Raising the White Flag

So last week we embarked on Lora Jensen’s 3 Day Potty Training.  Micah was telling us about his bodily functions, eager to sit on the potty, saying potty and going to the toilet and he’d lift his shirt up stick his belly out and pretend he was doing something and get a really proud look on his face.  So we decided to give this a go, because my language doesn’t start back up until September and I had some time.

Well Day One, was the worst.  I may have gone a little crazy and broken down in tears. Day one might have also evoked a little marital strain.  Because cleaning up pee all day long isn’t fun and you will feel crazy when you’ve said, “Tell Mommy when you have to go potty” for the 15,000^th time that day.

This program is also about staying positive after 32 accidents I’m not sure it’s possible to still be positive.  I had to balance staying with him all day long with dashing to throw pee soaked undies and various other pee soaked things in the wash before he had another accident, so these undies would dry in time before we ran out. (Remember we don’t have a dryer, so it was the power of wind and sunshine to get these babies dry.)

He’s shown signs that maybe it’s going to click, but then 2 minutes later he’ll be going in his pants without even knowing something’s happening.  He’s been dry in the mornings and after naps, but then he refuses to go when he wakes up, resulting in lots of accidents in the subsequent emptying of the bladder.

It has been beyond frustrating.

Plus the boy is stubborn.  I mean, really, really, really strong willed.  So if it’s not something he’s deemed interesting, he’s not doing it, period.

The other thing working against him is his ease of distractibility.  Seriously if he hears, sees, smells, touches something, the teachable moment is over.  He’s now fascinated with a bath mat, a remodeling noise coming from upstairs, dinner that he’s smelling, not on the pee that is in his undies and surrounding him on the floor.

So I’m giving up. Because it’s not worth it to have a stressed out momma, all the time, and because I want to leave the house in the next month.  I just don’t think he’s cognitively ready.  I guess we’ll try this potty training thing again come Christmas break, more than likely with a different method.  Hopefully he’ll be ready then.

So bring it diaper changing wrestling matches

Bring it ladies who like to ask questions to shame you “oh your child is still in pampers?”. 

Yes he is, it’s the best alternative to the 1,000 loads of laundry each week and a clearly not very encouraging and positive supportive mother. 

I’m looking forward to actually just being with my kids and enjoying them, rather than obsessing over bodily functions.  I think it’s best to abandon ship. 

My white flag is raised.