The WM Parenting Connection

After that day, we went about 8 months before my son peed in the toilet again. It took a loooonnnngg 1 1/2 year battle of trying to potty train him. It would go great (in spurts) and then he would regress and not use the toilet again for months. And pooping in the potty, that was a whole other story. He was perfectly content sitting in dirty pants. He would continue though out his day like nothing had happened.

Where'd I Go Wrong?

Looking back at it now, I realize I made many mistakes. Being the new parent I was, I was eager to show how easy potty training really was. I had heard there were signs that children showed to tell when they were ready to potty train. I ignored all those signs. I began potty training him way before he was ready, and I think that was a large portion of our struggle. All the books claimed you needed to start potty training when the child was 18 months old, so that is what I did. I now realize my eagerness was my own mistake.

Now that it's coming time to potty train my younger son Alix, I am learning from my mistakes. I am waiting for him to tell me and show me he is ready instead of pushing him to be ready. He is about to turn three and just about to the point he wants to be out of diapers and on his road to independence. He is to the point now he likes the idea of being a "big boy".

I am taking the route more of encouraging potty training instead of enforcing it this time around. So far it seems to be working well. Although he is far from being completely ready to toss the diapers and pull ups, he is making great strides towards the goal. And maybe by the time this baby is ready to potty train, I will be a pro!

The biggest lesson I learned was that kids really do have to set the potty training pace. You can not go off of what a book says. Every child is different and no one knows your child better than you. It's important to know when your child is ready and not push them to potty train before hand or you will be in for a long up hill battle.

Today marks the start of my Potty Training Madness series. Next week, I will cover the signs that your child is ready. The following weeks will include tips to use for potty training both boys and girls.

Feel free to share your potty training story below. Potty training is a difficult time, and I guarantee you, you are not alone in your struggles.

Potty Training Madness!: My Potty Training Mistakes