Potty Training Update

Let me preface this post by stating that I am by no means an expert, nor am I trying to tell anyone how to do things.  This is just what worked for us.  I certainly believe there is more than one way to skin a cat, and there is more than one way to potty train.  Also, if I were potty training a girl, I'm sure all of this would be a totally different story.

Daycare did some of the work for us, but in my opinion they were pushing it really hard when Eli wasn't ready or interested.  With a late August birthday, Eli is the youngest one in his class, so basically all of the other kids were potty trained.  They started letting him use the potty at school when his classmates did.  We'd send him in his diaper, and they'd let him use the potty after breakfast and then put him in the big boy underwear we'd send each day.  They'd put him in a pull-up or diaper for naptime, and then back in undies after he woke up.  For the most part, Eli did alright at school.  Accidents were not uncommon.

When we got home though I'd put him back in his diaper.  He was peeing on the floor a lot and it was a battle to get him to stop playing to go to the potty.  So I dropped it.  Not worth it.  In my opinion, if I'm working harder than he is, he's not really potty trained.  Sure, I can stick him on the potty every 20 minutes or so and make him sit there until he peed (which is what daycare did I think), but to me, that's not really potty trained.  The last thing I wanted was a stressful environment that had him turned off completely to using the potty.  So we waited (and, if I'm being completely honest, I wanted to wait until after Disney World.  Who wants to be in line for a ride, or waiting to meet Mickey Mouse, and have to run the toddler to the potty?).

After Disney and soccer camp, I decided to give it another go and just see how he did.  I went at it with the mindset that if he wasn't ready/interested, we'd try again at the end of the summer.  I also started this when I did because we had nothing else going on.  We could be at home for several days in a row.  It was hard staying home three days straight, but it really helped.  I put Eli in big boy undies or let him run around "free".  No diapers except for naptime and bedtime.  The first day we had 3 accidents (including him pooping in the pants).  Then, two friends suggested that peeing outside was what did the trick for their boys.  So we gave it a try.

That really did the trick.  Eli loved running outside to pee.  I started trying to take him every 20 minutes or so, but cut that out quickly.  I think timing it frustrated him.  So, instead I just pumped him full of lemonade and juice and gave m&ms as a potty treat.

The second day Eli had one accident (pooped in his pants again).  He did NOT like that feeling of sitting in wet/dirty undies.  This was really what I was waiting on to begin potty training him.  He'd start telling me when his diaper was wet or dirty.

I'd seen versions of this on Pinterest and Etsy, so I pulled my cricut out and put it to use.  Eli thought it was hysterical that I was putting ABCs on the potty!

I know some people start their boys out sitting down, and we had a small potty that Eli had gotten for Christmas, but he was really not interested in this.  He wanted to stand up like Daddy!  I do have a potty seat that I let him pick out at Target that we put on whenever he has to boo-boo.

We have been accident free since that second day....that's eight days now!  WOOO-HOO!  Go Eli!  By waiting until I felt like he was really ready and able to tell me, "Mommy, I need to go to the potty." it made things sooo much smoother.  I asked every boy mom I knew how they had done things and their advice, and that was the one thing people consistently told me - "Don't rush it.  Wait until he's ready."

We have even been to Birmingham (2 1/2 hrs in the car) and Eli told us in the car when he had to go, and we just pulled over to the side of the road, or stopped in a parking lot - another perk of potty training a boy.

On Monday we celebrated being successfully potty trained with a trip to the movies to see Monsters University, which Eli LOVED.  He even screamed and cried when it was over.  No joke.  He might be potty trained, but his 2 yr old self sure showed out.

Of course he had to go to the potty like three times during the movie, but at least he didn't pee in the seat!

After the movie we went to Target and let Eli pick out undies.  He picked Mickey Mouse.  Big surprise.

After eight days of no accidents, I'd say we are potty trained.  At naptime he still gets a pull-up, and at bedtime a diaper, but at least we're day-trained!  I'm not going to tackle being sleep-trained until I see that his diaper or pull-up is dry when he gets up.

I can't believe my little man is potty trained.  This seems like such a rite of passage into being a big kid!

Kudos if you read this whole post.  Who knew I could say so much about THE POTTY.