If you are SO not interested in reading about my potty training philosophy, just wait for my next post. This is going to be boring.
I am quite lazy when it comes to pushing my children to the next developmental milestone. For as long as I can remember, I have had the philosophy that eventually and naturally, they would get there. Why create a power struggle, have a fight, or make a big fuss about something my child isn't ready for just so I can tell the other mothers they did x, y, and z at such and such an age, or to help my rightfully dependent baby/toddler become more "independent"? Just not me.
It never bothered me when babies slept in my bed and nursed at night, or wanted to be held or fed more often than they were "supposed to", or liked to suck on their binkies for comfort up to age 2 and 3. Some of it is hard of course - taking care of a dependent little being always is - but I never felt to push any of my children out of their comfort zone just so my life could be "easier" somehow, or I could feel better about the age at which they checked off their milestones.
I ascribe to the modern adage,"They aren't going to be (crawling, waking up to eat, wearing diapers, sucking their thumb) when they go to college!" And sure enough, none of my children crawl anymore, sleep in our bed anymore, nurse in the middle of the night anymore, drink from a bottle anymore, or - as of TODAY - poops or pees in a diaper anymore.
None of my kids have been potty trained before age 3. And all of my kids have been potty trained in a matter of a few days, with very little effort on my part.
I knew we weren't going to potty train during the move, but about 2 months ago, I put the little plastic potty into the kids' bathroom. I got out the "Elmo's Potty Time" video a few times, and several weeks ago for Rachael's birthday I took her underwear shopping (i.e. we flashed through the underwear section at the super grocery store before food shopping). I have probably asked her at least once a day during this time if she wanted to try just sitting on the potty. Nope. No can do. Not gonna happen. My response? Fine, no problem. Just asking. But remember, when you do want to do it you can wear your cute Minnie Mouse underwear and get a little treat, okay?
This has gone on for WEEKS! Well, today was the day. She saw the little red lollipop on my bathroom counter that I had offered the day before for using the potty, and she decided to take the bait.
She wore underwear all day, using the potty four times, twice for pee, twice for poop! Cold turkey, just like that.
In fast, she refused to wear that baby diaper to bed, but instead insisted on a pull-up.
So there you have it, another milestone reached. And it's a biggee - for both of us! I've been changing diapers for over 13 years now!! What am I going to do with myself? (And all that cold hard cash . . .)
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We've done the same thing here. Pushing your child to potty train for your convenience is parent training ("Let's go potty at the store now, and then again before checking out...") My three year-old still wears diapers and uses the potty intermittently at her insistence. I love not dealing with accidents everywhere! When each child has been ready, it's been pretty much a cold turkey thing as well. Congrats on no more diapers! Now you can use the extra money for something fun!
ReplyDeleteWe have very similar views of parenting...
ReplyDeleteRight now my eighteen month old has gone down for a nap with a bottle, my first grader could well be sucking her thumb at school, my three year old is down for a nap no doubt sucking his two fingers and as for potty training, it is done when kids are ready (and also in a few days and with little effort on my part).
I've changed diapers for twelve years straight!! (And probably at least another year and a half to go....)
Congrats on the potty training! When I'm done with diapers, my vision is to use the extra cash for a pedicure every two weeks!