It's like I'm a teenager again. I'm spending hours upon hours in the bathroom, and when I'm not in the bathroom, I'm chasing boys.
We are entering our third week of potty training, which explains the hours upon hours in the bathroom.
And it's summertime and the boys love to be outside, and they can RUN, which explains the chasing boys part.
The potty training is going fairly well. Almost every day at least one of the boys has successfully used the potty once. Some days one of the boys will even use it twice. And one memorable day all three boys earned themselves M&Ms!
But it is incredibly time consuming. I try to get everyone on the potty no fewer than four times a day. Ideally we go first thing in the morning, an hour after getting up, before and after nap (they almost always all wake up dry), before and after supper, and before bed. I try to get them to stay on the potty for a minimum of five minutes, but I'll leave them there for as long as 10 if they are willing. Toss in time to take diapers off, put them back on and wash hands, and it probably takes me an average of 35 minutes to get through one potty cycle.
So I'm spending approximately two to four hours a day either in the bathroom with the boys or very close by. I do have to step out to break up toy fights from time to time. Experience has taught me that this is doable as long as everything is removed from the bathroom - toilet paper, toilet brush, wastebasket, etc. Otherwise, something is going in!
Fortunately I can see the potty from the kitchen so I can do a few small things there while I wait for someone to go. But I have learned that I'd better be right there or someone's going to pee on the floor or stick their hands or head (yes, HEAD) in the potty.
This has drastically altered my days. I find there's a lot more to do at the end of the day, because I don't have as much time to get things done. Throw in another three to five hours outside, and some days all I get done outside of playtime and potty time is feeding the kids.
The boys are definitely getting the concept of going in the potty. If they don't go they tell me "no potty." And if they do go, they immediately start yelling for their M&Ms. Sometimes they will even ask me to use the potty and when we get there I'll discover that they've just gone. So they are getting the concept, which is encouraging. The thought of not spending money on diapers is encouraging, too!
In a couple more weeks I'm going to switch the boys to training pants and see how that moves things along. Yes, that will add to the laundry, but it will be cheaper than pullups and I'm hoping the discomfort of feeling the wet will help things along, too.
So far, all I've learned about potty training triplets is this: never try more than one at a time, just be patient, and keep the carpet cleaner handy.
1 comment:
I am reading your potty training posts with great interest. And dread. :)
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