Things about Potty Training Early no one tells you:

[jacobsmommy0828]

So some people say that potty training doesnt have to wait until age two, some believe that a kid in diapers at age three is sad (not my pov).  Kids want to be potty trained they say, they say that it's not hard just takes constant reinforcement. Potty train while they are still in that compliant age, before they know to say no.

Well I have been somewhat disillusioned.  My son, Jacob,  is 19 months old.  6 weeks ago we started potty training.  He was ready let me tell you.  He would pee as soon as we put him on the potty. He knew the difference between wet and dry, and he was staying dry for extended periods of time.  He was comfortable sitting on the potty and was not afraid of the toilet flushing.  Toilet paper is a game to him.

First off let me say that to claim that your child is "potty trained" (or toilet trained or whatever you want to call it), then your child has had no accidents for one month, and be able to go in pull down their own pants, pee, and then pull up their own pants.  My child is not capable of pulling his pants up or down....so I'm guessing it's going to be a while before he's potty trained.  He is not poop trained and I'm not going to try that until he seems physically and mentally ready.  No matter how much I complain I am proud of my son!  He has done great and is truly learning a new skill.  I am not going to give up and I am going to hang in there.  My experience is probably drastically different form all of those lucky moms out there...so maybe someone reading this will happen to be lucky too and get a lo that trains in 3days.

1.  Potty training is not fun.  Not for you (when have another person's bowel movements been fun) and not for them (try explaining to a 1 1/2 yr old that sitting down and peeing is fun- it only lasts so long).

2.  Little boys can pee and hit stuff at least 5 ft. away. 

3.  Those little potty deflector shields that they say can hurt a little boy- are truly the only thing keeping your bathroom from being completely soaked.  (Don't throw it away!   Thanks goodness we had ours.)  They come in different shapes and sizes.  Look for one that has the largest, tallest, cupped shaped one you can find.  Don't get one that is detachable (unless you have a girl).

4.  Those little potty deflector shields don't do anything if your lo sits back and aims to the side.  Or even if they happen to point down splashing and side spray occurs. 

5.  You need to be secure enough that pee does not scare you.  I've been peed on at least 5 or 6 times just by being in the same bathroom.  He's hit our bathroom counters, our shower curtains, hit inside the bathtub from the toilet, our bathroom rugs, the door, the carpet outside in the hallway, his face (he pushes it down and it just ends up facing directly up), and an assortment of toys that were unlucky enough to be within range.

6.  Poop training can happen at a different time than pee training, and usually does.  For us it just so happens to be later.

7.  The underwear for lo's this small are hard to find.  Be satisfied with 2T underwear that is a little baggy.

8.  Hard small poops will roll out of underwear that is a little baggy.  I pulled him out of his car seat and poop rolled out of his pant leg. 

9.  Yes even stickers can stop being fun.

10.  A child sitting on the potty can be distracted enough to not pee if they have toys to play with, or are distracted by mom or dad.  That's why they pee after within a minute of getting off- they aren't being stimulated anymore.

11. Potty training a little boy naked is kind of like having a loaded gun in your house (only not lethal), use underwear unless you  mind cleaning pee out of impossible nooks and crannies 5 ft from where your son was standing. 

12.  You can not point a  little boy down if he won't pee while your doing it.  Watching himself pee is really a highlight to him.

13.  Standing up, sitting down for a boy it's all the same if they don't aim.  You'll have to clean up pee anyways. 

14.  Deflector shields that can be easily removed by you can be easily removed by your child, and thrown into the potty.

15. Toilet paper is a toy even if you say it isn't.

16.  If you potty train early some moms hate you and if you potty train late some moms hate you. 

17.  Public restrooms contain several things: people, loud noises, new objects, a lot of gross germs, and wet floors.  All of which make it impossible for a young toddler to pee.

18.  Men's restrooms aren't just worse than a girl's restroom they are about 20x worse.  Husbands will use that as an excuse not to take the chidl into the bathroom.

19.    If flushing a potty isn't scary for a lo than it's fun.  I'm not sure whats worse.  Having the toilet flushing on you while your sitting on it or while your in the shower not fun.

20.  If you put stickers or something in the potty  for a little boy to aim onto gives him (in his mind) permission to stick his hand it to the toilet.

21.  Little child sized potties are only good if your likes it better.  Buy a potty ring first and then a potty seat later if you need to.  Ours is a waste of money and space.

22.  Potty training a girl really IS easier.  If only for the fact that they don't miss as much when they are sitting on the potty.

23.Those cool foldable potty seats can break.  My son fell into a public toilet because the plastic cracked and broke (not at a joint).  He only weighs 22lbs.  (got ours from walmart and yes we took it back for a refund).

24.  Pull ups can delay full piotty training because they absorb the fluid so well.  "Cool Alert" means nothing to my son. 

25.  Pull ups make cleaning up poopy messes so much easier.

26.  Wiping a poopy butt is a lot harder if they are standing.  I mean A LOT harder.

27.  Diaper wipes are NOT flushable, make sure your dh knows.

28.  Using the toilet gets old real quick.  If need be substitute the great outdoors, or the shower floor.

29.  Be prepared to have your child pee all over the bathroom at someone else's house.

30.  When it really counts is when your child will A. suprise you, or B. have so many accidents people think your lying about potty training.

31.  When they say that potty training early means more accidents it's the truth.  Be prepared for two or three days with no accidents and then the next day your kid forgetting what the potty is.

32.  If a young child has a new mental or physical development then they will lose the ability to hold their pee.

33.  If your child isn't ready but everyone else's kid is then who cares!  It's not just a mental thing but a physical thing as well.  Don't even try potty training if your kid isn't ready.

34.  When lo's potty train for the day their skin is more sensitive to urine.  So expect more diaper rashes.

35.  Diaper rash cream does not wash out in the washing machine.  Use a clear ointment and hand wash to remove it form the underwear.

36.  Your lo will do great and suprise you if they are ready.  But that dosen't mean they won't have accidents occasionally.

[ethans_momma06]

Apr. 16, 2009 at 7:26 PM

Im potty training at 2...and everything you said is so accurate!!! And I love the pic of your LO going potty! Great post, I wanted to die from laughing!

[mommy2bunny]

Apr. 27, 2009 at 4:00 PM

I love your sarcasm about PT.  Yes, PT can be a headache for some, but at least you put some humor to it.  I, too, have a PT journal post. 

[jacobsmommy0828]

May. 5, 2009 at 10:05 AM

Just wanted to add that Jacob is very sucsessfully poop training fpr 3 days(100% for the last 3 days), and not so sucessfully night time training (only 1 night out of the last 3 was dry).  Going good!

(Original Poster)

[mamaVanessa511]

Jun. 21, 2011 at 8:22 AM

I am at the beginning of PT and I hate it!  Thanks for the humor!