I started wondering if I should be potty training Corbin more than 6 months ago when he started removing his diaper on his own. This ended up not lasting long and I never did anything. He wasn’t even two at the time.

He turned two in January. This is June and next month he’ll be two and half. Seems like as good a time as any to try to knock this potty training thing out. I was hoping to get it done before we go to the beach in August anyway. It was super easy with my daughter and she was basically trained in 2 days when she was barely two.

Honestly I tried to do all the things other people suggest doing beforehand with Corbin. We got all excited over a potty seat he now refuses to use (it sits on the big potty), we read a super hero potty book that he has zero interest in, and I keep talking about all the yummy treats he’ll get for peeing in the potty because treats would definitely motivate him on a regular day.

The only problem is we are full on in that stage where you fight about ever last thing or it’s a game. And I'm not talking about the stuff that doesn't matter. I'm talking about things like diaper changes. Yes, if you have poop, you do not have a choice, I'm changing you. Of course he'll kick uncontrollably through the entire thing. Getting into the car seat is a fight and a game. He wants to do it himself, but if you give him an inch to do it, he's everywhere except the place he's supposed to be and I literally have to climb through the car after him. Getting out of the car is also a game. He wants to go out sister's door which is fine by me except when I get over to sister's door we're all over the car again and now we want to go out this other door. I've gotten to the point where if he told me he wants to go out a door, that's the one he's coming out one way or another. Otherwise I'd chase him from door to door for a good 10 minutes before he'd actually get out of the car. All of it is a fight. I literally have to man handle the kid to get him to do anything.

So I’m actually not feeling very confident about this potty training thing, but we’re going to give it a go anyway for the next two days. If day 2 shows zero progress, I’ll scrap it and try again later. If we make even the slightest progress, I’ll keep going.

Here we go….

Potty Training Day 1

7:00am: Wrangled Corbin on to the potty after he decided potty training wasn’t part of his plan for today. Doesn’t care if he gets to wear big boy pants and couldn’t care less about the marshmallows I promised. If he’s going to wear the big boy pants, he insists on also wearing shorts. This wasn’t part of my plan, but beggars can’t be choosers so oh well. I’m planning a load of laundry for the end of the day anyway.

7:50am: Seems okay with sitting on the potty for .75 seconds assuming I also give him the marshmallow while he’s on the potty. Still no pee so followed this up with a cup of water. Probably should have done that first thing this morning.

8:30am: Sat on the potty again. Sat longer, but still no pee. Stepped up my bribe with chocolate chips for actual pee in the potty.

8:39am: Accident #1 happens, not even 10 minutes after sitting on the potty. Go figure. He’s content to just sit in it.

9:05am: Sat on the potty again because he wanted a yogurt squeezie and I was like sure, as long as you go pee in the potty. He didn’t. No second squeezie was given. He’s drinking more water so we shall see. In the meantime I’m looking at little potties on Amazon, because I’m not sure we’re going to make any progress today on the big potty, but honestly I’m not sure a little potty would make a difference either.

9:35am: Sat on the potty again. He seems to be more excited about chocolate chips than marshmallows. Unfortunately no pee this time either.

10:02am: Accident #2. Lord help me. So if they don’t go in the potty a single time on day one, do you just scrap it completely?

10:33am: Sat on the potty again because he really wanted that yogurt squeezie. He wasn’t able to squeezie anything out though, lol.

11:00am: It’s been over an hour since the last accident so I thought now was a good time to go sit on the potty again. I had to chase Corbin around the house and onto his bed where I was just sure he’d pee. In my efforts to get him off the bed so we could go potty (or at least not pee on the bed) he fought so hard that I ended up bumping him in the mouth and hurting him.

This is a child who is clearly not ready to potty train. I don’t think it’s healthy to put either one of us through anymore of this at this time. Who are we kidding? We didn’t even make it half a day. After potty training one kid, this is definitely not moving in a promising direction at all. I think if either of us are going to do this and stay sane, it’s got to come after the fighting and game playing stage is over or at least not as much of a thing.

Send all your boy potty training tips my way, pretty please. We’ll try this again another day.

Actually, send all your getting over this fighting stage tips my way. We give him choices when appropriate and I pick my battles with things that don't matter, but how do you get over it with things that matter? I've taken on a no tolerance policy with the things that matter so I'm confused about why we're still trying it. He knows he's not getting his way and 9 times out of 10 it ends in tears. It can't possibly seem fun for him anymore.

P.S. This is not at all where I thought this would end up. I actually thought we'd make it through the day before we made a decision to continue or give up and I was totally ready to see it though. Bummer.