The Ebb and Flow of Potty Learning

Buddy has days when he doesn't have a single accident and days when he comes home from daycare with 6 sets of dirty pants and underwear. He isn't telling us as often when he needs to go and depending on his mood, if we ask him, he may or may not tell us that he needs to go.

It's common for kids this age to go back and forth with their potty use. It's a tough transition. Buddy is gaining new words every day and likes to use them. Unfortunately, there are times when The Hubs and I can't understand a word he says. He repeats himself, it sounds the same as what he just said so it must make sense in his head. But it definitely does not make sense to us. He is becoming more and more independent. Buddy wants to do pretty much everything by himself at this point. He wants to take off his pants completely when using the potty, but doesn't take off his shoes first so he gets a little stuck. That's frustrating to him! Buddy is realizing he is a person with his own needs and wants (though at this age, I think he feels like everything is a "need") and thinks everything should be fulfilled immediately. This leads to using "no" more often than he needs to. We try to give him as much independence as we can. We give him choices on what to wear every day, on what books to bring in the car, on which fruit or vegetable he wants to eat. But there are still times, usually when he's tired, that he'll say "no" no matter what. That includes when we know he has to use the potty, leading to a miss and wet pants. Other times we ask, he shakes his head yes, we head to the bathroom and he goes like he's been doing it forever.

When playing outside, we know if Buddy suddenly stops, we're too late. A puddle starts to form on the driveway or the grass gets watered. More and more often, instead of telling us his pants are wet and going back to play, he let's us take him inside to change his underwear. It's a small step to wanting to stay dry.

Buddy has also discovered the joy(?) in standing over his potty and wriggling from side to side and his urine sprays on either side. Those times we have more to clean up off the floor than from the potty. But at least he is trying to aim toward the potty!

It's a journey and we're loving (almost) every moment of it.

At least the potty is being used for something.

With that being said, Buddy peed in his bath last night for the first time since he was a newborn.