Potty Training!

Well, little man, we have had a busy couple of weeks! Grandma and Grandpa went to South Dakota to visit Aunt Deanie, so it was just you and me all week long. I decided we would tackle the POTTY. I went to work planning. I made a chart, bought incentive toys, treats and stickers. Bought some big boy underwear. Found a timer. Went to the library to get children's books about the potty. We were ready!

 

We started on Saturday, August 31. I had planned to basically quarantine you and me to the house, close to the potty, all week long, with few exceptions. Saturday's exception was cousin Ty's football game at 10:15am. But something I'd read online suggested doing "sessions" at first anyways, so it was perfect- we would wake up and start our 30-minute runs and do them for a couple of hours, go to the game and come home and start again. Sounded Do-able. But by the end of the day, you were fighting it and I was sick of living by a timer. But we HAD to do it. It had to work! Everything else I've had to do as a parent has worked. This had to too. I would not fail, and would not let you fail. But by the end of the day, I was sick of the bathroom. I was exhausted from getting up and down and helping you up and down. And I realized I didn't have all the supplies I really needed- I was going to give in and try the pull-ups. Diapers were too hard to take on and off, and underwear was too messy. We needed a step stool for washing hands and getting onto potty. And I really just needed to get up off the bathroom floor for awhile! So we left the house to go get dinner. While picking up our Greek food I told Royce to call Grandma Weezie and see if she wanted to go to the zoo tomorrow. I decided we would just do sessions again, maybe not even bother with public potties yet. But at the zoo, I decided to give it a go. And boy am I glad I did!! You went pee THREE times! And each time, you had an audience to cheer you on! Me, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa were so proud of you! Plus, we had a really great time at the zoo- we learned a lot about elephants, watched the awesome bird show and enjoyed the polar bear swimming. It was a perfect day. On Monday, we were back at it. You, me and the potty. We stayed home all day and ended up on each others' nerves. I was so frustrated- maybe I was pushing you too hard, exactly what I didn't want to do. Maybe you weren't ready. You would fight it when the timer would go off. When asked "wanna go potty?" you would reply "no. yeah. no." My body was sore from all the up-down-up-down. And the bathroom was boring. In fact, we did that for the next two days. By Wednesday night, we needed to go out, and, luckily, we had plans to go to a car show. But even as much as I needed to get out, I was annoyed. Daddy didn't understand how hard it was, and he had no idea how to help. At the car show, I ended up getting hurt and smashing my thumb. We left early. And went to bed early. I cried. A lot. Partly from my thumb, partly from feeling like a failure. On Thursday, I woke up determined to have a good day. And so we did. We didn't touch the dang timer. You were getting to a point where you woke up saying "mama, pee!" and would actually go. You would even do it when playing or doing something else- "mama, pee!" Sometimes it was simply because you wanted "nummies!" which got kind of annoying, but at least you were trying. On Thursday, I left it up to you. And you would tell me when you wanted to go. And you did great! Same for the rest of the weekend. Our chart hasn't been followed exactly as it was made to be used, and our rules change depending on where we are, but it's working for us. Sometimes you get a nummy, sometimes you get a toy, sometimes a sticker, and sometimes nothing. Sometimes you go and sometimes you just try and try and sometimes you just play around. You are getting to be really good at the pee part, and love doing it "like daddy!" but the poop part is still kind of confusing to you- usually you will go in your diaper or pull-up first and then realize it and tell me, so we'll try again. And I am not quite ready to cut off your evening "juice" especially where you have been waking up with coughing fits lately, so you sleep in a diaper. But you have woken up dry a couple times, and you have woken up at 4am to "mama, pee!" So whatever it is we are doing, it is working. You are getting it. We aren't failing!! Which really isn't what it would have been anyways. You are young yet, and a boy. If you weren't ready, there's nothing I could have done to get you there. Luckily, you are ready. So we will just keep working on it. You are my big boy and I am so incredibly proud of you. I am so sorry we had to have a couple of hard days, but I think it was worth it- we are a good team, you and I. Let's keep it going, kiddo!!!