I haven’t changed a poopy pull-up in two weeks! I may never have to change one again! I might be all done with poop! Woohoo!
It turns out you can unschool potty training too! Three year-old No. Three decided two weeks ago that she was going to potty train herself, and then she just did! We’d been asking her for about the last year to head for the potty when she thought she needed to poop, but to no avail. We didn’t stress too much over it, and neither did she. We’d had the same experience with now six year-old No. Two. One day towards the end of being three years-old, he decided he was potty trained. That was it. From then on, no poopy pull-ups, no pee, no nothing. Three days later he switched from pullups over to ‘big-kid underwear’, and that was that.
What kids can learn on their own still surprises me, even though—at this point—it shouldn’t. They literally didn’t need me to help them learn. They need me to be patient, but they learn what they want to learn, when they want to. When they’re ready. As for potty training, with No. Two, my partner and I worked a little more dutifully at potty training, we tried treats, stickers, and a regular bathroom schedule for a while. None of it really worked. We had time though, so we didn’t stress over it.
With Three, we remembered what we had learned; what Two had taught us. As a result, we got to enjoy being even more laid back. Again, we tried the regular bathroom schedule for awhile. It didn’t work. Three would dutifully head into the bathroom all right. Sometimes she’d say she’d pooped, but there was nothing in the toilet. An hour or so later, I’d change a poopy pull-up anyway. We didn’t even bother with treats and stickers this time. We did talk to Three. We let her know how much easier it would be to poop in the pot, for her and for us. She listened. She agreed. Nothing happened. Then, one day—just exactly like Number Two—she decided that was the day she’d do it. She went to the potty. She came out. She hollered triumphantly, “I poop-ed in the potty! Do you want to see it!” We did! She had! And she’s done it every day since!
Sometimes… every time? It seems like the best way to teach someone is to sit back, take it easy, and wait for them to learn.
It turns out you can unschool potty training too! Three year-old No. Three decided two weeks ago that she was going to potty train herself, and then she just did! We’d been asking her for about the last year to head for the potty when she thought she needed to poop, but to no avail. We didn’t stress too much over it, and neither did she. We’d had the same experience with now six year-old No. Two. One day towards the end of being three years-old, he decided he was potty trained. That was it. From then on, no poopy pull-ups, no pee, no nothing. Three days later he switched from pullups over to ‘big-kid underwear’, and that was that.
What kids can learn on their own still surprises me, even though—at this point—it shouldn’t. They literally didn’t need me to help them learn. They need me to be patient, but they learn what they want to learn, when they want to. When they’re ready. As for potty training, with No. Two, my partner and I worked a little more dutifully at potty training, we tried treats, stickers, and a regular bathroom schedule for a while. None of it really worked. We had time though, so we didn’t stress over it.
With Three, we remembered what we had learned; what Two had taught us. As a result, we got to enjoy being even more laid back. Again, we tried the regular bathroom schedule for awhile. It didn’t work. Three would dutifully head into the bathroom all right. Sometimes she’d say she’d pooped, but there was nothing in the toilet. An hour or so later, I’d change a poopy pull-up anyway. We didn’t even bother with treats and stickers this time. We did talk to Three. We let her know how much easier it would be to poop in the pot, for her and for us. She listened. She agreed. Nothing happened. Then, one day—just exactly like Number Two—she decided that was the day she’d do it. She went to the potty. She came out. She hollered triumphantly, “I poop-ed in the potty! Do you want to see it!” We did! She had! And she’s done it every day since!
Sometimes… every time? It seems like the best way to teach someone is to sit back, take it easy, and wait for them to learn.
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