POTTY TRAINING 101

My goal was to not have 2 in diapers and I think I have achieved that task. I haven't wanted to jinx myself but I think it is now safe to say that Will is potty trained!!!!!!!!!YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!

A little Will Potty Training History:

We had bought a potty chair about a year ago to try and get him used to it but after just a short time it actually turned into another toy and that just wasn't working. I had a great idea of over the summer taking a week, letting him run around naked and train him that way.......well, the summer got away from me and I actually didn't want him trained when we went to Yellowstone in late August so I just waited. Then when we got back from Yellowstone is when my pregnancy symptoms kicked in full force. I didn't have any energy and I was in the bathroom myself way too much. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving I started to really push the potty training. I went out and bought stickers and a lot of candy. We also went out and bought big boy pullups with Buzz and Woody on them. Will and I made sticker charts together. There was no schedule at first but I started with right after he woke up, or went to bed, or ate, etc.... It started with if he went then great, if he didn't then that was okay too.

The week of Thanksgiving we really pushed it up a notch and he only got a treat when he actually went on the potty, rather than a treat for just trying. We also started every 30 minutes trying to go to the potty. Every 30 minutes is a lot. It is a lot for mom to take a 2 year old to the potty over 20 times in a day. He fought me a lot, but I was able to come up with different ways to coax him into the bathroom. Even at every 30 minutes he was able to go almost all the time. Yes, we still had accidents and yes there were times he refused to go. I am a firm believer that potty training is more for potty training the mom (or dad) to remember to take the child than it is to actually train the child.

Over the month of December he kept progressing and we are now up to about 1 hour in between bathroom visits and we are officially in regular big boy underwear. I still put a pullup on for naptime and at night but most naps are dry and we have actually had a couple dry nights. Will has also started to occasionally tell me he has to go potty rather than me always initiating. They are small steps and it definitely doesn't happen overnight but we are getting there. As of today the sticker charts are long gone but he still gets a treat (we found PEZ works the best for us). One for Will and one for the dinosaur!!!(LOL) He goes #2 in the potty quite often, as long as I am vigilant and watch for the face he makes.

Will turned 2.5 on December 14th so I can now say that Will was potty trained by 2.5.

YEAH WILL!!!