Potty Training Part I

The Return to Diapers
Well, we gave it our best shot and if called to vote, I think I may dethrone the self-proclaimed “Potty Training Queen”. Even though Abe was only showing nominal interest in the potty, we (okay, I) had read this book, 3 Day Potty Training: The Queen of Potty Training will share…” blah, blah, blah. After all, she had trained her 5 boys and 3 of her 6 children in 3 days or less – she must have something right! Figured it was worth shot. It was only 3 days out of our lives. We also thought her approach made a lot of sense (still do). In fact, it was actually quite similar to how we potty trained Dexter, which we found amusing: catch them in the act, correct the behavior, praise them like crazy, and give them a treat!

Day 1 – Started out pretty much as expected. Many accidents in the morning, finishing in the potty in the afternoon and even two full “everything” in the potty. Really exactly what we had expected and more than we had hoped for. No nap, which made for a horrible bed time. (I actually rocked him to sleep which NEVER happens.) However, he slept through the entire night, without a diaper. I think he may have had one accident, but I’m not sure.

Day 2 – Everything that wasn’t started in the potty finished there and a full everything in the potty right before I left for work. In fact, Abe was completely dry from about 10 am until after (and including) nap the next day – over 24 hours (if you don’t count the accident in the crib right when he woke up, which I don’t)! Very encouraging. I was already planning this blog and how we need to officially crown Lora Jensen the Potty Training Queen.

Day 3 – Well, after a very successful morning we instead had a multitude of accidents during the afternoon. Although, we had a dry nap and a completely dry night – only night I’m sure he was completely dry. Still no “poop” in the potty.

Day 4 – Kind of a blur, but I think a mixture of successes and failures. Naps were always dry, which I still find encouraging.

Day 5 – We’ve essentially been inside for 2 weeks since before we started training Abe was sick; it’s starting to show. Morning actually went quite well with no accidents, although I found myself bribing him to use the potty when I knew he had to go – for example, shortly after he woke up. Not good; both Mike and I found ourselves doing it and decided by the end of the day that couldn’t continue. We spent the afternoon at the pool; a nice relief from trying to catch every accident. (I never realized how much urine a pool contained until I had a child and realized that the swim diapers only catch poop.)

Day 6 – Back at day care. A different potty and sad, for us, all the 2 year olds that were using the potty have transitioned out of his class. He actually did well and SAT on the potty many times, but nothing actually IN the potty. I sent 4 changes of clothes with him and he came home in his fourth change. Poor kid. He used the potty quite easily when we got home though.

I keep going back and forth on where to go from here. Part of me has an “all-or-nothing” attitude; let’s just throw in the towel, go back to diapers and we’ll try again in of couple months. Another part of me wants to do undies at home and not push it any where else. I think it’s just because he looks so stinkin’ cute in his undies!!

Regrets? I have a few, but not many.
1. The 5 diapers Abe and I threw away on day one as part of the book’s training process. I’m glad we didn’t throw them all away!

2. I will say that he has started to ask to be rocked in his rocking chair a couple of times before nap or bed, which he has NEVER done before. Concerns me a bit that his security might have been a slightly rattled. Although, I must admit I adore the cuddle times; I find it very hard not to be charmed by my little rascal.

3. We actually have quite a few rewards on hand and I was really excited to give them to him; things I know he’ll love. It will be tough not to want to give them any way just to see his eyes glaze with joy (or greed?).  [Aside: when I first bought a couple cars as rewards, I mistakenly bought Hot Wheels instead of Match Box. I was quickly corrected by Mike when he saw them and instructed that we were to only buy Match Box for Abe. My mistake, which I rectified the next trip out; the Target cashier was amused.]

Quick praise: my biggest prayer to friends and our small group was that we would be the calm and patient parents that God calls us to be even if the potty situation was frustrating. God answered that prayer in a big, big way. I could feel it in the moment, which of course made me wonder why I don’t pray more fervently for His patience and wisdom in parenting. Things go so much better when I’m leaning on His parenting skills instead of my own.
Stay tuned for the sequel. It may be a year or more in coming, but we trust it will come.