Potty training is pants

Apologies in advance for the subject matter but given that most of my day has been spent on pee alert, it warrants an entry.

Today was the proper start of potty training my almost 26 month old, Liam. Potty training is up there with weaning as one of my most hated jobs ('scuse the pun) as a parent.

In anticipation of many accidents, I have bought him 28 pairs of pants that were on sale in Dunnes for eur2.00 per pack of 7. They don't even fit him properly as he's on the scrawny side. But as they may ultimately be binned, depending on what ends up in them, cheapo pants it is. And they have monster pictures on them.

My older children were around 2 and a half when they potty trained but the reason I am doing it earlier with Liam is mainly because we use cloth nappies and now that he has a bit of bladder control, he is peeing faster than the nappy insert can absorb it. The alternative is to spend more money on boosters for the nappies which I don't want to do at this late stage. So, potty training it is.

This is how today went. Repeat every hour.

Me: "Liam, do you need a wee?"
Liam: "no, Liam not need a wee."
Me: "well, let's have a try anyway."

So he dutifully gets on the toilet with the special little padded seat with ducks on it and squeezes out the tiniest drip. "Finished!" he proudly announces with a big smile, thus succeeding in earning the sacred mini Smartie as a reward. Once the Smartie is eaten, within a few minutes he pees in his pants.

I hope tomorrow is better otherwise I may be ordering more nappy boosters.