boy oh boy oh boy!!!

challi

Thu, Apr 08 2010, 9:14 pm

I'm potty training my 1st son. Its a nightmare. All day at play group he is dry even during naptime, and then he comes home. I think he thinks its funny to "mark his territory" if you catch my drift. I'm really upset. If this doesn't stop soon my house is going to smell like one big urinal.

Anyone been thru this with a boy that has advice?

BinahYeteirah

Thu, Apr 08 2010, 10:13 pm

I just "trained" (it was more of an effort to finish the elimination communication process, but the word "trained" works, too) my first boy last month. This was actually my second try with him, because he did the same thing you describe! When I first got serious with him, he went four or five days without an accident, then he started peeing on everything. It was so obvious by the way he did it that he knew exactly what he was doing and planned it. After several days with no accidents, then to find him doing things like standing on a chair, whizzing around the room, and watching his stream of pish intently. Other times I found him peeing on toys or on the laundry pile.

In our case, he was only 19 months old when this happened, so I thought maybe he was just too immature. So I just dropped all my expectations, and even put him in diapers at home during the day, when he hadn't been wearing diapers at home during the day for six months or so. He only used the potty on his own initiative for a few months. When he turned two, I decided to try again, and this time everything went well, B"H. No peeing on the walls or anything. I had the carpets cleaned a few weeks before Pesach, too, that made me feel better. LOL

Maybe you could do something similar and just drop all your expectations when he is at home. If he continues to do well at playground, then that's great, but otherwise don't expect anything. Maybe he won't appreciate going back to diapers after feeling like a big boy at playgroup. Maybe he sees that you are getting upset about the situation and he finds it interesting. I know my son thought it was funny when I got upset about him peeing on things. Just ignore the issue and come back to it later.

GL!