Potty Training 1 & 2

My potty training experience started in October of 2008. Samuel was 2 years, 2 months (Joel was 7 months at the time) and I decided to give it a go with him. Everyone else was doing it, so I thought, Why not? He met the majority of the potty training readiness signs I'd read about:

Physical signs
-Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily.
-Urinates a fair amount at one time.
-Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times.
-Has "dry" periods of at least three or four hours, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.

Behavioral signs
-Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes.
-Can pull his pants up and down.
-Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper.
-Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear).
-Gives a physical or verbal sign when he's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you.
-Demonstrates a desire for independence.
-Takes pride in his accomplishments.
-Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet.
-Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one.

Cognitive signs
-Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy."
-Understands the value of putting things where they belong.
-Has words for urine and stool.
-Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty.
from www.babycenter.com

My thoughts on picking a potty training method were to start with the easiest method and work my way up from there. So I borrowed "Potty Train Your Child in Just One Day" by Teri Crane.

The plan was to "potty train" Samuel's stuffed bear on Wednesday morning, and then potty train Samuel in the afternoon. Wednesday morning I took Samuel and his bear to Target to buy big boy undies and some treats. We spent the morning having bear sit on the potty at regular intervals. We watched potty training videos and put stickers on bear's potty chart for going on the potty and also for staying dry. Samuel was semi into it. I had bear have a few accidents in his undies (I wetted them and also put a lump of brown playdoh in there once) and we talked about having accidents. After Samuel's nap he unwrapped a present of his own set of big boy undies. They were Elmo and Thomas. We practiced all day and Samuel wet through SEVEN pairs of undies. Ugh. I thought it was a big failure.

BUT I WAS WRONG! He wore undies all day Thursday and didn't have any accidents until the evening when I was watching Joel and another baby and didn't set Samuel on the potty when I was supposed to. He also managed to stay dry ALL DAY Friday, even though we went to someone else's house for lunch and naps, and to a wedding rehearsal and dinner afterwards. I am SO proud of him!

Now, to clarify, this is potty training in the sense that I was trained too - he didn't tell me when he had to go; I put him on the potty about every hour. But he was holding it now and then going when I set him on the potty. I was happy with that for the time being - at least he wasn't wearing diapers all day and he was learning what it meant to go on the potty. The funny thing is I made a big deal about treats and stickers on his potty chart the first day but he could really have cared less about it. He acted like it was no big deal to go on the potty!

I kept Samuel in a diaper at night for another two months. Then he started waking up dry consistently and so I kept him in underwear at night too. He was just a super easy kid to potty train.

And. Then. There's. Joel. :)

My first attempt with Joel was back in March when he turned 2. I checked out the Potty Training in a Day book again from the library and gave it a shot. I sent Samuel to my parents for a few days so it would just be me and Joel. I did all the same things again. I pumped that kid full of juice/milk/water/even soda! and he only peed three times - twice in his underwear and once on the potty. Day two I put him in underwear as soon as he got up. Not a successful day - all in the undies, none in the potty. After a few days I gave up. I think the biggest indicator to me to hang it up was that he could have cared less when he wet himself. When I did Samuel, he FREAKED OUT when his undies got wet and things clicked quickly. Joel peed himself a few times and just kept playing. I asked him if he was staying dry, he felt himself and then said "All wet Mommy" and then just kept running around with his toy. Ugh!!! :)

My second attempt with Joel was last week. I put him in undies and he peed in them. He was very good at feeling himself when I asked "are you staying dry?" but he never would pee on the potty. And then the freak out set in. He started freaking out whenever I tried to get him to sit on the potty - the Bjorn potty, the travel potty, the potty ring, nothing.

So I've decided to put it on the back burner for two more months. I'm kinda at a loss now as far as what to do to potty train him. Should I do the Potty Training in a Day thing all over again? It seems like he already knows the basics. Do I try the three day thing that Margaret did? What's the difference between that and just putting him in undies? How do I get this kid to pee a whole bunch?!

These are all the questions on my mind. When I made the POH schedule back in January I remember putting this week on there and hoping that I would be writing TWO potty training success stories! But instead the Lord wanted me to encourage you that it's not always the same between #1 and #2! Have a great week! Be encouraged! :)