So, partly due to the fact that ALL of the stores in our neighborhood decided to stop carrying Huggies Little Movers in size 6, and partly because it’s hot as balls outside and it’s a good time to say indoors, we have started potty training.
The husband and I didn’t want to start too early or traumatize Brady or be too rough, but we finally said “screw it, we’re doing this.” I think there is way too much pressure these days to potty train gently for fear of bruising fragile 2-year-old egos and sending our children into therapy for life. But most people are probably going to end up in therapy anyway and modern psychology has proven Freud’s theories to be mostly crap, so we’re ignoring that and going with a not-too-tough, not-too-soft method and trying not to yell too much.
It has been frustrating to say the least and it’s only the beginning. See, none of the little tips and tricks seem to work with my kid, because my kid possesses two things that make potty training difficult – a strong will and an even stronger bladder.
He seems to have no desire whatsoever to please us, his loving parents. In fact, he seems diametrically opposed to each and every thing we ask him do. Because of this he uses his vise-like muscles to hold in the pee. We’re leaving him naked at home because he absolutely will not pee on the floor. But if we sit him on the potty, he holds it in there as well. He holds it and holds it and holds it and holds it…until we put his underpants on and then he goes. Seriously, this kid has skills at holding in urine. This is especially maddening because he’s got the hard part down cold – knowing when he has to go and holding it in. It’s the seemingly easy part he can’t get, just letting it out on the potty. I know he’s just getting this and that it doesn’t work that way in his mind, but it’s still hard for me to understand.
Despite that, and thanks to the magic of the ipod touch, he did go on the potty 3 times today!!!! And he managed to keep his underpants dry for one outing. The second, not so much. But it’s only day 1 of underpants, so that’s ok. Tomorrow is Nonna’s turn at it, so let’s see how that goes. It would be SO nice to have a diaper-free kid.
Mom's-Eye View 
“I think there is way too much pressure these days to potty train gently for fear of bruising fragile 2-year-old egos and sending our children into therapy for life. But most people are probably going to end up in therapy anyway and modern psychology has proven Freud’s theories to be mostly crap”
Holy smokes! Did Eric write this part? Has your mother read this part? You sound like me when you were a kid.
brady and win can compare undies then! i have tried both methods and tried not to yell too much. the pooping is still causing us a little stress but at this point i have to let it go. he’ll figure it out soon i think. i have to get a little potty to keep at my parents. he’s all about the little potty for pooping. peeing he loves to do standing up. has brady tried that yet? they can hold it forever though, yes. it’s amazing.
That part was all me! And my mom was the one telling me to just go for it and not be so scared of scaring him.
Brady exclusively wears Cars underpants. We keep telling him that Win pees in the potty all the time and he does it standing up, but he doesn’t care. Maybe if they hang out together and he sees it again…who knows.
I’m in the middle of this also, and I only wish he had the hold it in defense. My boy has no problem going on the floor, and he seems to pea out a squirt every 5 minutes. This means chasing him around the house with paper towels.