as requested, the potty training post:
around 22 months of age, md became really interested in the potty. when anyone he was around would go potty, he would want to go. he'd always want to sit on the potty, although nothing ever happened while he sat there. i started to really feel the pull towards potty training.
i spent about a week doing online research on different training techniques and picked one i thought would work well for md and i. then, we made a trip to the store. i bought about 20 pair of underwear. he picked out some of them. i showed him the choices for potties and he chose this one:
we made our way to the groceries where we got plenty of kid-friendly full fiber foods and lots of yummy juices, water and milk. we got food that would make him thirsty. the more thirsty...the more he drinks...the more he has to go potty!! then, the most important part of the process: CANDY!! md chose jelly beans.
we got home on thursday evening and he helped me pour his jelly beans into a lidded jar. i did not give him a jelly bean then but told him he could finally have one when he tee-teed in the potty. then we washed all the underwear and put the potty out in the living room. i know it sounds like a weird place, but i thought we needed a central location we could reach in a hurry.
after all of that, i helped md take off his diaper and i set him on that potty. he sat there for a while, watched a little tv and then got up and started playing. i stayed on the floor right by the potty and it wasn't long before i heard a stream hitting the floor! "ah! you're peeing on the floor!!" my exclamation stunned him and in the brief second the stream paused, i was able to pick up the little white bucket and hold it to where his tee tee would fall straight in. as soon as he was done, i jumped up and down and screamed over and over, "YOU DID IT!!! YOU DID IT!!! YOU TEE-TEED IN THE POTTY!!! HURRAY!!!! AHHH!!! YOU DID IT!!! YOU TEE-TEED IN THE POTTY!!!!" with excitement dancing in his eyes, i led him to get his first two jelly beans (also a great time for teaching colors)! then we dumped the tee-tee into the big potty and i let him flush it. we washed hands and kept the excitement going for quite some time. :)
i put him in a diaper for bed and we started again the next morning. for about the first 3 days, we didn't go anywhere and md was naked from the waist down. i gave him plenty to eat and drink and every 20 mins or so, i'd ask him if he needed to go potty and i'd sit him down. i'd let him watch tv or read a book, anything to keep him sitting long enough to actually pee. then, every single time he did it, i freaked out with excitement and followed it up with candy! it took him only about 3 times before he started going to the potty all by himself. it was easy because he was naked and since he didn't first know to communicate that he needed to potty so i could pull his pants down, he could just walk over, sit down and go all on his own.
the third day, he started waking up from naps and night time with a dry diaper. a day later, he started taking naps in his underwear. i've been putting him in diapers at night until we depleted the diaper stash we already had on hand. nighttime diapers end tonight!
he had a few accidents but i make sure to carry with me a change of underwear, shorts and a ziplock baggie. that way i have something to put the wet stuff in. i've thrown away a pair or two of underwear too. :) there's a reason i didn't cloth diaper, people. i made sure anytime we were out and about to pay close attention for the signs, like grabbing. and i asked and took him to the potty often, even if he didn't end up going. i was willing to go back and forth a lot to prevent an accident.
he's been doing amazing and now tells me when he needs to potty or poo poo. he's even, in the last week, started standing on a stool and using the big potty for all potty needs. it rocks! there isn't any cleaning the little potty at all.
i've been so proud of him and am glad that we started potty training when the time felt right for both of us. i know he'll probably still have the occasional accident, but i think that just comes with the territory of having a less than 2 year old who is potty trained!
way to go, md!!
