Potty Trained!

This 3-1/2 year old sweet boy is FINALLY potty trained!

He also started school - at least his version of it. We had to pull him out of preschool because he didn't potty train in time. So he goes to Kid's Day Inn one day a week from 9-1. So far he loves it and he hasn't had any potty accidents!

I was about ready to give up on him ever potty training! He would always tell me, "I'll do the brown stuff in the toilet tomorrow." Always the promise of tomorrow, but tomorrow never came. Until one day...He told me had to do the brown stuff, his words, not mine. And so I scooted him into the bathroom. He locked the doors as is the custom around here. I'm on the other side of the closed door cheering him on. Telling him I'm so proud of him, etc. After a few minutes I asked if he was finished and was ready to be wiped. He said yes, and opened the door. Imagine my shock to see him fully clothed standing next to the sink. That's right. He did his business in his pull-up.

Smoke was about to come out of my ears. I ranted on Facebook and begged for some potty training advice. And I received a lot! Most of it we had already tried, candy, toy bribery, begging, etc.

The best advice, which I had already put into action before I read it, was to get rid of pull-ups and go hard-core underwear. It was scary and hadn't worked in the past, but I knew he was ready and was just being stubborn. We had a lot of accidents the first couple of days, including poop in the underwear. But he was so freaked every time it happened and worried that I would throw the underwear away, that it only happened 2-3 times and that was it. After about a week, we were mostly accident free. We also discovered Jonathan loves to pee standing up, "like Ann-roo" and on trees. I guess you have to be a boy to understand these little life treasures.

Now we just have to tackle night training. I'm not sure how to do it because Andrew basically trained himself in that area. Jonathan has enough issues sleeping through the night that I'm not sure I want to wake him anymore than he already does on his own. One step at a time! I am just thrilled to only have one in diapers!

potty training update...

Well, it would seem that my last post was a bit premature. The night I posted the potty training update, we were awakened at 4 am by Andrew, telling us that he had had pee-pee accident in his diaper. I sat right up because he wasn't wearing a diaper! and I knew there was a mess to clean up. We changed his sheets and his pjs and got him back to bed. Keith said it was all my fault because I posted a potty-training update. So I may not post anymore updates for a few years! HaHa

We got Andrew back to bed and then we couldn't get back to sleep. It would seem that all the commotion of changing sheets and clothes woke Jonathan, who then proceeded to serenade us for the next 30-45 minutes. "Mama. Dada. Uh-oh. Googoo. jibberish. Mama. Dada. Uh-oh. jibberish. and so on until he finally fell back asleep too.

Ahhh. Sleep. How I miss you!

Library Day and potty training update

We went to the library on Wednesday. We go about every two weeks and check out a huge number of new books. I LOVE library day because Andrew always sits so quietly looking through all the new books and then asks me to read them all. We have to set limits on how many we read on the first day. Andrew's reading one of the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems, our new favorite author. He also writes the Pigeon books, which we also love. Andrew loves them so much that he memorizes them after we read them one time. It's a little freaky to hear him reading to himself, but I love that he loves books!

On another note, potty training is going very WELL! About a month ago, I told Andrew that we were almost out of Pull-Ups and that I wasn't going to buy anymore because we had already spent half his college fund on them. He didn't really understand the economics of it, but it made me feel better. I also told him that we were going to start wearing underwear, only. So, we went shopping for new underwear. He was totally uninterested as I tried to have him help me pick out new undies. So, I picked what I thought would be acceptable, and we started wearing underwear exclusively. Some have been rejected from the Disney pack, such as certain Cars undies and Wall.E for some unknown reasons. He likes what he likes, and I'm not going to force the rejected undies if it causes accidents!


We have a little egg-timer that I would set to go off hourly as a reminder to try and go pee-pee. It started to work and after a week or so, I quit setting the timer and he started telling me when he had to go. And now he doesn't even tell me. I just hear him running and slamming the bathroom door and then locking it for "privacy." Like Jonathan and I might bust in on him. Whatever.

Poop was a little more difficult. He was still wearing pull-ups at night and so he would usually choose bedtime or early morning to do poopies. When I asked him why he wouldn't go in the toilet, he would answer, "Cause that's what boys do." How do you argue with that logic?


About a week or two ago, we stopped wearing Pull-Ups to bed because of Andrew's sensitive skin. He was starting to break out around the waist, where the Pull-Ups rubbed, so it was an easy excuse to stop wearing them. Plus he was always dry in the morning and I figured the worst that would happen is that I would do more laundry. Ha! Well, so far, no accidents at night and he now does poopies in the toilet! And he insists on wiping himself. This control-freak mama, does not handle that well, but I'm working on it and teaching him how to wipe properly. (Sorry if this blog is a little to graphic! But it's my life.)

Today we were at Dillons, and we had just paid for the groceries and were heading out to the car. We walked by the Restroom sign, which I think he can read, and he screams that he has to go pee-pee. So, I reluctantly parked my groceries outside the bathroom door, and hauled Jonathan into the bathroom. Andrew went pee-pee and when I tried to help pull his pants up, he announces that he had to do poopies. I didn't believe him. I thought he just wanted to hang out in the dirty public bathroom and watch me freak as my groceries were pilfered. But no, he really did have to go and my groceries were just fine. Progress!


Now, we just have to work on the back talk...

Markers

This is what happens when I'm on the phone and forget to put the markers away...

This was also the same day that I let Andrew run around half naked in a feeble attempt to get him to go to the toilet. I turned around and he was putting his pull-up on, so I foolishly helped him thinking he was ready to get dressed. Two minutes later I asked him if he needed to go to the bathroom and he said, "No, I already went in my diaper." The little stinker took the time to put his pull-up on rather than run to the bathroom. AAGGHHH!

Everyone tells me that he will not wear diapers to college, but I'm beginning to wonder!

Potty Training Update

Well, I wish that my update included a potty training miracle, but alas, it does not. Thank you to all of you who have sent encouraging words and advice. It is greatly appreciated! I have taken the past couple of days off from training. We have been out and about more the past couple of days and it is very difficult to be hard core when not at home. We have continued taking Andrew at regular intervals, but haven't made such a big deal out of it.

We tried using a potty chart where he earns a sticker for every successful visit to the bathroom. We explained that if he goes a certain number of times, he could earn a prize. Well, being a little smarty pants, he thought if he just stayed on the toilet and dribbled continuously, that he could quickly earn his stickers. We had to the alter the rules and make it clear that dribbles don't count in this game! And so the battle continues. In the meantime, here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks.

Keith and Andrew relaxing in the sky chair.

Andrew told Keith, "This is the best swing chair ever!"

Finger painting is very serious work!


Yes, Jonathan is enjoying a little pizza crust.
Turns out pizza crust isn't quite as messy as biter biscuits.

Potty Training S.O.S.

I need help from all you blog stalkers and casual readers. We are running a potty training marathon and we are in last place; Andrew and his stubbornness are in first. We have been trying to potty train for the past 3-4 weeks. I've lost track of when I started and frankly the past couple of weeks have been so discouraging, I don't even like to think about how long we've been working on this.

The bottom line is that Andrew just DOES NOT CARE. I'll spare you the messy details, but I'm pretty sure that he could be happy wearing a diaper to college or at least Kindergarten! We have tried a variety of treats as bribes. We have scolded and I have screamed like a raging banshee woman at the poopy messes. We have given high praise when the task is accomplished. I have tried taking him hourly, which is like marching him off to a torture chamber. (This kid is so dramatic and I have no idea where he gets it. Ha!) He only wears a pull-up when we leave the house because I fear the mess in the middle of a store. I've tried naked, but, well, he's a boy and his parts are very interesting to him, and it doesn't work because he just pees wherever he is playing.

So, I need your help. What should we do? What have you tried? What books have you read? Did you punish or take toys away? Do you know of any potty training boot camp for stubborn 3 year olds? Any and all ideas are welcome. Until then, the steam cleaner vacuum and I will remain good friends.