. Secondly, she does have a big brother and she knows he does his business in the potty. Which, by the way, she has tried to pee standing up like Big Brother…didn’t quite work out like she had planned. Thirdly, she is little miss independent …her favorite saying is: “No Mama, I do it!”
Not that I advise you to take my lackadaisical approach to potty training here. My son would never have gone for it, but, I had a hunch my daughter would. I’m sure plain old luck had a hand in it…all the stars were aligned or something. Well, I’ll take it. No questions asked. I’m just going to rejoice in this relatively painless potty training process. Now there’s three words I never thought I’d say in one sentence.
What do you think? Are girls easier to potty train, is it the luck of the draw? Or, are there a combination of factors at play here? Would love to hear what you think and any other potty training tales you might have.
did the lazy mom way with my kids
most of the time they were ready and I had to take away the pull ups and have them be in underwear and have accidents.
My son was a bit harder ..but kids learn when they are ready, so true.( lazy x5) and we are all underwear
and it made the budget so much better.
did the lazy mom way with my kids
most of the time they were ready and I had to take away the pull ups and have them be in underwear and have accidents.
My son was a bit harder ..but kids learn when they are ready, so true.( lazy x5) and we are all underwear
and it made the budget so much better.
I think it's a combination of all. Every kid is different. My oldest wasn't ready to potty train until 2 or 2 1/2 but my youngest is 17 months and is giving signs that he is ready to start.
You just have to go with what your child's signal.
Come by when you can…
http://Www.frugaltractormom.blogspot.com
I think it's a combination of all. Every kid is different. My oldest wasn't ready to potty train until 2 or 2 1/2 but my youngest is 17 months and is giving signs that he is ready to start.
You just have to go with what your child's signal.
Come by when you can…
http://Www.frugaltractormom.blogspot.com
It's my pleasure to give you the Versatile Blogger Award Today–you have such a wonderful, beautiful, and creative blog. You can see the announcement at
http://mommyspirit.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-received-versatile-blogger-award.html
Have a wonderful day!
I have two girls and they were both very easy. My sister on the other hand has four boys and it was nasty and long:(
I have two girls and they were both very easy. My sister on the other hand has four boys and it was nasty and long:(
Love this post! I waited until my son was ready, too, which for him was just after three years. We had the occasional potty lesson during the previous year when he was receptive to it, but he let us know he was not emotionally prepared to go all the way. Once he was ready and willing, he was fully trained in two days with no accidents after! My daughter is emotionally ready, but she isn't there yet physically.
I would like to think waiting until the child shows he or she is emotionally and physically ready is the more peaceful way to potty train. I'm all about peaceful parenting and I would rather change a pull-up than an entire soiled outfit.
We are just getting ready to train our 2 year old. I'm not really looking forward to it. Consider me a lazy mommy as well
We are just getting ready to train our 2 year old. I'm not really looking forward to it. Consider me a lazy mommy as well
I think the key is waiting until they are ready.
We tried to go cold turkey and there were tears, tantrums, it was just a mess. Two weeks later E was nekkid after swimming and ran over and peed in the potty. That was it! She did nighttime pull ups for a few months but that's been over for months now, too.
So yes, maybe the 'lazy' approach is the best way!
In my experience, yes, girls are easier and faster to PT, but like you, my DD was the second and with only 18 months separating my two, was old enough to watch what I was doing while I PTed her brother…which took an entire year, but he was trained at 3!
In my experience, yes, girls are easier and faster to PT, but like you, my DD was the second and with only 18 months separating my two, was old enough to watch what I was doing while I PTed her brother…which took an entire year, but he was trained at 3!
I've heard that girls are easier, but I have no basis of comparison.
I've heard that girls are easier, but I have no basis of comparison.
Although I cannot speak for girls, I also took your lackadaisical approach to training my son. I didn't worry. When he was ready (age 3), that was it. No accidents…straight to Superhero undies! I once heard someone say, “Have you ever met a teenager that still wore diapers?” In other words, it will eventually happen and for me, rushing it was not my approach.
I started to potty train my son at 2 and 1/2 and, while he understood the concept and was perfectly able to use the potty, he did not get on board until he was 3 and 1/2. Had I started later, I could have saved myself plenty of work. I will let my youngest stay in diapers until he's 5 if that what it takes to avoid all the clean up
I started to potty train my son at 2 and 1/2 and, while he understood the concept and was perfectly able to use the potty, he did not get on board until he was 3 and 1/2. Had I started later, I could have saved myself plenty of work. I will let my youngest stay in diapers until he's 5 if that what it takes to avoid all the clean up
I really think the relaxed approach is the way to go. Why go through all that effort if they just aren't ready? Of course, at some point, you do have to nudge them a bit!
I really think the relaxed approach is the way to go. Why go through all that effort if they just aren't ready? Of course, at some point, you do have to nudge them a bit!
I think it's really the luck of the draw. My first daughter (now 7) was a breeze. She trained right around 2 1/2 … by second daughter (the Hot Mess) … she had NO INTEREST at all. #2's were not the problem (she had been using the potty for those since she was about 2 1/2, but the 1's – nope – no interest.) I did address it with our Doc and he said, “Mom – she is trained. She just doesn't want to do it. Let her be for a while.” So, I did.
About 1 year later (seriously), I lost my “let if be” cool. After a week of “NO PULL UPS” and MULTIPLE accidents, I went all out – bought the princess potty chair that sings, pulled out the special “potty reward jar” of M&M's and did the whole smiley sticker poster. (None of which I used for the first child.) You know what? Turns out my Hot Mess needed a little FUN to get into it. She was pulling her bottoms down while I was taking the chair out of the box… we've been pull-up free since that day!! Crazy!
I think it's really the luck of the draw. My first daughter (now 7) was a breeze. She trained right around 2 1/2 … by second daughter (the Hot Mess) … she had NO INTEREST at all. #2's were not the problem (she had been using the potty for those since she was about 2 1/2, but the 1's – nope – no interest.) I did address it with our Doc and he said, “Mom – she is trained. She just doesn't want to do it. Let her be for a while.” So, I did.
About 1 year later (seriously), I lost my “let if be” cool. After a week of “NO PULL UPS” and MULTIPLE accidents, I went all out – bought the princess potty chair that sings, pulled out the special “potty reward jar” of M&M's and did the whole smiley sticker poster. (None of which I used for the first child.) You know what? Turns out my Hot Mess needed a little FUN to get into it. She was pulling her bottoms down while I was taking the chair out of the box… we've been pull-up free since that day!! Crazy!
Luck of the draw. My daughter was the WORST potty trainer on the planet. Seriously. So darn stubborn.
Son was potty trained in like 2 days. It should have been a clue… LOL
Luck of the draw. My daughter was the WORST potty trainer on the planet. Seriously. So darn stubborn.
Son was potty trained in like 2 days. It should have been a clue… LOL
I have 2 girls and a boy. 1st girl potty trained around 18 months. She was ready and just went easy. At least that's how I recall it. It was almost 15 years ago.
I thought the boy was going to have to wear pull-ups to kindergarten. He was HARD. Stubborn and obstinate. Pooped at the same time everyday so you'd think we could handle that. Not when that is the exact time mom has to be at the school to pick up big sister. I still have nightmares!
2nd girl is following in her big brother's footsteps. I'm taking the lazy mom approach with her as well. She's 3-1/2 and still having accidents almost daily.
So no, girls are not easier. It was all luck!
I have 2 girls and a boy. 1st girl potty trained around 18 months. She was ready and just went easy. At least that's how I recall it. It was almost 15 years ago.
I thought the boy was going to have to wear pull-ups to kindergarten. He was HARD. Stubborn and obstinate. Pooped at the same time everyday so you'd think we could handle that. Not when that is the exact time mom has to be at the school to pick up big sister. I still have nightmares!
2nd girl is following in her big brother's footsteps. I'm taking the lazy mom approach with her as well. She's 3-1/2 and still having accidents almost daily.
So no, girls are not easier. It was all luck!
I sure the hell hope so! My son was a NIGHTMARE – I am hoping for the best with my little girl!!
To be continued…
I sure the hell hope so! My son was a NIGHTMARE – I am hoping for the best with my little girl!!
To be continued…
I agree with the others who say that the key is that they are ready. This is true even for special needs kids. I was so afraid of screwing it up that I waited til my daughter was 4, and then it was pretty easy because she had honed the other necessary motor skills. I've seen others beat their head against the wall trying to get autistic kids trained at the same time as typical kids and really setting them back.
I agree with the others who say that the key is that they are ready. This is true even for special needs kids. I was so afraid of screwing it up that I waited til my daughter was 4, and then it was pretty easy because she had honed the other necessary motor skills. I've seen others beat their head against the wall trying to get autistic kids trained at the same time as typical kids and really setting them back.
I don't think that girls are easier to potty train because my son was potty trained at 2 years old and I'm still struggling with my 3 year old daughter
I don't think that girls are easier to potty train because my son was potty trained at 2 years old and I'm still struggling with my 3 year old daughter
Ha! The day before my oldest turned 3, I ran out of pull-ups. I said to her, “I ran out of pull-ups, and I'm not buying any more. If you go in your pants, you'll be in big trouble.” Magically, she started telling me when she had to go to the potty.
Don't get too excited — it didn't work with her younger brother and sister.
Ha! The day before my oldest turned 3, I ran out of pull-ups. I said to her, “I ran out of pull-ups, and I'm not buying any more. If you go in your pants, you'll be in big trouble.” Magically, she started telling me when she had to go to the potty.
Don't get too excited — it didn't work with her younger brother and sister.
I completed potty training a few months shy of her third birthday. It was hell on earth.
Then we found out about her hearing loss. I wonder if it would have been easier if she could have actually heard my instructions. I think it might have been.
it's luck of the draw. really, i think it depends on the child's personality. Kate was easy, but maddie is going to be much harder.
it's luck of the draw. really, i think it depends on the child's personality. Kate was easy, but maddie is going to be much harder.
We did a lot of “training” on our boys all the way down to the cheerios in the water to aim. I am looking forward to a “lazy” training on my daughter in hopes that girls are easier than boys.
We did a lot of “training” on our boys all the way down to the cheerios in the water to aim. I am looking forward to a “lazy” training on my daughter in hopes that girls are easier than boys.
I do think they are all different. I can't help but think too that the approach may push it one way or the other and depending on the timing. I tried so hard with all the 'right' things with my first. Let him be naked, sit in front of the tv on the potty, and all that stuff. It took forever. He didn't do it until he was ready. With him there was all this pressure from the relatives about it being time. Its not like he was 5 or something, he had just turned 2. With my next two, I waited for a cue. The first cue that I got that they were interested, I said very casually, how about sitting on the potty. They were ready. And they were not quite 3. It worked in just two days for the both of them. of course it is not as easy as this but there are a lot of factors. My advise…don't do what the books say, go with your gut.
I do think they are all different. I can't help but think too that the approach may push it one way or the other and depending on the timing. I tried so hard with all the 'right' things with my first. Let him be naked, sit in front of the tv on the potty, and all that stuff. It took forever. He didn't do it until he was ready. With him there was all this pressure from the relatives about it being time. Its not like he was 5 or something, he had just turned 2. With my next two, I waited for a cue. The first cue that I got that they were interested, I said very casually, how about sitting on the potty. They were ready. And they were not quite 3. It worked in just two days for the both of them. of course it is not as easy as this but there are a lot of factors. My advise…don't do what the books say, go with your gut.
My boys were so easy. We waited till the day of their third birthday, had a rough day 1 thru 3, better on 4, and 5 and kicked arse by day 7.
You have to hang in there…
My boys were so easy. We waited till the day of their third birthday, had a rough day 1 thru 3, better on 4, and 5 and kicked arse by day 7.
You have to hang in there…
Ahh…thanks for sharing your potty training tales. We can learn so much from each other by sharing our experiences, so Thank You!
Ahh…thanks for sharing your potty training tales. We can learn so much from each other by sharing our experiences, so Thank You!