Well, for those of you who have been on this potty training journey with me, you know Aiden has been a bit of a roller coaster to train.
My last post was bout my 7 mistakes on potty training. And I am here to tell you that was not the end of our journey. Although Aiden became nearly 100% successful at home, he still struggled at daycare. He would have a random week here or there when he had no accidents. But sometimes he had an accident; sometimes he had one every single day.
At this point, I had nowhere to go; all of his issues were at daycare, a place I had no control over. All I could do was tell them to keep a better eye on him and help him when needed. Needless to say, this behavior continued for Months and Months. Then, finally, one day, Daycare decided they needed to switch up their rooms and create a division for his class. He was in a class with kids ranging from 2 to 4 years old, of whom only about 1/2 of them were successfully potty trained. They decided to make a break for the kids, who were 3-4 years old, potty trained, and move to another room, while the other kids, who were still in diapers, remained in the original room.
The turning point
Well, needless to say, this was the turning point for Aiden. He was put in the class with the potty-trained kids. I think this was a massive moment for him, surrounded by peers who were all using the potty. He was no longer fighting for attention from the kids who were getting their diapers changed. And no longer consistently having accidents that needed changing. He was seeing examples of success more frequently than he was seeing diaper changes. Teachers had fewer kids in their groups and could give him more attention. Teachers were not busy changing other kids’ diapers, and they could better watch for his potty cues.
From nearly this point on, Aiden stopped having accidents at daycare and became 100% successful. Now, mind you, this was in June of 2025. If you recall from my first potty training post, I committed to a 4-day weekend at home, the Labor Day weekend of 2024. Yep, it took Aiden 10 months to become 100% potty-trained. I will say it was more like 4 months to get him successful at home. It was a hurdle for the daycare time.
I will say, my daycare was very patient with Aiden. They never pressured me to put him back in pull-ups, nor did they give me an ultimatum. I know of plenty of daycares with stringent potty-training rules, so it is a lot more work to change them out of dirty clothes and underwear. I know there are some sanitary issues as well.
From a parent’s perspective, I genuinely believe that Aiden would still be in diapers if any of these restrictions had been put on us. Daycare is busy: a lot of kids, a lot of stimulation, distractions, potty lines, and not wanting to stop playing. All things that make potty training a child in daycare much more difficult. It is easier to limit distractions at home, keep a closer eye on them, and watch for signs. But since you have probably been reading this blog along with me, you are most likely in a similar situation.
I had plenty of moments where I wished I could quit my job and stay home with him. Days I beat myself up for not being the best mom I could be by sending him to daycare. Days I cried that this was not how this process was supposed to go.
Well, it’s finally over. He may still have a random accident here or there over the next couple of years, but that is normal, and it’s okay. Aiden now understands what his body is telling him and what to do. He will stop watching his table, playing outside, coloring a picture, and finally run to the bathroom. All the things I could not wait for months ago.
Aiden, my stubborn child, my sweatheart, my last baby. Oh how you have tested me. Lord give me strength for what is to come when you get older!
Down the road
P.S. To bring a little humor to the situation. About a week ago, we were eating dinner and Aiden had to run and go potty, not 5 minutes later he had to go again. Then about 15 minutes later, he had to go again (all #2’s, mind you). He finally thought it was all out of his system. He was trying to finish his dinner while I did the dishes.
I looked at him and realized he was making a face, an “I’m pooping my pants face.” When I asked him what he was doing, he burst into tears. I went to console him and ask him what was wrong. Through the tears, he told me, “I thought I had to toot, but I pooped my pants!” I did my absolute best not to laugh, to console him, and to tell him it was okay. He clearly was embarrassed and must have been dealing with some tummy bug that day, and things were hard to control. Poor little guy, but if you could have heard how cute he sounded when he told me he “shartted” his pants, you would have giggled!
Thank you for reading my story, and please feel free to comment if you were ever in the same boat as me! It’s always nice for moms to rally together as we go through difficult times with our children.
Affiliated Blogs:
My 7 Potty Training Mistakes and Wins
10 Tips for Potty Training a Stubborn Boy
10 Daycare Policies on Potty Training