How to cope with potty training?

monalua

This is going to sound dumb, but I will post it anyway.    Any tips for helping me (the mom) deal with potty training my son.  He's 25 months old and showing lots of signs so we started today - with no diapers, naked all day, etc.  He's done really well with it - more hits than misses and I am thrilled! But I'm also finding it exhausting lol.  I'm planning to stay close to home for a week and just be right with him as much as possible to encourage him to use the potty.  This is only the first day and I'm already feeling a little tired/bored/depressed - I guess I'm used to all our activities (gymnastics, swimming, playground) and letting him have independent play so I can get things done around the house.  It's been hard being in the house all day and "sitting around."

Did anyone else feel this way? Any advice?  Hubby works a lot but is trying to keep me motivated and help when he can. I just sort of feel like diapers are easier(!) and I want to give up - which I won't of course, it's just a big change I guess. I know this will probably take months and I'm wondering how to balance going out and staying home. He also needs lots of physical activity and I'm a little worried about that (we have small backyard) - we do have a portable potty so will be trying that soon.

Thanks for reading, sorry if this sounds ridiculous.

monalua

fredalina:

It is definitely hard and diapers are definitely easier than the intense period of potty training (but having a potty TRAINED child is much easier than diapers, so it is worth it!). It doesn't have to take months and I would go ahead and get the little potty and let him be independent with it as much as possible. I would expect you to be able to do independent play within 5 or 7 days if it's going well and go ahead and start some activities back fairly soon. Hang in there!

 

Thank you so much!  Just reading that helps! 

KateLouise

I remember in the first couple of days, LO having accidents mostly because I forgot to ask or stopped paying attention to her signs.

But it wasn't very long before we were heading out. At first I took her out in pull-ups.

I think it was 10 days before I braved heading out in just her underwear. I always made her go toilet before we left, and gave her regular toilet stops when out. Also going places like the zoo where it really didn't matter if she wet herself helped me relax.

We have never had an accident in public, and only about 5 accidents since the first day of training.

mmmhilary

We are on day two!  But with a 20 month old.  My husband took him out yesterday with a diaper on and he's been napping and sleeping in diapers.  I don't know if that is the wrong way to do this, or if we should just stay home (but naps???).  I have the same feeling of being trapped in the house, but LO was the one who initiated this process, so I feel like I should go along with it, even though I'm not really ready!  GL

funchicken

When we started PTing DD1, she was in preschool and refused to use the bathroom there.  I just told her she needed to wear a pull-up at school.  It's totally fine to put him in a pull-up to run errands or go to an activity and go back to the potty at home. 

The first couple of days we stuck close to home and I made my DD sit on the potty every hour.  By day 3 I had spaced it out to every 2-3 hours.  At that point I was comfortable running errands with her--I just made her go before we left.

She had such a great first week that we drove 6 hours to my ILs house the following weekend with DD in underpants, and she had no problems.  We brought her little potty with us and stopped a couple of times so she could go.

I wouldn't spend more than a few days cooped up at home.  Use a pull-up when you're out or bring a little potty with you.  If he's really ready he should be able to hold it for a couple of hours. GL!

lcherian

sounds like your ds is doing great! i know it's a bummer having to stay home for several days, but trust me a potty trained toddler is sooo worth it! i did not take my kids out until i felt that they were trained and could tell me they needed to pee.  my daughter trained in 1.5 days, my son in 4 days.  i probably went a week before taking them out.  i made them pee before we left, and i made sure to bring extra clothes with me. i did not put them in diapers or pull ups if we went out.

 there's a light at the end of the tunnel, try to hang in there!