Now Scheduling for Summer: Erika Shupe (pt. 7)

[Hisey]

5 hours ago, molecule said:

My kids were all on the later side of potty training and were all within about a month of their third birthday. They were physically ready much earlier. Because I waited until they were really ready, they were night trained at the same time as day trained. I don't remember how long it took with two of the kids, but the son who was the oldest at the time of training took two days.

I waited till my oldest was really ready (around 3), and she toilet trained during the day pretty easily. However, she remained in night-time pull-ups till her fifth birthday. She had a very small bladder, and was a very deep sleeper.  You really can't say that waiting will guarantee nighttime training--that's dependent at least part on physiology.

[molecule]

45 minutes ago, Hisey said:

 You really can't say that waiting will guarantee nighttime training--that's dependent at least part on physiology.

Fair enough. Other moms have indicated that their kids were similar to mine, and while it may have been a factor with my kids, I didn't mean to imply that it was a guarantee. My brothers were still in night-time diapers when they were in 1st grade (no pull-ups back in the olden days), so I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that.

[Hisey]

31 minutes ago, molecule said:

Fair enough. Other moms have indicated that their kids were similar to mine, and while it may have been a factor with my kids, I didn't mean to imply that it was a guarantee. My brothers were still in night-time diapers when they were in 1st grade (no pull-ups back in the olden days), so I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that.

Well, my youngest was more like your kids. Completely ready to discard diapers at 2.5, disgusted with them really, then was dry night and day as soon as we gave her pants. A potty prodigy!

 

[refugee]

1 hour ago, Hisey said:

I waited till my oldest was really ready (around 3), and she toilet trained during the day pretty easily. However, she remained in night-time pull-ups till her fifth birthday. She had a very small bladder, and was a very deep sleeper.  You really can't say that waiting will guarantee nighttime training--that's dependent at least part on physiology.

Funny, I don't remember much about potty training, except one of mine had trouble staying dry at night, and even sometimes during the day, long after it should not have been a problem. Turned out the kid had a crooked tailbone that was pressing on the nerve that signaled a full bladder. A chiropractor was able to solve the problem with a course of adjustments.

I never would have thought of it. We would never have gone to a chiropractor in the first place, except we got rear-ended and someone suggested the chiro could help with the resulting back and neck pain everybody was having.

[JillyO]

9 hours ago, Antimony said:

What if she had had twins first? No teenage daughter then. Maybe actually enlist Bob, who should have been playing all of Karen's potty-training helper and late-night-feeding roles anyway?

I'm pretty sure it says in the post that if you don't have a teenage daughter to help with potty-training your twins, you should enlist the help of a "single young lady" from church. NEVER THE FATHER, who needs his sleep!

ETA: I looked it up. Here's what Erika says:

Quote

I encourage you to approach the challenge with a partner. *smile* Invite either a mother or mother-in-law to come over to help for those 4-6 hours on a Saturday, or perhaps a high school sibling or young lady from church, or another friend who has the ability to leave her own children with a husband for a little while.  Having that help can be priceless, and really enabled me to train two children at the same time.  Without this help I could not have done our twins, and I would have had to train separately (which, incidentally, the Lord can work with as well; He knows our circumstances and always has a plan for us.)

God knows a man can't be expected to raise his children! Here's the post: http://www.largefamiliesonpurpose.com/2013/07/potty-training-twins.html

[imokit]

As the owner of siblings who are twins.  They potty trained at different times because they aren't clones and were ready at different times.   As others have said if you wait until kids are ready it's not that big of a job. 

[MsSaylor]

But the father of a different family can raise his own kids so his wife can come help Erika potty train but Bob can't help potty train his own kids? The mind boggles. 

[Granwych]

When wychling was almost 3, we told her about preschool and took her for a visit.  Kid wanted to stay the whole day.  When we told her that she had to be able to use the potty before she could go back, she got out of diapers in 2 days.

 

[Anonymousguest]

Interesting. I have a friend who potty trained her 2 and 3 yr old at the same time she also had a toddler and was pregnant. And she did it only with her husband's help (when he was home).  I also know and have known lots of twins and people who have twins. They all seemed to have gotten their twins potty trained, and I'd bet a lot of them at the same time. 

[mango_fandango]

She probably trained the twins at the same time purely for ease. If she could get two done at once, bargain! I think also at the time of training them she also had another kid (not sure if Tyler or Spencer) who had begun the training and given up, or something, and so she likely wanted both twins done and out of the way so she could concentrate on the remaining kid.

Also, I fucking well hope any future husband/partner helps out with any future baby of mine. Loads of parenting books say to give the dad a special job so he doesn't feel left out. Most fathers do have some kind of emotional attachment to their child. 

[fundiesarefascinating]

What makes me sad for Erika but even more for her kids is that Erika takes these potential bonding moments and just destroys them.  Sure some aspects of raising children are a pain in the ass, but that is part of the big picture beauty of parenting.  My oldest had terrible colic. I was not a happy camper for the 4 months it lasted but we bonded during those long nights of pacing around the house, rocking, car rides at 3am.  Potty training with my youngest was a bit of a chore because she wanted to be like her big sister (was emotionally ready but not physically) so there were a quite a few accidents along the way.  But when she was finally day and night trained my husband and I took her panty shopping and she LOVED it.  The look of pride on her face was priceless and she told the cashier that she was a big girl now.  Putting up with the accidents was worth it and keeping our cool let us have this great experience of bonding and trust with our child. 

 

Erika always choses convenience at the cost of a solid relationship with her kids.  Every opportunity she has a parent to bond with her kids (during the happy parts of parenting and the frustrating parts) she turns into a complete gutting of any authentic and honest relationship with her little ones. It's depressing. 

[princessmahina]

Bob and Erika went to an awards banquet and wore costumes. They look so normal! 

I wonder how many jelly beans/ice cubes/whatever-weird-system-they're-doing-at-the-moment Karen and Melanie got for watching the Shupe-lets. 

[elliha]

6 minutes ago, princessmahina said:

Bob and Erika went to an awards banquet and wore costumes. They look so normal! 

I wonder how many jelly beans/ice cubes/whatever-weird-system-they're-doing-at-the-moment Karen and Melanie got for watching the Shupe-lets. 

Wow Bob smiles for real in a picture for once. They probably had a great night. I am glad for Bob, he always looks like he is uncomfortable in every other picture. 

[JillyO]

Why the fuck is she wearing that flower in front of her eye?

 

[mango_fandango]

Might be part of the mask?

Erika in *beam* mode as per. 

[princessmahina]

1 hour ago, JillyO said:

Why the fuck is she wearing that flower in front of her eye?

 

So she can't see people have an unscheduled good time out of the corner of her eye. Or drink alcohol.

[JillyO]

11 minutes ago, mango_fandango said:

Might be part of the mask?

I get that it's part of the mask/costume, but I can't imagine it's supposed to obstruct your vision like that. I like @princessmahina's explanation.

[defraudingjezebel]

Wow, that's the most genuine smile I've seen on Bob in a very long time. I think he definitely wants a more "wordly" lifestyle wherein he and his wife could go out and enjoy an evening of adult fun every once and a while. 

[December]

2 hours ago, JillyO said:

Why the fuck is she wearing that flower in front of her eye?

Because it's modest and whispy? *beam*

[Coy Koi]

18 hours ago, JillyO said:

I'm pretty sure it says in the post that if you don't have a teenage daughter to help with potty-training your twins, you should enlist the help of a "single young lady" from church. NEVER THE FATHER, who needs his sleep!

ETA: I looked it up. Here's what Erika says:

God knows a man can't be expected to raise his children! Here's the post: http://www.largefamiliesonpurpose.com/2013/07/potty-training-twins.html

I like her choice of wording: "invite". Yes, I'm going to "invite" you to do me a gigantic favor and sit in my bathroom all day potty-training my kid. Best invitation ever.

[mango_fandango]

1 hour ago, Coy Koi said:

I like her choice of wording: "invite". Yes, I'm going to "invite" you to do me a gigantic favor and sit in my bathroom all day potty-training my kid. Best invitation ever.

I can see a family member eg aunt or grandma helping out much more willingly than some random person from church, even if they're a friend. Although even a family member would give major side eye. "Help you potty train your kid? WTF?"

[feministxtian]

I had help with ONE kid...my youngest granddaughter...the babysitter (regular 5 day a week babysitter) worked with K during the day and we did it in the evening. She was trained in a couple of weeks. My older granddaughter was already trained by the time we took custody of the girls. My kids...one step was already potty trained when I became her mom...so, out of 7, I trained 5 all by my lonesome. I mean, I was a SAHM when my kids were little so I had the time to do it...and my babysitter was great with the girls...

[nastyhobbitses]

My parents potty trained me by telling me that I would disappoint them if I didn't start going potty like a big girl.

[themothership]

So the children aren't allowed to dress up for Halloween but Erika is allowed to dress up and go to a costume party?

[elliha]

41 minutes ago, themothership said:

So the children aren't allowed to dress up for Halloween but Erika is allowed to dress up and go to a costume party?

They children are not banned from playing dress-up, they are just not celebrating Halloween. They seem to have a lot of dress-up clothes in fact.