Training round four.

December 1, 2017

 

I swear my son Gabriel was just two, and I was asking every wise mother I knew for advice on how to graduate him from diapers. Four more kids later, and suddenly I’ve got another 2 year old on my hands! How?!  We’ve tried all of the tricks and experienced most of the horror stories, but I finally figured out at the end of the day every child’s personality is so different. There is no magic age to start training or no fool-proof trick that is going to work across the board. It’s made it a little easier this time around keeping this in mind. I’m following Rocco’s lead, and waiting for those signs that tell me he is ready.

 

 

He is getting pretty close. Curiously listening when I show him his little stool and seat topper. Understanding all of the language that comes with convincing him to try on his own. Always excited to put on his foxes (“foxthes”) training pants that he knows are just for him. Stubbornly resisting to actually sit on the potty. You know, the usual stuff. The other week he came up to me eagerly asking to give the toilet a try. I was hoping this meant he was ready to start practicing, but my hopes were quickly deflated when I realized he wanted to just stand in front of it like his older brothers. Sigh. Two in diapers can wear you out.

 

 

 

On the other hand, Rocco was my cuddliest, most giggly baby, and part of me doesn’t want to see that phase end. Milestones will always be hard for me. He’s quickly losing his baby chub, and quickly seeking to do everything on his own. I wish I could keep him small enough to cuddle up in my arms the way he still likes to.

 

 

So I’m not going to rush it. I’ll let him take his time, knowing it will all be different sooner than I realize. Maybe by the time he is potty trained, Azelie will be ready too. These Seventh Generation Protection for All™ Training Pants in the meantime have made the process so much easier. Rocco has always been my sensitive skinned baby, and reacts to any chemicals his skin comes in contact with. These are one of the few options he has never had a problem with since they do not contain fragrances, petroleum based lotions, or chlorine processing. I put them on in the morning, and we practice a few times each day to get him familiar with the routine. Once he feels confident enough to go on his own, then I usually start the three day stealth mode session… (aka dedicating a lot of time to taking them to the bathroom every 20 minutes). Which is why pants are optional around here 😉

 

What was your best friend during potty training days if you have been through it? I also love a humorous story if you want to share a good one for everyone reading below. Happy week ahead!

 

This post is sponsored by Seventh Generation, and all opinions are my own.

Leave a Comment

  • Can your photos be any sweeter? I love the bond between you and your family! 🙂

    Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
    http://charmainenyw.com

  • Does wine count? Lol Last month, we finally went from 3 in diapers to 2 in diapers and boy did we celebrate that accomplishment. Every one of our children has been so different in terms of readiness- patience, patience, patience.

  • I followed Lindsay Boever’s advice and when our little potty-trainers were successful, then everyone got m&ms to celebrate. It meant that the big kids were a lot more eager to help with reminders and encouragement for their little sister!

  • I totally agree… You can’t force it! I tried with my second, expecting him to be ready at the same age his older brother had been and boy was that a nightmare! We waited a few more months and such a difference that made – he practically potty trained himself!

    The first picture is the sweetest!

  • Your photos in this post are so beautiful!!! I love seeing the bond you share with your kids…it’s sweet!

    In regards to potty training, I used a book called, Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki, when working with my son.
    While her writing approach could occasionally come across as a little abrasive, her method made total sense to both me and my 25 month son. She recommends working with kids between the ages of 20 and 30 months. We had wonderful success when following her suggested steps and had no daytime accidents and only a couple nighttime accidents once fully potty trained. I’ll attempt to use this method on my daughter too when she reaches the appropriate age, and hope to have a similar experience. But of course all kids are different with the way they learn and do things!

    I hope you find this helpful and wish you all the best during the potty training phase, as it can be a challenging time for everyone!

    • Jess, thanks for sharing that book! Definitely curious and want to check it out for Rocco! It’s so fascinating to me how different each child can be! Trial and error has been my only foolproof method;)

  • Thanks for sharing information on seventh generation training pants. I’m going to check it out.

  • I’m so glad you did a post on this, as I’m starting to think about it for my first son who just turned 2. I don’t think he’s ready yet, so as you’re doing, I’m waiting for him to give me signs. It’s hard when I see 2 year olds already potty trained, but each kid is totally at his/her own pace and we need to respect that. We love Seventh Generation, so we will definitely look into using the training pants!

    • Oh I know! Two in diapers is tough right now, but I have changed so many over the last few years that I don’t think about it anymore-ha! And yes, it amazes me how different each of my kids have been. I have found that boys generally take longer to potty train than my girls. Each have been 2.5-3 yrs old.

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