I love watching Jackson grow up. It has been so much fun to observe him as he starts talking more, starts exploring his world, and turns into a tiny little person. I regularly tell Mr. Garland that this is the most fun age ever and I can’t imagine anything being more fun than having a two-year-old. I get so excited when each new milestone is reached, and I can’t even put into words how much I love watching Jackson grow and develop.
But, there are a few toddlerhood milestones that I’m absolutely 100% not ready for yet. They’re the ones I’m pushing off as long as I can, and I’m just twiddling my thumbs while I watch other toddlers Jackson’s age fly through them.
First up? Potty training. I know it’s inevitable, and I know it’s important, but I’m just not ready. It seems like such a pain to have a potty trained kid – you have to constantly be thinking about where the nearest toilet is, and there’s a lot more laundry. I’m perfectly happy with a kid in diapers, thank you very much! I’m sure we’ll probably try to tackle potty training sometime this summer while Mr. Garland and I are both off of work, but I have been dragging my feet on this one and I have zero desire to get started. I mean, he’s not going to go to college still in diapers – I’m sure he’ll figure it out eventually, right?!
The next milestone I’m actively avoiding is moving to a “big kid” bed. Jackson is 28 months old and has yet to attempt to climb out of his crib even one time…and I hope to keep it that way! Before having Jackson, I always thought that kids didn’t get moved out of the crib until three or so, but the more I’m around people with toddlers the more I see that it’s happening way sooner! Call me crazy, but I don’t intend to move Jackson out of his crib until I absolutely have to. I love knowing that he’s safe and sound in his crib and he’s not going anywhere until I come to get him, and the thought of giving him free reign to run around his room is absolutely terrifying! I know one day I’m going to have to face my fears and move him into an actual bed, but I plan to hold off as long as humanly possible.
The last milestone isn’t one I’m putting off for my own selfish reasons but it is one that I seem to be a rare hold-out on – the rear-facing car seat. The official recommendation is to keep your toddler rear-facing in their car seat until they outgrow the rear-facing ability but that’s not something I see happening very often! It seems that many people in the online community are super vocal about the dangers of forward-facing too soon, but most people I know in “real life” switched their child’s car seat before they turned two. For us? Jackson will stay rear facing until he outgrows the car seat rear-facing limits. He’s a pretty happy kid in the car, so it makes our decision a little easier, but just like with the other milestones, we see no reason to rush it until it’s absolutely necessary!
. . . . .
I’ve honestly been kind of surprised about how I approach several different things in parenting, and my attitude about big milestones has definitely been a surprise to me! I’ve always been the type to be antsy for big changes and new experiences, but when it comes to my little baby growing up I don’t want to rush a single thing! If moving him to a big boy bed and taking him out of diapers is this hard, I don’t even want to think about how big of a mess I’ll be when he starts kindergarten!
What milestones were the hardest for you to handle as a parent? Any tips on making the transitions easier on myself?!
kiwi / 625 posts
Check, check and check – I am with you on all three of these with my 27 month old!
apricot / 317 posts
I’m with you on the carseat! My itty-bitty will rear face until he outgrows car seat limits. However, he will be in “big boy bed” before age 2, and I love it when the littles finally get potty trained (I start as soon as I see signs of readiness), and I don’t have to worry with diapers!!
guest
I was nervous having a potty trained kid would mean just what you said but so far it hasn’t for us. There are of course accidents but we have only had one in public.
honeydew / 7504 posts
They totally will get potty training when they’re ready. Daycare was working on it since he moved into the older toddler room at 2. It never took, and we never pushed it. We encouraged him to use the potty, but if he didn’t want to, that was ok. Finally, at 3 and 2 months, he woke up one morning and said, “I’m done with diapers!” We’re still having poop issues, but he’s been almost 100% peeing in the potty from that morning on.
guest
I am glad to know I’m not the only one who isn’t ready for these three transitions! My toddler is 26 months. We are working on “potty independence,” which includes the ability to pull down pants, hold up a shirt, take off a diaper and hand it to me, as well as checking in after two hours to see if there is a dry diaper (“Your diaper is dry! Would you like to sit on the potty?”). My toddler is fairly tall, nearly 35″, and we’ll likely move her to a toddler bed next month because she now likes to get into her crib for bedtime story, and have me rub her back before I leave the room. Frankly, it is my back that is killing me leaning over the crib.
cantaloupe / 6086 posts
Agree no reason to push any of these! My now 4yo didn’t potty train until after 3 but it required no real training at that point which was great. We did crib and car seat around 30 months – she was ready for big bed and we needed crib. I might leave second rear facing longer but I also think he will want to face front like big sister so we’ll see.
pomegranate / 3393 posts
Kid about to turn 3, still in diapers, still rear facing! You do you!
guest
I’m with ya! I have a 19 month old girl and I kinda fear all these too, but I’m not too stressed over it. It’ll happen when it happens.
pomegranate / 3032 posts
my daugther is 32 months and we have yet to do any of these milestones. Potty training she’s just not ready or willing. The crib and car seat switch I view as more of a safety transition. If she can safely ride rear facing or sleep in her crib and there are no complaints to attempts to climb out, i’m cool with letting her go as long as possible.
pomelo / 5524 posts
I was nervous for all 3 of these, and I’m on the other side of all 3. Now I can’t imagine why I waited so long for any of them. The first to go was the rear facing car seat. We switched the minute he turned 2. The next to go was the crib when he climbed out of his crib about the same age as Jackson. Off came the front of the crib. This was a relatively easy one for us. And finally, potty training. We started and stopped when we realized he wasn’t ready. He was finally fully potty trained in one long weekend over Christmas break when he was 3 years and 3 months. It was the perfect age, and he’s a pro now. I can’t imagine going back to diapers for him.
grapefruit / 4988 posts
Agree with all of these (we’re potty training now though, and bed transition will probably need to happen soon). Also getting rid of the pacifier at night. She is going to bring those things to college.
pomelo / 5220 posts
Yup, same for us too! A classmate’s dad at daycare was just saying how his daughter has a montessori style bed and she roams the house starting at 4 am and I was like nope, no thank you! I would love to be done with diapers but he isn’t ready. The car seat thing I am very torn on – he’s a big boy so he’s very cramped in his rear facing + he gets car sick so selfishly, I want to turn him so he might feel a bit better in the car.
nectarine / 2951 posts
I’m with you for 2/3! We’re waiting until after the new baby is born next month to potty train our almost 3 year old. He is still happily sleeping in the crib (and knock on wood not climbing out). I turned the car seat st 2. He loves watching traffic.
pomegranate / 3113 posts
I’m with you. We moved DD to a big girl bed (converted the crib to a toddler bed) already because she told us she wanted to. We tried converting it earlier after she climbed out once but she was too upset so we put the crib side back on as long as she didn’t climb out again. Once she decided she was ready, it’s been pretty easy so far (knock on wood).
We’re encouraging but not pushing the potty. Part of me wants to be done with diapers SOOO badly, but I am wary of accidents and stuff. But there’s no sense pushing DD to do anything she isn’t ready to do, she is stubborn as a mule. I told her to let me know when she’s ready to start wearing undies like big girls do, and based on the bed situation, I’m guessing she’ll do just that.
As for the car seat, we still rear-face and probably will for awhile longer. I’d kind of like to turn her because she screams unless I sit in back with her and I really want to be able to sit up front again. But since it’s safer to keep her this way and she doesn’t mind (as long as I’m next to her, sigh), rear-facing it is.
guest
With you on all 3. Daycare pushed us to potty train at 30 months (3 other kids were doing the 3 day method, they moved out kid into that room on Monday, on the Wednesday she was home sick, on the Thursday they asked if we would be willing to try and we started on the Friday). Yes, in the beginning the laundry was awful, but it gets better! We just moved our kid out of her crib last week (3 years, 4months). We did it because when her brother woke up (they share a room) at 5:30am she couldn’t get out of bed unless we helped and she has started wanting to go to the bathroom right when she gets up. The first few days the transition was a bit rocky (aka she didn’t want to go to bed), but now it’s smooth — she’s an early riser (even when her brother sleeps longer…) and this way she can get up on her own, go to the bathroom if she needs to and she has started doing what she calls her ‘morning quiet time’. She independently goes to the living room and plays — and she only does it if and when she sees that it’s a bit bright out. My husband caught her last night (around 11pm, I was in bed) and it scared the heck out of him, but she woke up, went to the bathroom and then walked right back to her room to go to sleep! So there must be an advantage of having trained her and then not moved her to a bed for several months (she wears a pull up to bed, and it’s wet through in the morning, but how awesome that she wakes up and goes herself to the bathroom?!). She is also a tiny 3 year old and she will be RF for as long as possible.
blogger / nectarine / 2043 posts
Definitely don’t push any of these. I switched my kid at 2 years old to forward facing because she started getting car sick (a problem I have as well). I hate it and would have preferred to keep her RF but I was more nervous about whether she was going to throw up and the anxiety just wasn’t worth it. And she would definitely still be in the crib if she wasn’t climbing out of it. The transition wasn’t terrible – it sucked for a few weeks – but no reason to mess with a good thing. Same with potty training. We just started but only after she asked for underwear. Nothing was working before that, and the anxiety around bathrooms is high!
clementine / 806 posts
yes, yes, and yes! DS is only 20 months, but I love reading your posts because they tip me off to what is coming around the corner. I totally agree about these 3 transitions, and will be avoiding them as much as possible.
kiwi / 595 posts
My daughter will be 4 in July, still rear facing. It happens!
cherry / 107 posts
We just turned my daughter around in the car. The first thing she said “legs no more hurt”. I guess I didn’t realize how cramped she was back there. We decided to turn because on longish (more than 30 mins) she would complain her tummy hurt. I think it was because her tummy was squished was well.
papaya / 10343 posts
Same for all– and add binky-weaning!
guest
Our daughter is 29 months and I’m there with you on the crib and potty training! Not trying to rush because neither have posed an issue yet and I just don’t feel like she’s that old, but I do agree that it seems like more and more 2 1/2 year olds are making these transitions. I’m also a teacher, and have thought about this summer trying in earnest to make both transitions–seems like it might be easier than during the school year, selfishly! We’ll see, though…it’s likely that I won’t want to rush into anything new, and just savor this “easy” phase instead. The independent skills are coming in so many other ways, and I’ll just keep encouraging those in the meantime.
pomelo / 5621 posts
We didn’t do the big boy bed until about 32 months. It was pretty smooth. It actually took him a while before he realized he could even get out, he would still call for us to get him in the morning. For potty training, we started putting him on the potty before bath around 18 months to get used to it. Now at 3 years 2 months he is about 80% there. I can’t wait to be done with diapers/pull ups but we aren’t pushing it.