Everyone Potties

Recently, Will received this:

It's an acceptance letter to preschool. Sniff Sniff. I cry just thinking about it. And sometimes I think - WOW- 6 hours a week (he will go twice a week for 3 hours) - what will I get done?!?!? And then I remember, I'll have a newborn the week he starts school - maybe I'll just get a shower done or take a little morning nap. It will be good for Will. He will love school. It's Mommy that needs Prozac to get out of the building. ;)

Anyway, after the tears at the acceptance letter, I next went into panic mode.

He has to be potty trained for preschool! YIKES!!!

He's only 2 and a half so I pretty much set us up for failure. I've heard horror stories about potty training boys. It seems like it's the next thing after labor and delivery stories that moms compare. YIKES!

I decided that last Thursday might be a good day to give it a whirl. This made sense to me because everything would be cancelled this week for spring break so we wouldn't have to rush out the door for Bible study or swimming lessons or anything else. We could hang out in the bathroom all week. Ugh.

It also made sense to me because it was a tiny window of time when we would actually be in town. We leave in a few days to start the prosthetics process & basically, for the next few months, we're in town about every other week.

I read some books & felt like Will was not fully ready - he did not have all the signs. (Can you tell I was prepared for total failure as a mom to potty train my child?)

I hinted to some friends that I would be willing to pay someone to potty train my kid- no one took me up on my offer.

But I thought we'd try it for a few days & then go back to my comfort zone of diapers. Sometimes I've heard about moms who potty train because they've had it with diapers. Not me. I love them. They are so convenient- especially if you travel a lot with your child- alone. I'm kind of dreading flying in 2 days with my 2 year old who is newly/somewhat potty trained. If he has to go in the airport & I have to drag both of us plus all of our stuff to a bathroom & then fish out his little travel potty - ugh.

I've also read some potty training books & pretty much have not followed their advice. Again - another reason to believe I will fail! I can't stay home all the time- I like to exercise & go to the park & see friends. I travel a lot with Will. I can't throw out the diapers forever- I need them for airplane rides when we may get stuck on a runway. I refuse to nighttime train him at the same time - he is an excellent sleeper & no way am I going to mess with sleep (his or mine.) He wears diapers for his nap & nighttime. I refuse to make him give up his gigi (blankee) like one book said or to take him out of his crib prior to potty training. I can't grow him up all at once!!!

I didn't exactly follow the rules.

Basically - my goal is:

have him able to stay dry or use a potty between the hours of 9am - 12noon on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Those are the hours of the week he will be in preschool & need to be "potty trained." Again - not real high expectations for myself!

I did talk to friends who have found success and to my sister in law & I tried to take their advice when it worked with our life.

Here's how it's going so far...

So, last Thursday, I had him wear underwear for a little while & surprised him with a new potty movie.
He loved the movie & used his potty!

To go out, we used a pull-up.

I took a super cute picture last night after dinner- he had yogurt & pudding for dessert & was a mess. But he was oh so cute in his underwear & zancos!

(***edited with picture removed- underwear on the internet- maybe not a good idea)

Friday & Saturday I continued with the same pattern as Thursday- pullups when out & underwear when at home & awake. We continued to see success.

By Sunday, we weren't wearing pull-ups at all! He wore underwear all during his awake time & even stayed dry for all of church!

He had a couple of accidents during the weekend but they were all outside while he was playing (& that meant I did not have to clean anything up so I really didn't care.)

We've continued to get out during the day - play at the park, go exercise, etc & he remains dry!!! We've read LOTS of books about potties, tee-tee, & poop.

He asked me recently about my underwear & what people or animals were on it. He was very disappointed that they were just plain when I informed him. He even showed some pity for his poor Mommy - wearing boring plain underwear.

(I wonder what age adults quit wearing underwear with characters? It really excites Will every day to choose underwear. He likes to tell others in public about his choice. )

He has a great book, "Pirate Potty." I decorated the bathroom to be Will's pirate potty.

Here's the treasure chest (thanks, Honey!)

Here's Will's Pirate Potty (which he cried for some reason when he first saw it)
(with a baseball seat because I couldn't find a pirate one & he does love baseball)

(Also, he is not yet sitting on the big potty - he seems to find it either scary or uncomfortable - or both. Maybe someday? He's also not tall enough to stand at it.)

On the potty, there is a pirate hat where I put stickers when he tee-tees or poops on the potty.
I generally forget to put the stickers on until bath time so I'm a little behind (pardon my pun.)

When he flushes, he yells, "Anchors Away!" It's quite funny.

Choices...

I had no idea what kind of potty Will might use so I have bought several in varying shapes/colors/sizes. He prefers the tiny blue Baby Bjorn one on the far right.
I have a travelling one (not pictured) which folds up & fits nicely in its little travel bag. We take that out in public with us (just in case) but so far he hasn't needed it. I'll be taking it with us on the airplane in a few days & we'll see what happens. It can sit on the big potty or on the floor as a little potty - quite versatile.

Will is doing great!

We rarely have accidents (dry all day today!) I rarely have to remind him to go to the bathroom - he tells me when he needs to! He is holding it out in public - even for a few hours! We celebrate lots with calls to grandparents or daddy, skittles, m&ms, & suckers. (When did we stop getting candy for this ourselves? My husband particularly seems to enjoy the new candy supply & is rapidly depleting the reward jars.)
Yesterday, while I was cleaning up a tee-tee accident in one room, he went all by himself to the potty & went poop! I was thrilled (until I had to clean it out of the plastic potty - with Will reminding me to "not touch." I realized at that point that wiping a bottom & tossing a diaper is a much easier way to clean that.) However, we celebrated big time & I was so proud of him!!!
Tonight, just before bed, he wanted to go tee-tee. We celebrated & he ate his 2 bites of candy. Then, he decided he needed to go poop! It was the second day in the row he has initiated that! At night, he always reminds us he needs to go right before getting in bed & then when we check on him several hours later, he actually is sometimes waking up & saying he needs to go. It's amazing!
I'm enjoying this week of success & so proud of my little boy. (Tonight, before bed, I was telling him how awesome he is for staying dry all day & pooping in the potty when he said, "Mommy, say 'I'm proud of you!'" I immediately told him I was proud of him. So cute that he wanted to hear that affirmation - such a boy!!!

I have no expectations for what may happen next week when we are flying & travelling & going to doctors & not at home. I also expect there will be some regression when he turns 3/has a new baby brother or sister/& starts preschool all in the same week at the end of the summer. (This kind of defeats my whole purpose in potty training to have him ready for school but what can I do - I'll just use the excuse for awhile about the new baby...& hope it will come back to him should we regress.)

I have not followed all the rules at all this week. I still have diapers in his room - quite visable to him & he is wearing them for sleep time. I am not getting onto him for having an accident. (I'm trying to encourage him not to have an accident but it's not a discipline thing - like one book suggested it be by day 2!) I haven't stayed home all day or taken him every 20 minutes (thankfully - he's a kid that seems to hold it for a loooong time so that's the only reason we aren't going all the time - I tried the 20 minute thing for awhile & it was rather futile with Will.) But we're figuring out what works for us (this week.) I have noticed a slight increase in his laundry - I guess from wet underwear & shorts from the times he has had accidents. But really, those have been just 1-2 a day... not what I had imagined!

And for now, we're celebrating! My little boy is growing up (just a little!) & (so far) it's been so much easier than I once anticipated. (However, I want to leave myself plenty of room to complain should things take a turn for the worse at some point! :))

And in case you are actually still reading this & haven't had your fill of potty talk...
here's a video of Will after his nap yesterday reading "Everybody Poops."
(go to the bottom of the blog & push pause on the music to hear Will read!)