Oh, yes, my kiddo likes the convenience of a pull up sometimes.  She attempts to build a case as to why I should put one on her.  These 3 year olds are smarter than they let on.

Humm...sounds like my oldest son all over again!  At 6 years old....he has found ways to still make a mess in the bathroom.  (Literally, I have put a new roll of TP on and then.....it's all over the floor after my oldest visits the bathroom to make his daily deposit.....I can't tell you HOW many times I have thrown away toilet paper because it is wet from water or whatever he splashes on the ground!)  

Although, my major pet peeve is the lack of respect for others in the house.....the husband doesn't have these habits, so, I'm thinking the boys can be trained.....My oldest finds it funny to just stand there (without making sure he actually hits the bowl) when he goes....no lifting of the lid, no guiding with his hand....I shared a story recently that I think fits this well.  I was cleaning the bathroom the boys use (also our guest bathroom when we have anyone over...) and I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the grout, tile and baseboards around the toilet area.  I finished cleaning the bathroom (nearly an hour later) and was quite proud that not even Mr. Clean could have done such a beautiful job!  Well, I moved on to another area in the house, and my oldest went into the bathroom and proceeded to urniate all over the toilet seat, back of the lid, and all over the floor (just barely dry from my cleaning.....!)   He may have even hit the walls and baseboards too!  Talk about a mommie dearest moment.....I really had to take a moment before saying anything.  I have even threatened him with having to sit like a girl if he EVER does that again!!!  I feel your pain and frustration....hang in there!!

these are the times that try mens souls...

at least he knows how to tell time!! that's  a kudos :)

Well, he didn't really read the clock in that sense. He just knows I always point to it whenever I'm ranting about him waking me up too early on weekends, so he associates the mysterious device with having to be quiet because people are sleeping. But it's digital, so he'll probably be able to truly tell time in a year or two.

*sigh* I so know what you're dealing with. My son just turned 3 and we've been trying for several months to get the potty thing down. He will only pee in the toilet, and lately he won't even do that. He's rebelling against it right now, and it makes me want to pull my hair out! He will also fill up the toilet with TP if I'm not paying attention. :(

Did any of you watch the Today show on Monday the 9th about the potty whisperer?  We're trying that one today - you set aside at least 5 hours and, against all mothering rules, feed your child all sorts of sugary and salty snacks and drinks. The theory is the salt makes them thirsty and the sugary drinks do not satisfy their thirst, so they drink more and eat more and pee more.  Against my desires my mom started working with Tyler on the 9th, I've had a busy week and haven't been home long enough to try, but since she worked for 2 days with him I can't very well just drop the subject and wait a while. He's only 2 1/2, he'll be 3 in October, but so far he's been behind on the milestones compared to his older brother.  Yes I'll be happy to get rid of diapers and pull-ups, but I'm not sure he's really really ready for it, he doesn't like when his pull-up or other training underwear are wet, so we figured that was a good sign to start training. And what better time than summer when he can run around naked, right?!  Oh please make this an easy journey and we'll all be one big happy family!!!

Twin Zebra, I heard, after training my first son, that scolding them actually makes it worse, you should only praise them for the things they did right.  Just what I heard, I scolded my first which is probably why it took us over 6 months to get fully trained where we could go to town and not have to wear a pull-up.

Yes, I try to punish only the most aggregious violations. Mostly it's a reward system. He loves Gummy Vites, which are vitamins that taste like candy. So he gets a Gummy Vite when he does what he's supposed to.

I agree that scolding will only make the child regress, I know this first hand with my son. I did almost everything you're not supposed to do and it took us a long and rough full year to train him. The second time around with my daughter has been a much smother experience thus far. She just turned 2 in June and she started showing interst in the potty at 18 or so months...unlike my son, I really believe it's easier to train girls then boys...sorry mom's of boys. The one advantage boys have though is they get to pee in the yard the rest of their lives! Uggg! However, I was given a book to read by my mother-in-law summing up a bunch of steps that suppossedly trains your child in a day. It includes one parent or any adult spending a signifacant part of the day repeating conversations about going potty in the toilet, getting a doll that "wets" like baby alive and practicing role play "baby needs to go potty, uh oh, baby went potty in her pants," then baby pretends to go potty on the toilet, "yay baby. " etc.. etc...All other destractions are turned off and when your child starts to lose interest you divert their attention back to potty stuff. Their given rewards and praise. I personally have not set aside a day with my daughter just yet, using this method but it sounds logical enough , the book is called Toilet Training in Less Than A Day by Nathan H. Azrin and Richard M. Foxx. It was published in 1974, so may be able to find it at the library. It's a great book of ideas and a test for readiness is also included. If anyone finds this works sucessfully before i've tried, love to hear if it actually works. Wouldn't it be nice if it did.

Shawna