https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 24 May 2026 23:15:14 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2407156 Sat, 02 Jan 2016 10:28:08 +0000 Finfan 2407156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I agree. I would start sooner. With how close you have to watch the LOs, I would not want to have a newborn as well. I would want to be out of block 1 definitely. It took longer than I would have liked because daycare wouldn't let us do commando or even undies with accidents and I think some kids need to be commando for quite some time. </p> <p>We PTed DD1 later than Oh Crap recommends as well. She was probably 3 years and 2 months and we were on a preschool deadline. The deadline is what made it very stressful but ultimately it motivated her to fully train. We took her to her new preschool for an open house and she had a great time. Then we pointed out that she has to use the potty to go to her new school. Boom! Clicked. </p> <p>I will say it took 2 weeks or so for me to feel confident and she night trained herself as well. We just leave a travel potty in her room since the bathroom is a ways away. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2407026 Sat, 02 Jan 2016 00:55:34 +0000 Raspberry 2407026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you do it next weekend? Still plenty of time before your due date and it's only a 2-day weekend but that's now the same as this weekend. Plus you get time to finish your book. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2407022 Sat, 02 Jan 2016 00:32:50 +0000 Anagram 2407022@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think there's necessarily a wrong choice here--you can make either work. But I would personally start sooner. I'll tell you why:</p> <p>I am definitely not an expert, since I just have a sample size of 1. But I just potty trained my almost 2.5 year old using the Oh Crap method (day trained anyway, not over night). If you haven't read the book, I am happy to summarize, because I read a few summaries online and then actually finished the whole book and felt like the summaries were not accurate.</p> <p>Block 1: naked on the bottom. (no training pants, no panties, no anything--naked!). Pro tip: expect accidents all day. Be very very very neutral and don't shame your kiddo. They are just learning. But also don't try too hard to make them think it's okay to pee/poop the floor. Just matter of factly say things like "Uh oh. You peed on the floor. It's okay because you are just learning, but pee goes in the potty. So next time, you will pee on the potty, okay?" She recommends doing NOTHING all day the first 1-3 days except sticking to your LO like white-on-rice. NO social media for you. Just play with the LO and try to get them on the potty as soon as they start to go. You will start recognizing their signs after the first few accidents.</p> <p>Block 2: (notice she does not use "days", but blocks, because each kid will progress through the blocks at their own pace. This is not a "3 day" method. Pants or skirts with no panties. Totally commando! Continue to watch LO for signs and get them on the potty.</p> <p>Block 3: small outings with pants/skirt but NO underwear. STill commando (this phase can last weeks, according to the book.</p> <p>You can either try to train for naps, or you can wear a diaper for sleep and explain to LO it's just for sleep. This author says that overnight peeing is biological and something you can't REALLY train, but you can try setting your own alarm and waking the kiddo to pee. I personally am in no hurry, so LO still wears an overnight diaper.</p> <p>Block 4: panties under regular clothes.</p> <p>Potty training is going to be as much about you as it is about LO. Have low expectations. Be as Zen as possible. DO not try to bribe or force LO onto the potty. My mantra was "I would rather clean up pee from the floor than traumatize LO by forcing her on the potty". I was expecting 8-12 accidents on the first day and some kind of linear progression getting better each day. In reality, we had:</p> <p>Day 1: 4 accidents, 1 poop<br /> Day 2: 2 accidents, 1 poop<br /> Day 3, 1 accident<br /> Day 4-5: 1 accident<br /> Day 6: 2 accidents, back to back in the morning. This was the moment where I actually thought, "maybe she's not ready", and I alllllmost considered throwing in the towel. But the book addresses this and reminds parents that kids are learning and we can't think in terms of "regressions", etc. They are just learning and sometimes will make mistakes. SO we pressed on.<br /> Days 7-11: NO ACCIDENTS. We even did crazy things like taking her to see Santa in a long, long line at the mall. All while she was going commando. </p> <p>Ever since then, she has maybe 1 accident every 4-5 days, and only if we are in a new place or doing something extra fun (like a play date) and she's too busy too notice her pee signals. We just completed an 8 hour-each-way road trip and had only 1 accident! (not a full on pee, but an oops-I-started-to-pee-but-caught-myself).</p> <p>So my tips are:<br /> 1) be very kind and patient with LO. He is just learning.<br /> 2)expect accidents.<br /> 3)don't expect him to be "trained" in x amount of days<br /> 4) don't backtrack. Once the diaper bandaid is off,, it's off.<br /> 5)Don't force the kid to sit on the potty, or they start rebelling. They learn from having accidents. Obviously, try to sit them on the potty before doing stuff like leaving the house, but at the end of the day, kids have very little control over things in their life--and this is one little thing they can control. So let him learn how to read his own signals.<br /> 6) don't bribe. This backfires. See #5<br /> 7) keep LO well hydrated and not constipated. You want poops to just slide out super easily. Give prune juice or prune pouches or whatever.<br /> 8) reward yourself somehow when you make it to nap time and bed time each day. Watching a kid 24/7 all day long is EXHAUSTING.</p> <p>So the reason I say start soon is, it's a work in progress. We were just at a Christmas party where a 5 year old girl had a pee accident (kids were too busy playing, and she didn't want to leave and waited too long). That really showed me that even with this short methods, you have to play the long game. Don't worry about a regression after baby. LO might still even be in commando stage at that time.</p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2407015 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 23:51:39 +0000 Me3 2407015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I totally get feeling like now is the time. I'd say go for it if you feel strongly about it, but don't stress yourself out if it's not going well. I tried to push potty training after new baby but before a move, and I'll be honest, it was a huge disaster. Super stressful for me and for him! I ended up having to give up and potty train much later than I had originally wanted to, but it was what worked for him. Big life changes are just tough to manage when potty training is new. So be sure to go easy on yourself! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2407014 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 23:47:09 +0000 ALV91711 2407014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would introduce potty use now and start getting him used to it but would wait to full out train until after LO#2 is here. I think that would be a little less stressful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2407011 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 23:41:39 +0000 travellingbee 2407011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@californiadreams: just be prepared with so much big change happening at once he might regress again after baby comes. Lots of :goodluck: to you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2406972 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 22:46:27 +0000 Ginabean3 2406972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@californiadreams: good luck to you!!🍀</p> <p>I was just tired and cranky and not patient at the end of my pregnancy and the thought of having to clean up accidents stressed me out. So my mom tried when she came to stay with us for a while before #2 and it just didn't work. For our family it just worked so much better after we were settled into being a family of 4! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2406915 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 21:21:09 +0000 californiadreams 2406915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Applesandbananas: @Me3: @travellingbee: @Ginabean3: wow, i never even considered waiting until after the baby is here, i figured that would be much harder. </p> <p>@travelgirl1: i think he has been ready for months on end and i've just been putting it off because i never made the time nor looked into how to PT. so i finally bought that book and then picked a date, but didn't read the book on time for the date i picked. i wish i could go back and do it a year ago. But i can't so, i will see how i feel when i wake up tomorrow and whether i am ready to start, otherwise i guess i am waiting 2 more weeks. </p> <p>maybe i will find out i am wrong and should have waited until the baby is born, but i think that is a risk i am willing to take. i am maintaining hope that everything goes smoothly and he can be fully trained by the time baby is here, whether it is 5 or 3 weeks before. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2406756 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 18:09:56 +0000 travelgirl1 2406756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How ready do you think L is? If he isn't chomping at the bit to get started, I would wait. I found cleaning up pee accidents a bit easier once my huge pregnant belly had gone too. And don't let the book make you feel bad, it had the same effect on me but it all turned out alright. Feel better soon :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2406749 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 18:04:01 +0000 Ginabean3 2406749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would wait until after LO2 is born. I attempted to do it (with the assistance of my mom) a couple weeks before I had my second (my first was 2 yrs 4 months) and it just didn't work. It was like she could sense something was off. Then when #2 was born we went thru a bunch of behavior issues with #1. We finally resumed PT about 3 months after #2 was born and it was much better the second time around. We are not completely trained yet (poop ugh) but she's pretty good at pee and we even take her out in her panties and have only had a handful of accidents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2406732 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 17:41:54 +0000 travellingbee 2406732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted wait but I'd wait until things settle down with the new baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2406730 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 17:41:49 +0000 MamaBehr 2406730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a big believer of the longer you wait the easier it is. And, do what makes you comfortable, don't let a book get you stressed out. I think three weeks before due date will be just fine :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2406727 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 17:38:09 +0000 Me3 2406727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely say wait til after LO2 is born! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2406710 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 17:24:16 +0000 Applesandbananas 2406710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Other... I've seen a couple posts on here from moms who PT'd after LO2 came and it sounded really successful! Maybe browse for those and see if that might be an easier option?</p> <p>I will say that I hated the part of the book where she goes on and on about PT past 30 months. LO was right at 30 months when we PT and I felt really bad, but have since realized that ALOT of people wait until 3-3.5 and their kids are just fine! Don't stress out, it'll all work out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wwyd-potty-train-tomorrow-or-in-2-weeks#post-2406704 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 17:16:14 +0000 californiadreams 2406704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was set on starting today as i have a 3 day weekend, but it was a bust. i just started reading OCPT 2 nights ago and have not finished it and the part i've read totally stressed me out that i've done everything wrong so far, especially waiting too long. DS is 3 years and 1 month. Also, i've had a very sleep deprived week, our house is a disaster since we came back from visiting family over xmas, and i am sick. I slept the worst last night because i went to bed way too late after NYE, my friend slept over and stayed until almost 11 this morning so i just gave up on the idea of starting potty training today. So now i have a 2 day weekend if i start tomorrow.</p> <p>My dilemma is that i can also start in 2 weeks when i start my mat leave. But then it will only be 3 weeks before my due date in Feb. This weekend i am over 5 weeks before my due date which i thought was better timing to PT. I also have a doctor's appt tomorrow at noon, so DH would have to help with the PT and i haven't prepped him on what to do (as i still have not finished the book).</p> <p>So basically i feel like i would be more rested and prepared to PT if i wait 2 more weeks until i finish work and can even keep DS home from preschool an extra day or two as needed....but i am stressed about the idea of starting it only 3 weeks before my due date. so i am also thinking i should start tomorrow even though this weekend is no longer ideal.</p> <p>any advice? what would you do? </p>