So we all know what a disaster our first attempt at potty training was. I don’t even like to think of that November weekend. It makes me want to curl up in the fetal position and rock in the corner, listening to The Smiths.
So when daycare asked me to just bring the boys to school in underpants, I was understandably a bit nervous. We agreed that we’d start on Monday. I told the boys, and they seemed excited about it.
So Monday rolls around, and Oliver and Linus happily put on Thomas underpants. Miles refused. Whatever, I was fine with that. Either his teacher at daycare could try to get him in them, or we’d let him PT later.
Before we left for school, Oliver had an accident. No biggie. We get to school, and when I go to pick them up, I only had five pairs of pants to clean. Not bad for two kids! (As it turns out, Miles refused to wear them altogether.)
But they wouldn’t use the potty at home. There was another accident, but then we did bathtime, and I put diapers on them (with some relief, to be honest.)
Tuesday rolls around. Linus had an accident. Miles is still refusing to wear them. I bring them to school, and I come home with only three pairs of soiled pants. Woot!
After we get home, I ask Linus and Oliver to sit on their potties. They do, and nothing happens. Finally Oliver indicates that he wants to stand and use the toilet.
What? They were using the toilet standing up at daycare? This is news to me. I just assumed they were sitting. I thought that’s how everyone taught boys to pee. Guess not!
So (yes, I know I start too many paragraphs with “so”. So what?) I stand Oliver up at the toilet, and whaddya know, he pees! And then Linus does! I reward them with a piece of candy (look, I know my kids, and sugar works. Whatever.) and by the time we’re getting ready for bed, there have been NO accidents!
And then this morning…Linus and Oliver both peed in (okay, and around – we need to work on aim) the toilet.
Woot! I guess they just weren’t ready before! Or, they wanted to stand up, and just didn’t tell me.
(Now, I’m still waiting for a Numero Dos accident at home. Dreading, in fact. Blech.)
Sorry I don’t have any pictures to illustrate this post. Instead, I’ll post this one of the four of us at the zoo on Saturday. How’s that?
oh, and this picture of Miles on the “pink duck”
oh, and this one, also of Miles.
Okay, and Linus eating spaghetti.
Well, I can’t leave Ollie out!
pyjammy dot blog 
Tezzie
Ok…those boys are just too cute for words 😀
And, a tip (maybe you’ve heard this one before…if so, just pretend I didn’t say anything ;D): Try floating Cheerios in the toilet and get the boys to practice their aim by trying to pee on them! Makes peeing fun! (sorry…don’t have any pooping tricks ;D, other than a sticker reward system…worked a treat with my kids! )
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Tena
My son prefers to pee on his frog potty (we have the same one you do) but he also likes to pee standing up at the big potty. Our trick is to make him lean forward over the toilet, holding onto the top of the raised seat (helps with balance, too) and then all he has to do is pee, and it goes straight down. One thing you *may* want to try is letting them run around pants and underwear-less at home. That’s the only way James will go potty sometimes, if he really knows he’s got to make it to the potty since he’s got nothing on to catch the pee. It works wonderfully. Candy helps, too, of course. Good luck, I can’t imagine trying to do 3 kids at once. Oy.
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pyjammy
Good idea about holding on to the seat. I’ll have to try that.
NO WAY am I doing the naked way again. 😉 We tried that the first time and it was SUCH a mess! ha ha ha!
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
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Lindsay (LTF525)
WAY TO GO BOYS!!!
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Stephanie
Yay!! Congratulations! Good luck with #2. After two accidents (one at home, one at my sisters) my daughter caught on real quick that she did not like that!
Good luck!
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Pam Johnston
It has been a while since I have been able to check out your blog and pictures, but honestly they are the three cutest little boys ever! I am just in awe of how identical they are, I don’t guess you can be much more identical then identical, but just wanted you to know I am still around and they are just precious! Good luck with the PT, it will happen! Your friend in East Texas, Pam
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Dodge34
Pooping in the potty sometimes comes later that peeing on the potty, different things to assimilate for them so don’t be surprised if they even ask for a diaper to go #2 at first, just insist that they sit on the potty to do it (even with a diaper on, it does work, once they figure out doing it on the potty in their diapers, you can take the diapers off to let them try it without them) main reason for that is most toddlers aren’t sitting down while they do their #2 in their diapers, they are crouching in the corner for most of them, so its a lot different to do #2 while sitting on the potty for them, one step at a time first in their diapers on the potty then without a diaper, is a trick that can work for some of them.
Good Luck.
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Dodge34
I’m just a little bit curious, do you speak some french, I know some people from Louisiana do speak some kind of french.
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pyjammy
We had french lessons when we were v young, but I hardly remember any of it. But I hope to get the boys into a French immersion school next year. So they might end up knowing more than I do!
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Ali
Maybe there is something about the name “Miles” that makes the potty undesirable? My Miles is afraid of the potty–asks for a diaper to poop, and kindly declines any offer to wear big boy underwear. “Oh no! I won’t be the mom to bribe” I said way back. Let me tell you, we have tempted with Thomas Underwear, M&Ms, and even have a coin bowl so he can get pennies to put into his piggy bank. Nope. Won’t work. He can tell me all about the potty, and that poop and pee goes in the potty–he knows who wears big kid underwear at school, but doesn’t budge. I even started calling diapers “baby diapers” (not in a bad way, but so he makes the association that they are for babies and not big boys).
I think we are going to have to wait for his 1 year old brother to potty train before he bites.
Keep us updated–it gives me hope. (And those boys just are the cutest…)
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pyjammy
Ha ha, you know, I think I was going to say something similar to you about Miles =/= potty training. Probably if you wait a bit, he’ll do fine. I swear, I thought these boys were NEVER going to be ready, so it really is all about timing.
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