Potty Training Success - Part 1

Well, after much effort, we've finally had some success on the potty training front!! For about 4 weeks or so now, Evan has actually been telling us he has to go pee-pee, and then going on the potty. Even in the last week or so, he's started standing up to pee. What progress!

We think the turning point was an event at preschool. (Side note: I'm so grateful for his teacher for working so deligently with him on potty training. Being a two-parent working household, we really needed that consistency during the day to make it happen.) He had refused to go potty before going outside to the playground, then had an accident while playing outside. This makes it hard for the teachers and aids because then one of them has to leave and change him, leaving the other kids with less supervision. So one day his teacher told him he could either go potty and then out to the playground, or NOT go potty and he'd have to go to the office during playground time. Being the stubborn little boy he is, he chose not to go potty and go to the office. We think he didn't like being left out of the playground fun, because the next day he cooperated and went potty so he could go out on the playground. The next few days he didn't have any accidents and that Friday night, he came home and told me he had to go potty for the 1st time! He also did great the whole rest of the weekend, always telling us he had to go and doing it himself.

Since then, he talks all about being a big boy and going the potty by himself. He's even consistently done well while visiting my mom for the weekend, and staying the night at my dad's. We do keep him in a pull-up at night because first thing in the morning he still has accidents. Also, right after naptime at school he sometimes has accidents as well. But, at this point, I'm happy for the great progress that he's made! Now, the next hurdle, #2. He hasn't got that down. Doesn't tell us he has to go with that, and still refuses to sit on the potty and go #2. But I'm hopeful I'll be posting Part 2 success in the not too distant future.

Potty Training Update

Well, we are off to a start...thought it's a slow start...with potty training. I still don't have a free weekend until after Easter so no Potty Training Bootcamp yet. But Evan's teacher has decided to work hard with the last 3 kids (all boys) in the class who aren't potty trained. So he's been going without pull-ups at school regularly! Though he is consistantly having accidents and came home with someone else's socks on yesterday! Oops, guess I forgot to put new socks in his backpack. 

I did try him one overnight without pull-ups but even though I grabbed him right when he woke up, he had already wet the bed. :( I've been putting him on the potty before bed for about 10 minutes but he doesn't do anything. Then 5 minutes later after brushing his teeth he'll go pee in his PJs!

Overall, we are realizing he just doesn't get how to tell he needs to go. It doesn't hit him untill he is already going. Last night he told me he was going pee as he went. Not enough time to get to the potty before he was done and we were cleaning up yet another mess. Luckily, it's been more in his clothes than on our carpet. I'm hoping something will click soon. For now, I've got 2 changes of clothing including big boy underwear in his backpack at school because we know there will be more accidents. And I'm still struggling with patience throughout this whole process. I put a pull-up on him for on the way to school the other morning as I wasn't in the mood to clean up a messy car seat cover. And I'm lucky I did because he went #2!

Potty Training: Consistency and Commitment

I'm finding that the key to success in potty training my little boy is going to be consistency and commitment. As a two working parent household it's hard for us to commit to the consistency it takes to potty train him. We've watched videos (actually, I think Evan liked watching the potty training video more than we did!), read articles and listened to parents who have been through it. We are just trying to figure out how to make it work for us. We have the potty chair, the potty chart with stickers, and treats for a reward. He was sort of interested when we first introduced it all but now he just runs away screaming "No" when I say he needs to go to the potty. I really have no indication when he goes pee but I can definitely tell when he is going poo as he does this funny little dance! Oh, and it's usually right at dinner time! Fun! Ulimately we are finding it's really less about whether he is ready, which I think he has been for some time, but whether me and my hubby are ready! :)

Life has been crazy and hectic and so many things have taken priority over potty traning. But I recently heard about a 3 day potty training bootcamp. I was really hoping it wouldn't come to that though many said it's what works, but others also say that kids just "get it" and you don't want to force them. Who to believe? A lot of little boys I know were around 3 years old and Evan will be 3 in April. But he shows the signs of readiness so I've decided we need to take action soon! :) Oh, and he's one of only 2 kids left in his 2 year old class that aren't potty trained. His class is mostly girls though and they tend to pick it up earlier, so at least that makes me feel better.

Unfortunately our schedule and the ability to stay home all one weekend to do the training is hard. March is our month of birthdays, both friends and family, so we have events booked most weekends. Right now I'm realizing I don't have enough big boy underwear (as they tend to have a lot of accidents), and I've got a cold that is just hanging on, plus we are having someone babysite Evan overnight next weekend and I really don't want to put them in the position of having to deal with a newly potty trained little boy! All of these excuses (though valid I believe!) are going to get in the way until the last weekend of March or first weekend of April, depending on when my nephew's birthday party gets scheduled. But once I pin down the weekend, we are going to get him potty trained! I'm putting it out there so I'll have even more motivation to follow through! I need to be held accountable I think.

Anyone have any tips or feedback on their experience potty training? I'd love your thoughts and reassurance that it isn't as awful a process as I think it is and I shouldn't be dreading it! :)