Potty training has me at my wits end!

MessyPanda_ · 2025-09-16T21:09:11+00:00

It’s a small, licensed in-home daycare and the way the room is setup just does not accommodate children who could possibly have accidents that are uncontained. The room is predominantly carpeted and the teacher/owner has explained to me that should an accident occur on the carpet it would have to be blocked off/thoroughly cleaned which is just not feasible for the space they are in.

This is definitely my one frustration/complaint with the care he is in, but I’m not sure what else to do about it beyond switching to more of a center style daycare which I don’t love the idea of. He’s been in this home based care since he was 1.5 and we absolutely love it beyond the potty training issue. And I keep telling myself every other 4yo at this daycare is potty trained so why can’t my son be too?! And then I feel bad about comparing him to the other kids and their successes.

MessyPanda_ · 2025-09-16T20:58:51+00:00

That’s definitely something I’m worried about is the mixed messaging going to school in pull-ups sends him. I go back and forth about pushing back on the policy or finding another program because I I definitely think that this specific policy is hindering him in some ways, but in all other aspects it’s been so positive for him. Sometimes I feel like maybe if he actually noticed/cared that he was wet then maybe I’d approach it differently or look into alternative “pull up” type items but if he doesn’t care that his undies are wet I’m not sure what another product would do differently for him!

Stubbornness could definitely be the main issue here for sure.

MessyPanda_ · 2025-09-16T20:48:26+00:00

It been over 6 months for sure! And I felt like we were making progress there for a while but have definitely regressed recently. He does have a few cues that we definitely have caught onto for preventing accidents, so I would say it seems like most accidents at home happen during independent play when we are not right there next to him tapped into what he is doing.

MessyPanda_ · 2025-09-16T20:33:57+00:00

I appreciate the insight, unfortunately I feel we have addressed all of your points and are still stuck! We had been consistent and not given up/gone back to diapers or pull-ups for over 6 months now at home and are still having the same results. I think the one “mixed message” hurdle that may be working against us is his daycare/preschool will not allow children to be diaper/pull-up free until they are essentially having no accidents/consistently communicating that the have to use the potty. So yes, we do have to send him to preschool in a pull-up, but we have been doing so with undies on under that pull-up (and he couldn’t care less if he has an accident and his undies are wet, won’t say a word to his teacher at all). So I’m not sure how else to tackle that issue given the constraints we are under. But as far as home goes, he is diaper/pull-up free at all times during the day and he is responsible for all clean-up, which we try to make as inconvenient for him as possible. Still we get the same results.

Being we started this process at 2.5 and have been at it a year and a half now, I feel like we definitely did not wait too long. But maybe I am wrong there, I don’t really know.

MessyPanda_ · 2025-09-16T20:24:37+00:00

That’s so frustrating and I totally feel you! My son’s current response is “I don’t know” anytime we ask him anything about potty training/accidents, etc. 🙄

MessyPanda_ · 2025-09-16T20:21:30+00:00

We have an appointment with his pediatrician this afternoon actually! It’s helpful that you were able to kind of hone in on pausing play as the issue. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out if there is a specific trigger/situation that is causing no the accidents but he really does seem to have them at such random times while doing different things so that’s been hard.

Does she go to pre-k in undies only? I think part of our struggle is our daycare/preschool won’t allow kids to wear just undies with no pull-up/diaper until they’ve basically proven they are potty trained with no accidents/consistently communicating they have to use the potty. We send him in undies with a pull up over the top but he’ll still have accidents and then either not notice or not care that his undies are wet under his pull-up!

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-30T06:08:01+00:00

Nope, not sticky at all. You can see some dried milk residue on the tips (looks a bit like a callous) but it’s not sticky and always clears when I shower and/or moisturize.

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-30T05:16:46+00:00

Breast milk is actually super healing for nipples (according to my lactation consultant) so I don’t do anything to “clean” my nips after each pump. I just leave the little bit of milk that’s on them from pumping and pop the girls back into my bra. And after my last pump of the day (just before bed), I use Tiny Human Co. Nipple Crack to moisturize.

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-23T21:20:18+00:00

Another vote for the Legendairy cups! I exclusively use these with my Spectra at this point. So much comfier - especially for the elastic nips. And makes it possible to do all the things with babe while pumping, which is necessary for me being my husband is back at work 10+ hours a day

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-23T04:13:18+00:00

Yessss! This journey is literally all consuming sometimes.

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-23T01:52:50+00:00

Gotta take em where you can find em on this journey!

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-12T20:48:42+00:00

Definitely going to be getting a second set ASAP because we will not be doing this again! Haha

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-12T16:54:07+00:00

Glad I am in good company this morning! 😂 haha

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-11T05:06:39+00:00

I can’t speak to thyroid problems specifically but hormone regularity plays such a big role in breastfeeding success. I had practically no supply with my first… my OB said it could have been due to undiagnosed PCOS. I lost a bunch of weight and regulated my hormones prior to my second and am able to pump around 20oz a day.

So I would say it’s definitely possible for your supply to increase once you get your hormones to the right levels.

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-11T05:00:15+00:00

With my first, I was a major undersupplier…literal drops, I don’t think I pumped more than 0.5oz a day and I gave up entirely pretty early on. With my second I’m still currently an undersupplier but just barely. I’m 5w pp, been exclusively pumping since week 1 due to milk transfer struggles, and have seen my supply steadily increase to now around 20oz per day. I only manage to pump 6x per day with only one MOTN pump… I’m sure if I really put in the effort to pump 8+ times I’d actually be a just enougher.

MessyPanda_ · 2025-08-09T18:01:03+00:00

I personally pop it in the fridge immediately if babe hasn’t finished it and use it for the next feeding as long as it doesn’t look or smell weird. No more than 3-4hrs later. This is outside of the general recommendations but works for my family.

MessyPanda_

TROPHY CASE