We started potty training. I didn't do anything particularly special. I didn't read a book. I did read some blogs and websites. I took notes. I had a plan. The plan was 3 days in our house going no where but peeing in the potty.
The night before P- Day. I was prepared or so I thought!!! Let's just say potty training isn't as easy as my mom made it sound. I have found out since that I was a phenomenon. I potty trained in 3 days and never wore a diaper or had an accident after those 3 days.
Day 1- We started by watching the Elmo Potty video that J was less than impressed with. Don't waste your money Every 15 to 20 minutes we went to the potty. I didn't by a little potty I bought one that attaches to our toilet. That was my first mistake. Buy a little potty. I like that we have a toilet that has a little potty seat fitted to it for later, but I will say the potty chair is the way to go. We had some accidents. We went through 5 or 6 pairs of underwear that first day. We slept in a diaper at naptime and bedtime.
Day 2- My parents came over because I was exhausted from a whole day of potty training by myself. Aaron now tutors every Saturday morning from 8:30 to 12:30, so my parents came for moral support in the morning. Still no pee in the potty. We did learn he can hold his pee for a long time though. He had no accidents from waking up at 8 am to 1:30 pm. Finally when Aaron made it home, he tried. Instead of offering Skittles and M&Ms, he offered the iPhone. And guess what? He peed for the first time on Day 2 in the potty. My mother-in-law says I got him primed and ready for that, but I just stood in shock as Aaron was successful on his first attempt and I had done it over and over and over again with no success.
Day 3- It was Sunday, Service Sunday at our church. Aaron was supposed to go and I would stay home for Day 3. But since Aaron was the only one who had been successful (granted only once), he offered to stay home and let me go in his place. Let's just say. Mama needed to get out!!! After 2 days in the house, I was going a little crazy.
While Aaron and J potty trained, I went with a group from church to Fortress to help out with Thanksgiving baskets for our service project Sunday. It was nice to get out of the house. Aaron again was successful with getting him to pee in the potty. Let's just say the iPhone was a great incentive for him. Candy not so much!!!
Day 4- I had my ladies Bible class, so my mother-in-law offered to keep him, so I could go. She worked on potty training and was successful, too. She bought a potty chair. That's when I realized the potty chair was where I went wrong. I immediately went and bought one along with a pack of Pull Ups. Another thing I learned from the other moms in my Bible study is that it's okay to put your kid in a Pull Up. While potty training, it's an essential so you can go about daily life.
This was also the week we had some remodeling done to our house, so we couldn't be at home during the day. We went to my parents house most days and we worked on the potty training there, too.
A month and a half later, is J potty trained? No. Are we making progress? Absolutely.
What I have learned?
1. Buy a potty chair.
It has made all the difference. It's his size. He doesn't need me putting him on it. He will sit on it and watch TV. Buy Clorox wipes and clean it out each time. It's really not a big deal.
2. Consistency is key. The days I don't feel like messing with it as much are the days J has the most accidents. I have to remember to take him to the potty, but when I do he usually does pretty good.
3. Pull Ups are okay. I read that Pull Ups were bad. They aren't bad. Again, treat them like they are undies. Take him to the potty consistently, so he doesn't have an accident. The nice thing is if I have to go out. Which I do. I know that I won't be cleaning up pee. I have yet to do a public bathroom, so there are times when I get home and he has peed because I haven't taken him to the potty because I wouldn't do it. Other times, we come home dry and go straight to the potty and he pees. I know I will have to do the public restroom eventually. I just haven't yet.
4. I only have control over my time with him. When I take him to school. I know he has accidents because they don't have time to ask him every 45 minutes if he needs to pee. Aaron isn't the best at remembering when it's just the two of them, but I am okay with that. I only have control over what I do with him. My mom and dad have been great!!! When J is at their house, they really work with him. He goes potty because they remind him and put him on the potty.
5. We still do diapers at nap time and bed time. Not even worrying about that yet.
Overall, 6 weeks later I really feel good about potty training. J is a boy, and boys are hard. He is doing better about saying he needs to go potty. He has come home dry quite a few times after being our for a couple of hours in a Pull Up. He wakes up from his naps dry a lot now, too. Poop is another story, but we will get there. The main thing for me is that I have built a foundation for him. If I keep being consistent with him, we will get there.
At my parents' house on RaRa's iPad
Sounds like you are all doing great. It was the week before Cooper's first birthday before I would call him potty trained. He still wears pull-ups at night but is usually dry. Not always : ( we still have an occasional issue when he doesn't stop playing in time and gets started in his underwear. Keep up the hard work!
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