Yup, apparently I can’t help myself. I have to post about potty training. I can’t help myself!!!!
I have no advice so far but here is kind of our story so far and encompasses the first three official days of potty training and the few days/months leading up to it:
- When he showed interest in us going to the bathroom, I started to encourage him to get on the big potty and got him his small potty. He was around 19 months. We talked about it for awhile, like a week or two. And then he seemed to lose his interest in it. I dropped it as well.
- I knew he wasn’t ready even though at though he started showing signs of wanting to at 19 months because he was not talking much at all. Then around 21 months, Scott taught him to cover his nose for a stinky. He would every once in awhile do this before or after he did the deed. This was a good sign that he was starting to have some communication to let us know he needed to go.
- I knew he was getting increasing ready when he fought every single diaper change. I knew I was ready because I was exhausted from this battle… and well, I like to pick my battles and this is not one of them.
- I just woke up one day, which was this past Sunday, and said today is the day. I didn’t have any major projects, we didn’t have any plans, we could spend the whole week on lock down and focus on the potty.
- I started by a few pre-days where he was naked just for the mornings. I bribed him with a few marshmallows in an easter egg if he even sat on the potty. I put them in an easter egg since I thought somehow it made them seem to be special- we could open the egg to find the treats and “ooo” and “aaa” about how special and yummy they were. He loved the marshmallows, and called them “yumyums.” My rate of reward the frist few pre-training days was high– so if he just sat on the potty he got some “yumyums.” And if he went, well I brought out more marshmallows and made a huge parade about the whole thing. I would say the pre-days showed the signs that he was ready to go full force. He was very very excited that he could make “wawa” aka water, aka pee. If he not shown as high of a rate of interest, I would have dropped the whole thing and waited a month.
- The first official Day 1: He was naked. I gave him water down juice all day so he would go more. The morning started out a bit rough. He wasn’t sure about when he needed to go, and I wasn’t understanding how to help him. So we had a few accidents. He would go to the potty then leave, and I think we didn’t read the signs that he needed more time on the potty. I learned that to keep him on the potty longer for you know what, I needed to up the reward— I upped it to the iPad. He has favorite apps that he loves, so I gave him this and he stayed longer, and well that helped with the messy yucky accidents. He was a bit freaked out by the whole number two thing. I was worried that would set him back on being able to do “wawa,” but he seemed to recover fine. But by the end of the day we were doing great. He even went on his own to the potty while I was on the phone with my Mom. I felt that was a HUGE victory. He loved to help me carry the potty to the bathroom and was bye bye. And for the most part for “wawa” he didn’t even need the marshmallow bribe, the joy of making “wawa” was enough. Diapers still at night and nap.
- Day 2: Still on naked lock down. Great start to the AM. He went to the potty on his own. When I asked if he needed to make “wawa?” He replied “no, stinky.” First this is amazing since he really just started saying more than a handful of words. I got the iPad and well everyone poos. Yea for him! Of course being locked in a house all day with a toddler is well, trying. But we watched more TV then I can to really admit. Ate lots of cookies and jello. Got very messy with paint. Got very messy with Cornstarch Goo. I found out that I only needed to give him the marshmallows for when number 2- so not once for number 1. And found out that he really loved helping bring his potty seat to the big toilet and say “bye-bye” and give a flush. I saw this as a huge victory! We had one mistake when he was playing with the Goo, he was so focused on playing, and I was fixing lunch. No biggie, I just made a note to myself that I would have to remind and bribe him away from tasks to get him to remember if he had been playing for awhile without going. However the biggest mishap of the day was that he decided to play his almost entire nap time and then fall asleep at the very last second when he would normally wake up (yes if he isn’t crying I leave him in there till the time 4 pm, so yes he played almost 2 hours by himself happily in his crib, and he was happy). So he got a short nap or else he would not sleep the night. Which makes for a grumpy evening. Overall Day 2 was great. And even said the word “potty.”
- Day 3: Great start to the morning, however I made one use mistake– I was going to put him in big boy undies, ummmm, but I forgot to buy the undies since this was a last minute decision that it was time to potty train. So we had to go to Target, and he had to wear a diaper, which of course he used. I don’t see that as a set back because he is used to them, and honestly I am OK with him needing them when we are out and about. Wearing the big boy undies, seems to be no big deal. I got the training pants that have a lining in them. And hasn’t seem to make him not realize that he needs to go. Again no treats for “wawa.” And still seems to like the new found freedom and while the potty training is going well is has given him a new found toddler-ness that is a bit overwhelming– can we say hello terrible twos.
When I mentioned to a few people that we were already starting the training process, they were taken aback since he is a boy and under two. I by no means think that he will be “trained” fully before three, however, I do think that he will be using the potty when at home and awake. I plan on keeping him in diapers for nap and bed for quite awhile, and will put a diaper on him the next week or two when we are out and about untill I feel he is consistant, and communicating that he needs to go, at home.
If and when you think about starting potty training take my advice if you go the three day naked method: have a ton of fun at home activities, some new toys (or if you do what I do which is rotate toys, on day 2 rotate in toys he hasn’t seen in awhile), really fun food (yes jello, cookies, and so on– you have a lot of hours to keep a toddler entertained inside!), a large box of wine (this is for mommy, at night after he has gone to sleep), cotton training pants, and apple juice.
OK, there is my potty training post! I feel better…. now off for a very large glass of wine to recover from the first three days of potty training. PART TWO- will cover the week or so after and how and if this sticks.
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