Friday, May 2, 2008

Potty Training part 1

Wow it has been a long time since I last wrote a post. I guess I have been rather busy, but when is that NOT true?

Let's see... big news since February...

We started potty training over Easter vacation. It was time to enroll TBoy in preschool for next year and there is no option for the 3 1/2 year old to NOT be potty trained. Panic! But, great idea, Easter Vacation was coming up and we had no big plans... so potty training was planned and TGirl was warned that we were not going to be out and about over vacation time, just staying home and potty training.

On Good Friday we stocked up, bought a new potty seat toilet adapter with handles on it to help him feel secure (the first potty seat TDaddy bought several months ago had a very cushy seat, but a tiny hole in it... and TBoy was totally unmotivated to use it). Then we bought Pull Ups with Lightning McQueen on them (that he had been asking for), stickers that he picked out for a sticker chart for when he tried, and chocolate kisses for rewards for when he produced. We got out the timer, set it to go off every 30 minutes, stocked the bathroom with books and got down to training business.

He loved it at first. It was fun to sit on the potty, have Mama read you multiple books and then pick out a Dora the Explorer sticker to put on the chart. But then, as the day wore on the timer kept going off every 30 minutes and the excitement waned. He started to wet his Pull Up right before the timer went off every time. So we started setting it for every 15 to 20 minutes.

First day... no luck.

Second day... no luck. And TBoy was starting to think this wasn't so much fun anymore.

Third day... Easter. He wore a Pull Up to Sunday School and Grandma's afterward, but we relaxed the training for the special day that it was.

Easter evening, Grandma and Grandpa from out of town announce that they would like to take the kids and I to the zoo. "I know you are potty training, but..."

Well... it isn't like you get to go to the zoo, plus go with Grandma and Grandpa, every day.... so....

Monday, we went to the zoo. No potty training.

Tuesday... we tried a new approach. I had 5 pairs of hand-me-down cotton training pants. Using my aunt's advice given to me Sunday, we put on the training pants with the Pull Up on top of it.

TBoy didn't like feeling wet... but by 1:00 I was doing laundry, washing 5 wet pairs of training pants and 2 pairs of sweat pants that the training pants got wet by somehow ignoring the fact that they were inside a Pull Up.

By Thursday, I had pretty much given up. TBoy now wanted nothing to do with the potty, and really, what am I going to do, spank him for refusing to sit on the potty?? I don't think so. I do believe that would just encourage a power struggle that can only end in constipation. Not a road I wanted to go down.

So.. TBoy remained in Pull Ups. Something I swore would not happen for any length of time. TGirl was in Pull Ups for over a year. Do you realize those things are 50 cents a piece when bought at the grocery store not on sale?!? And he goes through at least 5 a day!! And I simply don't have the time (or the gas money) to be running out to the nearest Target (which is not all that close, a minimum 15 minute drive with no traffic) for Pull Ups every few days!

Arrgghh! I wasn't going to make the mistake of forcing the potty training issue with him like I did with her!

And yet... It would appear that I have done it again.

With TGirl I felt pressure from Grandma ("This little girl is definitely ready to train!") from the time she was about 18 months. And though I wasn't convinced she was all that interested, I caved in.

I wasn't going to do that again! No sir! I was going to wait until TBoy was good and ready and interested himself!

Those darn preschool rules!!