One of Those Mornings ...

let everything go today/week except the kids' survival.

That was a joke reprinted by someone here. Dad comes home to a hurricane house and asks what happened?

"Those things you don't think I do during summer b/c I have off - I didn't do them today."

Is he off on weekends? If he is I suggest "disappearing" for a Saturday. Leave him with both, he'll learn.

Well, sometimes hubbies say things that are crappy but what I actually hear from what he said, he wishes he was you and is jealous, how it came out sounded bad. Try not to take it to heart, actually be glad you are not him having to go to work early in the morning and get to stay with the babies for the whole summer, I think I might get crabby too if I were in his shoes!

The easiest way I found to potty train was not to stress it, i.e. 45 minutes of trying to get him on the pottie, he will do it when he is ready. You can show him and try to entice him with rewards but I can assure you until he "feels" like doing it, you will be in a never ending battle that really isn't worth the frustration for both of you. Actually pretty soon he won't like sitting in a wet diaper.

Sending you good vibes!

sounds like it might be too soon for potty training. and is if dad is having one of those mornings too!
corral the monsters and have a nice cup of tea, mama. hope the rest of your day goes better.
khairete
S.

Don't push the potty training...if it takes you 45 minutes to get him to sit on the potty...then he is not ready.

As for your husband....just let it go....sometimes people just don't think before they talk ( i am a big one for that).....leave the dishes in the sink or the clothes unwashed and he will get the hint that help is needed at home too :)

Making a child aware that he/she really is in charge of their own urine is such a fun time :)
I'm not sure if you live in a private enough area to pull it off, but letting a boy pee on a bush outside really teaches them quickly how to aim and shoot, they get a kick out of doing it since it's a somewhat taboo thing to do BUT it also lets you know that he's aware and can hold, aim and fire at will. This makes doing it in the toilet easier and more logical to them. Throw a fun target into the toilet (something flush-able of course).
It's hump day, give hub a break, what he was really telling you is that he feels your pain-----He just didnt say it right for you since you were in the midst of a frustrating situation, so you got mad instead of laughing about it as you probably should have.

Make sure to take off the weekend AFTER Father's Day and leave him with the kids. Go off where there is no cell phone connection and leave him with them. Let him find out what you do all summer while he's at work.

What does your child pottying have to do with your husband being himself? What? (I'm sure you are wondering the same thing...) Is he always like this? If he is, you have my sympathy.

As an aside, please don't spend 45 minutes trying to sit your son on the potty. If he is fighting you, try another tactic, or wait a few weeks. Getting into a tug-of-war with you will only frustrate you both.

Dawn

G.:

OUCH!!! If my husband had said that to me? I think my foot might have been attached to his rear!! :)

We all know that SAHM's do nothing but sit around and watch TV and eat bon-bons all day, right?!?!?! My husband said that to me - I swear I could've killed him and told the jury - "he said -SAHM's do nothing but sit around and watch TV and eat bon-bons all day, right?!" and they would've acquitted me...LOL

Instead I called his mom and told her what he said - he came back in and apologized...then about a year later - he got laid off from his job and saw EXACTLY what I did for six weeks and now he BOWS TO ME!!! :)

Your husband will grow up!! I promise!!! Okay - I can't promise because I don't know him - but HOPEFULLY he'll grow up!!!

As to potty training? don't force it. make it fun. that's what I did for my boys...Cherrios in the potty to let them aim at them. When my daughter was potty training - it was HORRIBLE!!! So we just backed off and let her watch me. but it was still hard (I was young too!!)

GOOD LUCK!! Your day WILL get better!!!

We all have our days that we can be total jerks - sounds like this one was your husband's day. Let it go - but one day after good sex and he's all happy tell him it makes you crazy when he minimizes your job of raising the kids, etc.

But the thing that popped out at me about your post was the potty training. I never spent time gettin gmy kid on the potty. YOu need a new method - I learned this one from Dr. Phil's show (my mom called me at work to tell me to hurry straight home so we could see it - in the days before we had a DVR)

You need 3 days straight - when you're not going anywhere and will be hanging around the house. I started on the friday of a 3 day weekend and by Monday my son was using the toilet and had only 1 or 2 mistakes after that.

It's based on positive reinforcement. Instead of punishing or disciplining the way to toilet training, it's all about being upbeat. Tell your child how excited you are that they are going to be using the potty all the time. Tell them that you're going to have a party for them when they're through with diapers. Figure out what would motivate your child as small every time rewards and as a big reward. For us it was m&m's and Rescue Heros (it was a long time ago).

EVERY time my son used the toilet that weekend we made a huge fuss - "yay! I'm so proud of you - wow you did it! - excellent job! Here's some m&m's!" and he'd get like 10 m&m's. We told him when he used the toilet for the whole day we'd arrange to have a Rescue Hero call him! (my husband's a cop but he liked Billy Blazes the fireman - go figure) So at the end of day 1, my husband left the house and "Billy Blazes" happened to call him to congratulate him - tell him "what an awesome thing - you must really be getting to be a big guy now!" Day 2 now my son was on the program. We made cupcakes together, went to the store together, bought soda and some chips and got him excited about the "party".
We continued with the accolades that day whenever there was success. WE threw confetti, made huge "woohoo's", gave m&m's, etc. He did have an accident - but the trick is to almost ignore it - no big deal, clean it up, quietly, change his clothes and move on. No punishement, but very little comment other than, let's get changed out of these wet underpants - feels kind of yucky I guess. Very under-played.
The third day make sure you have grandparents, aunts & uncles, favorite cousins or best friend lined up for a late afternoon party. When he's made it through that day break out the soda, chips & cake. Put a few candles on it (what 3 yr old doesn't like to blow out candles on a a cake?) and sing "for he's a jolly good fellow".

My son was ready to use the toilet and it was amazing how easily it worked when we ignored the negative but made a huge fuss over the positive.

Good luck mama - in dealing with your knuckleheaded husband and the toilet training!

If your son doesn't want to go - don't force him. I was told this by daycare teachers and my children's pediatrician. They will go (with encouragement and on their own) when ready. My son will be 3 in August and he just started showing signs of wanting to go, not wanting to be wet, etc. Monday he was in underwear all day with only 3 accidents. We'd remind him "Go potty!" and he'd go. He doesn't go on his own, so I do not think he's 100% ready. Do not stress and try to make him commit if he's not ready/interested. Just my .02!!! What does help with our son, if you are committed, is taking off the diapers. Let him go naked or wear underwear.

G.,
Oh,I know just what you mean.Mine wouldnt last a week doing what I do.The house would be a wreck,he would be so stir crazy,it wouldnt be funny.I dream about going back to work!!!!!!(parttime!!!!)LOL.Dont worry hes just jealous because youre off for the summer.theyre like big kids themselves