Potty Training

So this post is late. Like 4 months, but I know that this subject is tough for all parents and a LEAST favorite for many too. Believe it or not I started writing a post about this about a week after we first started potty training. 

 A basket of SUPER cool underwear. I'd be lying if I said that we used any other methods than the ones in this VIDEO link and this article from BabyCenter. I did browse quite a few articles, but this one seemed the most straight forward. Basically scheduling 3 solid days of underwear only on bottom (I didn't like the idea of naked bottoms because kids can't feel when they are wet), lots of liquids, timed potty trips, and living in the kitchen or other non-carpeted areas. The only thing we did differently was M&M's for going potty, one for pee two for poop.

9/18/14

My initial thoughts on potty training

Thus far I believe we will not be going back to diapers. I still can't believe it's worked as well as it has. Basically I read a couple of articles ahead of time to get a little prepared and then we went for it. Honestly the main thing that prompted me to try potty training was Davie's box of diapers starting to run low, a great reason to kick the diaper habit right? I knew that if we had some success our diaper usage would save us money.

 Fist things first, I picked a couple of days that David would be home so I could have an extra helper when Macy went nuts and Davie needed help. We haven't had any accidents on carpet or furniture or anywhere else that couldn't be tossed into the wash. I consider that alone a huge success. Davie has done quite well and other than having issues with number two (typical potty training stuff) the accidents have been fairly minimal.

The only day so far that I questioned my choice was yesterday. Before church Davie refused to even go pee, allll morning. So of course he had an accident in nursery and I changed him. Then about 20 minutes later I checked on him again and he had pooped. That's when I pulled the plug. Time to go home!

Lots of days turned into a shirt on top and no pants :)

Now to be clear, I would have loved to potty train Davie sooner, like before Macy came, BUT we had school, Macy and moving on the horizon so yea it wasn't realistic. Then we moved and the house was a disaster, because David was never around to help me move the big boxes and the kids were all in open rebellion. Macy had colic and would scream like she was being tortured no matter what I did so we had to wait for that to pass as well.

 I had a couple of people comment that Davie was "so young!" and that always surprised me. I guess my daring to potty train him earlier mainly came from the fact that I hate poopy diapers, as in David cares about changing them less than me, and is better at it too. Yes it's true my husband has better form and a system that is purely superior to mine when it comes to diaper changing. I also had two babies in diapers so for a little while there I felt like I was just changing diapers like crazy! My brothers and all of David's brothers were potty trained about 3 years old so even my family was a little surprised. 

I am in no way bragging I just didn't want to change a small child's diaper anymore it was gross. To be fair the first couple of weeks were a little rough mainly lots of wet accidents and control issues (as in Davie screaming like a psycho when I would make him pee before he left the house). That actually still happens, so whatever. Maybe it was more work than if Davie had been older and on a couple of the bad days I questioned my decision but I always felt like we had been training long enough that we couldn't go back. Not only that but Davie's worst days always seemed to be preceded and followed by really good days. In the end I had to remind myself that even with the accidents I had not changed ONE poopy diaper in over a month (chorus of angels!), and Davie hadn't wet on the carpet (What?!). He still hasn't and I was really worried about that.

After an accident in his seat I changed his clothes, put his carseat in the trunk and went straight home.

We didn't use big toys, or rewards other than M&M's the first week or so. Davie was young enough that he didn't even remember the candy most of the time. The big toy approach/ reward was completely unrealistic with Davie he did NOT understand. I even made a huge potty chart and to be honest within 2 weeks I stopped using it because Davie didn't really need it or care.

Davie kept hearing us say potty training and he would get all excited and say things about wanting a toy train. Silly boy, it was super cute though.

 We were home bound a bit at first until it dawned on me that if Davie were to have an accident at a store I wouldn't really be the one to clean it up and it wouldn't be on my carpet. So really the only bad thing (in my mind) that could happen was a little public embarrassment just another positive to living in an area where you don't know everyone. For me the the worst thing that could happen was him wetting in the carseat, so many straps to clean and remove, thankfully that has only happened twice. The picture below is Davie's first underwear outing.

As of right now Davie sleeps in a pull up and I had him in a pull up on the airplane rides to Idaho, but  most of the time he is dry in the morning. Overall I am really encouraged and I think I am definitely going to try to train Macy sooner and at the very least before we have baby #3 (whenever that is because this is not an announcement). I wish I could say more, but thats about it for now.