Potty training and homeschooling

[hs03842]

How do you manage potty training a preschooler and homeschooling older kids?

[sweet2ndchance]

If at all possible, I  tried to do major initial potty training during school breaks so I could focus my full attention on it. But if I had to re-train after a set back, I handled it the same way a daycare handles it, routine. I took my little potty trainee to visit the bathroom every hour to hour and a half or so and made sure I built those breaks into our school routine. A timer is handy to remind myself to stay on top taking the little one to the bathroom. If I had to clean up an accident, I either gave my school kiddos a quick break or something independent to do while I cleaned up the mess.

[wendyroo]

The same way I manage cooking meals and doing laundry and e.n.d.l.e.s.s.l.y tidying - multitasking and thinking outside the box!!

I have spent so many hours reading aloud, helping with math, editing writing, etc. while sitting on the hallway floor outside the bathroom supervising/encouraging a youngster in the bath or on the potty.  By child 4, I could "outsource" and have the oldest read his literature book to the youngest while she was in the bathroom.

The preschooler years were also a time that I emphasized learning patience and staying "on task".  If I get a 3 year old settled on the potty with a book to look through or a couple toys cars, I fully expect them to entertain themselves and stay put for 5 minutes while I check on an older child's school progress.  Just because they are little, does not mean they are not held to certain age-appropriate expectations.  Laying a firm groundwork in the toddler and preschool years has been a vital foundation of our homeschool.

[medawyn]

One thing that helped with my last was waiting... he wasn’t trained until 3.5.   Now, he was particularly stubborn, but by the end of a week we were done.

I’ll be training number 4 this year, and I’ll definitely start her during one of our weeks off.  Then timers to remind me to remind her, and my kinder can practice her read aloud to the toddler on the potty.

[barnwife]

I don't know how to answer this question. I just...have done it. Our current 4 have been mostly day-trained by 2. We start young with lots of diaper free time. Anytime they have an accident, we say "Potty goes in the toilet." As more kids came along, the olders started saying it too. On the (now rare) occasions, the 3 yo has an accident, the older 3 say it to him. Then I (or DH) help the kid clean up. 

It's just life, like changing diapers was. I am guessing I am not the target audience for this thread, because potty training as described by most people sounds like absolute torture to me. But the way we do it, it's just a non-issue/non-event. 

My only advice is don't do it our way if you don't have tile or wood floors. If you take our path, invest in more potty chairs than you think they need (I think we have 1 in each bathroom, 1 in the living room, 1 in the kitchen, etc...). 

[kristin0713]

I would not do this during school. It was one of the most stressful times of parenting littles.  Or maybe THE most stressful.  We did the 3-Day pt method and it totally worked but requires your constant attention for those days and the following week. I would do that on a break for sure. 

[8filltheheart]

I potty trained my kids in a day.  I waited until they were almost 3 or just turned 3.  I bought a toy that they really really wanted about 2 weeks before the "day."  We talked about how the would get it if they tried really hard on that day to make it to the potty in time.  It worked with all 8 of my kids.  The first few times on that day they might not make it quite in time, but by the end of the day, they had it.  All of them were dry through the night within a week or so except for one who we ended up having to buy a bed-wetting alarm when they were older.

[BlsdMama]

20 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I just want to say hats off to that phase and peace be with you. I think I blocked it out. 😂 I feel like I spent 2 years sitting on the side of the bathtub with one toddler on the toilet and the other locked in with us while yelling directions to the school aged one. 

Truth.

I had a potty chair in the kitchen at one point.  

I diligently "trained" the first nine children by the time they 24-26 months.  With #10? I waited until she was three and reasonable.  I handed her underwear, removed the pacifier, and we had a chat about what to do next.  That was the end of the paci and diapers.  I realized I'd done it all wrong for years.  With #11, I tried it again, feeling quite the genius.  He potty trained, when he felt like it, at about 3.5.  I gave it far less than my best effort and so did he.  We both survived.  I'm grateful we got there and I have never (and will never) say to my daughter, "Isn't it time to potty train?" unless the kid is a solid 12.

[Paige]

I'm boycotting potty training with my youngest. He'll be 3 in the fall. My next youngest is 13 and I don't look forward to doing it again. We just bought a new rug and I like my rug. 

We have a potty and potty seats. We have underwear for if he's ready and wants it. He knows where everything is. He's watched the potty videos. I'm not going to make any active efforts, however, until he wants to do it. It's not worth my time. IMO, having kids who were incredibly difficult to potty train in the past, there's really nothing a parent can do to make it happen until the kid wants it to happen. Maybe you'd gain yourself a month or so if you push, but at what cost? 

Sometimes DS asks to sit on the potty, and I always take him. If he wants to wear underwear, I let him. If he says no, then he can wear diapers. I'm pretty confident that he won't be wearing diapers when he's 12.