March 22, 2007

I don't know where he gets this.

I love my kids. They’re great… really. But sometimes I just want to duct tape them to a ceiling fan. Take for instance yesterday morning. We’ve been working with Clone on potty training; he’s turning four on Saturday and is in pre-school. He’s been doing pretty well. He will use the bathroom to drop a deuce with out a problem. It’s when he has to drain the main vein that we run into issues.

He just does not like to use the potty. From what I can tell, it’s just out of laziness. He doesn’t want to quit doing what ever it is he is doing. Thus he ends up with a pair of jeans soaked in urine. That’s pretty annoying and it’s not all the time. It’s the days he does it 2-3 times in a day that it gets really annoying.

Because of his wetting issues, we’ve taken to “reminding” him to go to the bathroom. This usually consists of me saying, “Clone, go upstairs and go to the bathroom, NOW!” Clone is Mr. Independent. He does not like to be told to do anything or have anything done for him. He wants to do it all himself on his own schedule. So when we remind him to go take a piss, he gets upset. There will be crying, pouting and occasionally screaming over having to go to the bathroom.

Yesterday morning I get Clone up and am getting him ready to go. Of course it’s time to do the morning emptying of one’s bladder. Clone is in the bathroom crying that he doesn’t have to go while he’s pulling his pajamas out of the way.

Me: Don’t forget to pick up the toilet lid

Clone: I don’t have to go potty (pulling off pajama bottoms)

Me: Put up the toilet lid.

Clone: I don’t have to go potty (Pulling off night time pull-up)

Me: You better put that lid up.

Clone: I don’t have to go potty. (Pulling up shirt)

Me: You better not…

Clone: I don’t have to go potty. (As he pees all over the lid to the toilet.)

Me: God DAMMIT! (Cleaning up piss)

Yea, he lived, but only through the graces of all that is good in the world.

Posted by Contagion in Family Life at March 22, 2007 01:15 PM | TrackBack
Comments

I guess you just have to make the wet pants MORE distasteful than getting up from whatever he is doing.... but I'm not sure how to do that.

Of course, having an accident at preschool might just do that for him...

Posted by: caltechgirl at March 22, 2007 01:20 PM

My oldest, who is 4, refuses to 'point' his penis. He'll pull down his pants and just pee 'in the toilet'. Which means he misses a lot. I have been fighting this for a year. If you figure out your problem, maybe I can use it on mine. Drives me nuts. I even have him 'cleaning it up'. Though I have to really clean it afterwards.

Posted by: vw bug at March 23, 2007 10:51 AM

vw: Have you tried Cheerios in the toilet bowl, to give him something to shoot at? I've heard it works.

Posted by: Wes at March 24, 2007 09:06 AM

Ever try using a coffee can? I used to drink lots of water so I had to pee, so I could pee in the coffee can. I loved the noise it makes.

OK, I still do, 46 years later.

The can is also a little less intimidating than the giant porcelean throne.

Posted by: og at March 24, 2007 09:35 AM

I was going to mention the cheerios but someone beat me to it ... have you tried rewards for going potty?

One star per potty and so many stars equals oh $5 bucks or something like that.

I give my puppies treats after they go potty outside and it has helped them to remember to go potty outside.

Posted by: Quality Weenie at March 24, 2007 02:25 PM

A trip to the Dollar Store is a great reward, and inexpensive to boot. Tell him every time he uses the potty, he gets a star. When he gets X amount of stars, he gets a dollar for whatever he wants at the store.

Some may call it bribery. I call it non-painful behavioral modification. Whatever... It's worked for us. :-)

Posted by: Wes at March 26, 2007 12:39 AM