Many people have told me that after a few years, we won't even remember how hard this potty training transition was......(which I find difficult to believe seeing as how it was the absolute hardest thing Joe and I have EVER done as parents- to date!) Needless to say, we are working on a blog post together---to write down all the nasty, crazy, insane details of our whirlwind-potty-training-weekend.
In the meantime, I thought these pics from yesterday were hilarious. (Try not to focus too much on Drew's huge wet-spot...like I said, we need a little bed wetting help! tee hee)
All of the boys were asleep in the same position
and then there's Sav...such a goof!
Lil' Miss Priss- being silly with her Daddy
While I had my camera out, I caught my *darling* daughter trying to wake up her brothers. (Reason #142 why it is extremely difficult to get 4 toddler siblings to fall asleep when they share a room together...this kind of mischief goes on nonstop!)
and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATE/GRAMMY!!!! WE LOVE YOU! ;)
46 comments:
I have commented a few times before but I was wondering if you could give me advice. I bought the 3 day ebook that you gave the link for to potty train my daughter. My problem is I work three days a week and her preschool WILL NOT let me send her to school in panties! She is 25 months old and very ready as Savannah was. What would you do? She can begin wearing panties to school when she moves to the 2 1/2 year old class room in 4 more months. I'm having a baby in 4 months so I don't want to wait until the school is ready!!
OMG...you giggling Suz is PRICELESS!!! Miss you girlfriend!
CONGRATS Steece's...you all are amazing!!! Do share your tips & tricks!
Love you!
AH.
MAZE.
ING.
Rock on, girl!
Poo too?
Can you believe we survived it?
Congrats to you and Joe! Knew you guys could do it and am proud of you for sticking it out.
My son will be 6 in august and we still have trouble with wetting the bed. He has been potty trained for 3 years now.
His problem is that he simply doesn't wake up when his bladder gets full (he is SUCH a hard sleeper). So we have him in GoodNites and we call them "nighttime underwear" so he doesn't feel self-conscious about it. We have tried all the things that you have tried with him, but he still has problems. He actually stays dry about 6 days out of the week, but we keep the GoodNites on him so we have less laundry to do!
Hopefully your boys will outgrow it sooner than later. I say don't fret the nighttime thing. Keep 'em in Pull-Ups if you need to. They will get it eventually!
Congratulations! That is awesome! And, they aren't even 3!!
As far as the night time...where they dry every morning before this transition? Their bladders might not be quite big enough yet to go through the night. It took us a while longer at night then during the day. I think that's one good time that you really won't confuse them too much with special night time undies. It might save you some sanity and laundry to do pullups for a while, and then switch after they are dry for a number of nights.
Our daughter is 2.5 and has been potty trained for over a month now. I didn't go diaper-free until she woke up from naptime and in the mornings completely dry. That took about a month to master It takes a while for their kegel muscles to develop and strengthen to be able to hold the urine that long.
I'd give them some more time and use pull ups at night. I can't imagine waking her up after she's gone to bed. It sounds like they're doing great already! I know having quadruplets is WAY different, but a lot of my friends with boys have kept them in pull ups for YEARS after being potty trained. Don't sweat it!
best,
Kellie
You go Steeces!!!
How incredibly exciting!!
Hope you dont have the same case, but my son was potty trained before he was 2 (the good part) and had to wear pull ups until he was 5 (the bad part!)
His pediatrician said 40% of 5 yr olds still have bedwetting problems. :(
Hope you have better luck!
You are doing everything you can!!
Looking forward to the next post!!
We did the 3-day method with our daughter and had to keep her in pull-ups at night for a week or so, until she got it. We called them princess panties so she would still feel like a big girl. She would get upset when she wet the bed, and I just couldn't bear to see her so sad when she was doing so well during the day! After a few weeks, she was fine (either staying dry all night, or waking up and asking to go)...it didn't cause any regression.
Potty training was by far the hardest things I've ever done as a parent as well, and I only have one...bless your family's hearts, you're amazing! And your boys sleeping the same way is precious :)
I am terrified of potty training - and I only have 2!
We have those same sheets :)
I am so looking forward to your blog post about all the dirty details. My husband and I are planning to use the 3 Day method to train our son starting in June and although I am trying to let my husband know in advance that it's going to be one of the hardest things we do as parents (thus far), I don't know if he truly understands! I am sure your experience was WAY harder seeing as you were dealing with multiples, but I'd love any advice or insight before we start.
It is VERY COMMON for boys to be bedwetters and even more common if one of the parent's (I was til age 12)was a bedwetter! Yes, it can be hereditary!! My son was a bedwetter until age 8 and only then I got desperate because he was starting to go to sleepovers and it was embarrasing for him to take his medicine (yes, they make meds for bedwetting) and wear goodnites at a friends house. I decided to order the "alarm" from Star Labs..the BEST $60 I have spent to date!! It worked wonders! Your boys are still too young for this approach in my opinion... I agree with the previous comment, don't worry about it this young, let them wear pull-ups or goodnites(they hold better at night). It is MUCH BETTER than changing sheets everyday!!! They will grow out of it and if they don't soon enough there are other options out there.
I didn't sweat the night time wetting. I really didn't' even make it an issue or try to get her night-time trained. I just kept her in pull-ups until she said she wanted to wear underwear at night. No worries for me, no worries for her. She was day time trained at 2.75 and then probably at 3.75 she just decided she was done. And, over the course of that year, the number of wet pull-ups decreased steadily. That being said, I only had to buy pull-ups for 1 kid, not 4.
HURRAY for potty trained kiddos!What a HUGE accomplishment having FOUR kids potty trained before the age of 3! You two deserve a medal!
So I was curious to know, can Savannah and Ben tell the twins apart? That's probably a ridiculous question but I have cousins that are fraternal twins and I could NEVER tell them apart when I was a child. :)
Congrats on potty training! I will have to be sure to get that book when my quads are ready to potty train.
I absolutely can NOT imagine potty training 4 at one time...congrats!!! We have had to use Pull-Ups with both of our boys at night, even after they were totally potty trained during the day. Our pediatrician said that it's not a matter or whether or not they're potty trained - it's how hard they sleep. After a few months of pull-ups they have moved on out of them and into big-boy underwear at night.
HELP! I need rain boots! I don't know HOW you did it with FOUR... one was cake... my twins HELP! What is this 3 day method? Can you just shoot me a link or where to find it?
And on the nighttime... our 4 year old was potty trained at 25 months.... when the twins were 6 months old.... he was cake in the day and NOT so at night - our peditrician said you could try whatever you wanted - if his brain was not mature enough to hold urine WHILE sleeping - it won't.... he said just use pull ups... I worried about regressing... but NONE... we had NO accidents in the day and about 5 months into it - he woke up a week straight DRY! He hasn't used them since... OK - that's a lie... I put them back on when we have the stomach bug.... he can't help the squirts! :0)
Lisa
This is kind of random but....I started reading your blog a while ago...stumbled upon it from a friend of a friends blog. I really enjoy reading it. I work for the A&M System and the president sent this in his email update (he sends one every tuesday) When I saw this I thought of you...Can you see this story on your babies in 15+ years...http://tamunews.tamu.edu/2010/05/07/four-in-four-%E2%80%93-texas-am-quadruplets-graduating-in-sync-on-time/
We recently potty trained our 3 year old(well she will be 3 tomorrow), I have heard for plenty of other mommies of older children and have heard that night time training just comes with time, eventually they will learn to wake up to go pee. So for now we just put Aria to bed with panties on and a pull up over them. This way she feels the wetness better and we do not have to change 5 million sets of sheets a week.
Way to go, Suz! Potty training is hard enough...but TIMES 4 - WOW! OMG, just thinking about that kind of takes my breath away! Diddo with everyone else...I wouldn't worry too much about the night time thing...it will just happen over time. All three of mine were so different - Kole wore pull-ups at night for quite some time after he was potty trained and Ky was the exact opposite! The minute she was potty trained, she never wore a pull-up again...they are just all wired differently! Again, WAY TO GO!! Isn't it fabulous to go somewhere and not have to carry a diaper bag...I was SO looking forward to that milestone!
I hope you guys are doing well! L♥VE & HUGS!!
Congrats! I cannot even imagine potty training four little ones. I'm having a hard enough time trying to get me little boy to take a sippy cup :) If you have any advice, PLEASE pass it my way!!
Love reading your blog! Can't wait to read the details of how it all went.
Excellent job you four! As for tips... I've never heard of waking them an hour after they went to sleep. What I did for a while was put her on the potty around 1-3am. She would wake up dry if I took her in the middle of the night. Also until she consistently woke up dry she wore "nighttime panties" (Pull-Ups) at night. Once in a while she will still wet the bed, but most of the time if she needs to go potty at night she will get up and go.
Now the next challenge is to get them to wipe themselves. =) My daughter (3yr 5m) is still working on this one.
Hi! I've never commented before, but love your blog!
My Aggie sister just sent me this story about quads (3 boys and 1 girl) graduating from A&M this week. I thought, "That will be the Steeces in about 20 years!"
http://tamunews.tamu.edu/2010/05/07/four-in-four-%E2%80%93-texas-am-quadruplets-graduating-in-sync-on-time/
Love the blog!
Cori Higgins
You were an inspiration to me! Our little guy, Milo, will be 3 next month and when you mentioned the 3-day technique we bought the book. It worked great! I would say we are about 90% of the way there with only a few hiccups.
We eat dinner late because of our work schedules and finally just decided to do pull-ups at night so the poor little guy can actually have a drink with dinner. I know pull-ups x4 can get expensive though! I wish you the best of luck. I always enjoy reading about your sweet kiddos and their trials (Milo had a cranial band too).
I always send peaceful mommy thoughts your way when you sound like you have had a rough few days!
Don't sweat the nighttime stuff. There is, as someone commented, a hereditary component to nighttime dryness. And some kids--both boys and girls--simply are NOT capable of staying dry until they are older. Truly, it's not as bad as it seems. I promise. Get yourself some pullups and don't worry about it. It WILL pass...someday. Even my longest bedwetter was dry at night before junior high. :)
Blessings,
Jennifer
mom to 6
Wow, you & Joe are amazing...can't wait to read your joint blog about the potty-training ordeal! I love reading about your life with quads! They are so adorable...how funny that the 3 boys were sleeping in the exact same (and kind of odd, right?) position?! Too cute!!
Oh gosh, I wouldn't even stress nighttime training. That's just another headache...someone advised us to just put our daughter in pullups at night, give it 6 months or so and when she's consistenly waking up dry...switch to panties. We did and it worked WELL without headache and frustration of trying to "train" her in her sleep. And it didn't confuse her during the daytime or anything. She knew she was "supposed" to stay dry at night, so it's not like she did it on purpose...when she was ABLE to hold it all night, then she did. Anyone we know who's tried and tried to make nighttime wet free, has said it's a lengthy process. I would just bask in the lovely diaper free days and give yourself a break.
Oh, that's sooooo funny that they all sleep the same except Sav.
Too cute.
congrats, suz!!!!! that's so great for you guys!!! i can't wait to read the post of the nasty insane stories/details :D you give me faith that when it comes time to train my ONE daughter, it's possible:D
jess
My baby boy (14 months) sleeps just like your boys....ha!
Suz,
Spoken from experience...I would go the pull up route at bed time. If Sav can do it, great. But, they're still pretty young to go all night without going to the bathroom. Heck, I'm 30 years old and I still get up to go 1x at night. I'd give them another year or so to try to get it on their own. Great news on the day time training though! :)
Also, why oh why are you waking up the boys??? That is a major "no no" at our house.
Congrats on the Potty Training!!!! My twins will be 3 in June and they have some interest and then all of a sudden no interest. I can't wait to read your next blog. Can you buy this book at a store? and I love the picture of them sleeping. The Boys need some undies that say BUD WIES ER! That would be funny! Love your Blog!
You never cease to amaze me! I love you Mrs. Suzanne Steece!
Congratulations on the potty training training success.
My mama always said potty training and drivers' training were equally hard.
My mama was right.
Woo-hoo! Congratulations on being diaper free!!!
we used the 3 day potty training method as well and my son has only wet the bed 2 twice in 1 year. We stuck to her advice. no liquids past an hour or so before bedtime and get them up an hour after they fall asleep. it worked for us. whatever you do, dont put pullups on them...i've known some mom's to do this at night and they had to start all over again! they will get it, good luck!!
I absolutely LOVE the video---has me smiling every time I think of it---your babies are getting soooo big... Congratulations on no more diapers! Hope to see you soon ! Please kiss the babies for me and tell them hi for us!! Love you girl!!---Aunt Susan
Hey! I found the link on your blog... AND... bought the book - I read through the whole thing and am gearing up to start... I AM stealing your tarp idea... and have to say you are my HERO! I am excited but a little hesitant with two... FOUR... ARE YOU INSANE?!?
Great job mama! you and Joe deseerve another weekend away for finishing this one!
Congratulations! It must feel wonderful to have them trained.
Like the others have said, nighttime training takes longer. I've not even begun with my son (2 1/2) yet. He is fine during the day though, and will nap without wetting (most of the time). I did keep him in diapers during his naps until he was dry all the time and then I took them off of him.
I've never liked the part about not giving kids liquids before bed. Sometimes they are just plain thirsty and need a drink, though if they get enough during the day then it shouldn't be too desperate a need at night. With my son, he has a cup of milk before bed (one of his "must haves"), and then he sleeps through the night without wanting a drink, except on rare occasions. Even then, he will only have a sip of water and then go back to sleep. By morning his diaper is usually only a little wet, so my guess is that he pees once in the night. We live in a place that is super hot (35 to 40 degrees daily) so I never restrict liquid intake, though the idea may work in cooler climates.
I have two boys who were both potty trained just before their 3rd birthday (late I know). My oldest son wet the bed until he was 16 years old. We tried everything to stop it and had little success. The bedwetting decreased in frequency with age thank goodness. I finally decided to throw all the gadgets and advice away. I put a plastic cover on his mattress and an exgra set of sheets in his room. If he woke up wet he would strip his bed and put the sheets in the wash - it was a non issue in our house. I didn't want him to feel badly when I knew he did not want to wet the bed. I just made him self sufficient (when he was old enough of course) so he could look after things without the rest of the house noticing. My father had the same issue but he was punished severly by his parents. In the end I don't think there is much you can do to stop it? BTW, my younger son never wet the bed once but did have accidents occassionally during the day until he was 4. The oldest never had a daytime accident. Go figure?
Kim
My first son was a constant night-time wetter until he was 6 years old, and now still wets the bed about once or twice a month.
Some kids are just that way.
That being said, I personally think waking them an hour after they fall asleep is too soon. We wake ours up at about 2.5 - 3 hours after they fall asleep.
Congrats on being diaper free!
Jessica
I agree with the boys taking longer at night. My son was very easy to day train at 2 1/2, but it was 3 more years before he was night trained. He did not drink anything after dinner, we got him up to us the bathroom when we went to bed, but he still wet the bed 95% of the time. We tried going without pull ups, but then we had to get up every single night and deal with a wet bed. So, we went back to pull ups and let it work it self out. He now gets up 2 or 3 times at night to go to the bathroom, but he still has accidents on occasion. My daughter who is 3 years younger never has an issue.
I would say do what works for you. If they don't get it either deal with it or go to pull ups/diapers at night for a while.
You are awesome! Way to go! 2 out of my 3 kids have been potty trained. They were both completely different on the whole night time thing. They are both now, but one was literally the week after day time training and one was at least a year later. But, I have friends that have 7 year olds, and they still have to wear pull-ups at night. So, I guess it is different for everyone.
Oh, on a totally different note, do your kids not freeze and bedtime without having blankets on them? Mine would freeze to death. Well, not literally, but they would freeze. Just curious. :)
Awesome work Mama!
Hey - I am a huge fan of your blog and actually just started one myself: http://mamasita-thislittlelifeofmine.blogspot.com/ Check it out and spread the word! Take care! :- )
I have been lead to believe by my pediatrician and others that night time potty training comes more with age and bladder size, then with training. My kids have been potty trained since 2 1/2, but always where pull-ups to bed, and I sort of thought that was the norm for now (they are just a touch over 3)????
www.thomberg.blogspot.com
Hello, what I tried to do when i was the boys age was to urinate and stop for 3 seconds partway through then restart again and stop-start so to speak.
From Elliot, Middlesbrough, UK
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