potty training: day three (and day last)

Attempts: 25+
Successful Executions: 1 (sitting on the toilet watching a DVD)
Accidents: 3
Extra Loads of Laundry: 1
Alerts from the toddler: 0


Well, friends...you can call me a quitter if you like. But we are taking a break from the potty training for a little while. Not that I think it would be impossible to train Silas now...I'm sure if I kept this up for another few weeks he would get it eventually. BUT from what I hear, kids who are READY to train (initiating on their own, knowing when they have to go) pick it up pretty quickly. I'm willing to wait for that day, rather than stay locked up at home, training MYSELF to take him to the toilet every 15 minutes for the next however long. I think the fact that we use cloth diapers is the deciding factor for me...we aren't wasting any money on diapers.


The past three days were NOT a complete waste of time. Before this attempt, Silas was afraid to sit on the potty. Like, he would literally cry every time I put him on it. Now he has a positive association with the potty, and with wearing underwear too. Bless his little heart, he must have sat on that thing for hours a day, just sweetly looking at books, occasionally telling me he was "pushing the potty out." He just doesn't feel/understand the mechanism of letting it go, you know? Had I had even ONE time where I sat him on the potty and he went, I think I would have hope. But both times he had "success" were pretty much forced by me...making him sit on the potty for a LOOONG period of time.


I will definitely keep talking about going potty on the toilet, and will occasionally do underwear with him just so he doesn't forget the positive association. But I think I'll wait a few months and see if Mr. Silas initiates on his own. We shall see. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement/advice and for sharing your own experiences! I guess every kid (and every mom) is different. And for us, potty training just isn't worth it right now. :)