Oh Crap is my “G-rated” version of what you say when you are in the thick of potty-training. I’ll attempt to layout our crappy journey to potty-train our two year old boy and girl twins. Hopefully, it will help you on yours.

THE PRESSURE

The elder women in my family began questioning me about potty-training the twins when they were six months old. It seemed like everyone in my family learned to successfully piss on the toilet when they celebrated 12 months outside of the womb. So why would I break the strong family tradition?

Early on, when I tried to get them on the potty at a year old, they were uninterested. I was frustrated. My husband was confused as to why I was attempting it at that age. I was stressed and ended up aborting the mission. I stopped harassing my twins and tuned out all the yapping about my family’s history with successful potty-training after proving they could keep a tiny human alive for 12 months. I had enough going on in my life, and it felt good to just let it go for a while. We could all breathe.

Later, I joined a Facebook group for mothers trying to potty-train and learned that many of them were also feeling the pressure from their families. One mom shared some really good advice, “When they are ready, they will just do it, and it will be so easy” she advised. I have never heard words more true when it comes to this topic.

PANDEMIC POTTY

6 Pots to Piss In: My Potty Reviews

At the beginning of the pandemic shutdown, my twins had just turned two. Now, I told myself, is the time to train them because, #1. Xochi had started to bring me her diaper and ask, “Mommy, can you change me?”

Each time, I had to bite my tongue from saying, “If you are old enough to tell me you need a diaper change, you are old enough to sit your @$$ on the potty and do it yourself.”

#2. Noble had discovered himself and made it a norm to have his junk outside of his pants and was pissing all over everything (not all boys do this but my son was part of the small percentage that did).

At the time, my husband was working from home and I was furloughed, and since the kids were now home with us 24/7, I knew it was time!

I just knew Xochi, would catch on first, since she had been working on it with our childcare provider prior to the COVID-19 shutdown. She had already peed on the potty at home with me occasionally. Plus, THEY say girls always potty-train first (who is “they?”).

Noble, never seemed interested. But once they were home with us 24/7, Noble began peeing on a regular, every time I took him to the potty, every 20- 30 minutes. However, if I didn’t remind him to go, he’d wet himself.

Xochi, now, showed no interest at all.

“No thanks,” was the two-word response I’d receive from her when I encouraged her to at least try.

Even if I sat her on the potty, she would sit there for 1.2 seconds, get up and say, “All done.”

From March to October, our routine was reminding Noble to go potty and executing mental wars with Xochi to try.

It had to be easier than this! One week, I went to the store to do our weekly grocery run and forgot to pick up pull-ups. Noble was having more accidents on the floor and Xochi started randomly taking off her pull-up and running around bare butt. I was DONE! SEVEN MONTHS of unsuccessful potty-training was more than I could take. Something had to give.

I asked my husband to pull up the large rug in the living room (we had hardwood floors throughout the house) and notified him that we were doing the Oh Crap method.

The Oh Crap! method is pretty much making your kids go bare butt for at least three days and accepting that they may crap or pee on your floor, furniture and/or their toys, but would have a successful outcome of being fully potty-trained in 3-5 days (in most cases).

We went for it and it worked! I kept notes, so if you’d like to know the step-by-step routine, keep reading.

Click here to see our reviews about the different potties we’ve used.

PANDEMIC POTTY NOTES:

Day 1 – Monday, October 5, 2020

I explained what we were doing with both prior to starting. They love playing on their Tablets, so I used that as motivation. If they were successful, they could have they tablets after they pooped on the potty.

• 5:55AM – Wake time (both)
• 6AM – Noble peed on potty upon waking, with prodding
• 7:15AM – Xochi went to the potty on her own
• 8AM – Noble went to the potty, with prodding
• 8:45AM – Noble pooped on the floor
• 8:50AM – Xochi peed on the potty on her own
• 9AM – Xochi pooped on the potty by herself (so she could have her tablet)
  • After seeing how his sister won her Table, Noble was very upset that he couldn’t get his tablet after pooping on the floor. He kept trying to squeeze one more out on the potty, with no success. He spent a lot of time in the bathroom. A very sad time as a parent to have to tell you child “no”, and watch him cry. Heart-breaking.
• 10:30AM – I noticed pee in the potty in the Living Room. I asked who did it “Me!” Xochi exclaimed. “Good girl!” I used it as a time to remind Noble to go. He did.
• 11:30AM – Both went potty before going outside, with prodding (of course I put their underpants and pants on before heading outside)
• 12:15PM – Both went potty when they came back in, with prodding, and pants came back off.
• 1PM – Both went potty before naptime, with prodding
• 3PM – Both went potty when they woke up, with prodding
• 4:30PM – Both went potty, with prodding
• 5:15PM – Xochi went potty, with prodding
• 6:30PM – Both went potty, with prodding
• 7:30PM – Bedtime
• 8:15PM – Xochi asked to go to potty after laying in bed for a while. Noble followed along and also went potty.

Day 2 – Tuesday, October 6, 2020

• 6:38AM – Wake Time (both). Neither went potty first thing.
• 6:52AM – Noble went potty, with prodding
• 7:15AM – Xochi went potty, with prodding
• 8:30AM – Noble went potty, with prodding
• 8:45AM – Xochi went potty, with prodding
• 9:55AM – Xochi went potty, on her own
• 11:30AM – Noble went potty, with prodding
• 11:40AM – Both went outside to play
• 1PM – Both went potty after lunch, before naps
• 3:08PM – Noble went potty immediately
• 3:30PM – Xochi finally went potty, with prodding
• 5PM – Both went potty, with prodding
• 6:30PM – Went out to play
• 5:45PM – Xochi peed on herself outside, sometime between 5:45PM and 6:15PM
• 7:15PM – Noble asked to pee at 7:15PM, while getting ready for bed
• 8:10PM – Xochi asked to pee at 8:10PM. Noble went as well.

Day 3 – Wednesday, October 7, 2020

• 6:30AM – Both awake, Noble went potty upon waking
• 6:30AM – Xochi sat on potty with no success
• 8:15AM – Xochi went poopy on potty with a little coaching.
• 8:15AM – I noticed Noble standing on his tiptoes (typical poopy prep). He tried several potties with no luck.
• 11AM – Noble went poopy on his own, with his teddy bear that he set up across from him. He finally earned his Tablet!!!
• 12:40PM – After lunch, I took them for a walk and then they played in the backyard. When we returned to the house, I noticed Xochi had had an accident.
• My notes ended here for some reason.

SUMMARY

In summary, it worked! I have two successfully potty-trained 2 and a half year olds. They go to the potty on their own (without prodding) and even tell me when we’re outside (or out and about) if they have to go. Xochi even wakes up in the middle of the night to ask me to take her to the potty (and wakes up dry). They also stop playing to make the potty a priority.

In all, it actually took about 4-5 consecutive and consistent days. They didn’t like the way the urine felt running down their legs or the way the poop looked in the middle of the floor. My advice:

• Explain the potty process. What you expect and why they are being potty trained.
• Offer incentives. In the beginning, we offered stickers and use of their tablets as rewards.
• Be patient. Don’t yell or show frustration. They can feel it and it may make them have anxiety about going to the potty trying to please you.
• Be positive, reassuring, and consistent. They will get there and one day you’ll be writing your own potty chronicles and tearing up because your toddlers are growing up so fast.