I just don't get it, he seemed so happy to use the potty, now he wants very little to do with it.
Gone are the days of him asking to use it.
Gone are the days of him going to the potty 100% of the time when I let him run around diaper-free.
Gone are the days of me feeling like I have ANY control over the situation.
DAMMIT!
I am so sick of diapers!
Unfortunately, my toddler is not.
I was so sure things were going in the right direction. I was so sure I was on my way to cutting diapers out of the budget. But then again, I was foolish enough to think he would be out of diapers by is second birthday. The wild-child is now two years and eight months old, and coincidentally, I feel like we are two years and eight months from him being potty trained.
It's true, when you push a toddler to potty-train--especially a boy--you are essentially pushing in the wrong direction. Knowing this, I haven't really pushed him, but more like, kindly encouraged him to use the potty, and still it backfired!
Speaking of backfiring, he runs off to the bathroom or an empty room to crap his pants now! THE KID HIDES! I know it's not a direct slap in the face, but it's a little annoying since he KNOWS it's coming, yet still refuses to use the toilet.
WHAT THE HELL??
There must be something to it. He is a super smart kid. He knows what he needs to do, and still won't! To add insult to injury, when I ask him why he hides, or why he won't use the potty, I get a blank stare. Even though I tell him not to worry, and that I love him, inside I am screaming, SHIT IN THE POTTY KID! DOOOOO IT!!!!!!
I reached out to my community and did a little research on potty training regression and found a few good tips; some new, some old...
1. Show him that his turds rival an elephant's. One mom said, her daughter's poops were the size of bananas, so one day she showed her... "I spelled it out: 'Your poop is too big for a diaper. It needs to go in the toilet.' It was a start."'
2. Stay positive and respectful. Completely giving up is not the way to stop making him feel pressured. I need to stay consistent and offer potty breaks regularly. If he takes me up on one, then I GO WILD with praise and excitement! If he doesn't, be patient because he will eventually.
3. Chart the Shart! So many people swear by potty charts. I bought supplies for a 'potty chart' craft project this week. If these charts are so great, maybe letting Ollie be a part of it's creation will really make the thing work.
4. Easy killer, this is not about you, it's about a MAJOR change for a toddler. I'm feeling like I need a slap, because for the hundredth time, I've been told to wait it out. One mom said, "It wasn't until he was 3, and then he got it in two minutes. It was on his timeline and it worked for us!"
PLEASE, LORD... Let my son figure it out in 3-minutes!!!! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!
I wouldn't say the little man is in a full potty-training regression, but he is certainly not moving forward. As much as I want to throw a tantrum over this, I understand this is not about me-- or him messing with me--it's about a big confusing scary change for my toddler.
He is going to be just like every other child in the history of children, he will go when he is damn well good and ready; all I can do is give him the tools and encouragement he needs to make it happen.
