Adventures in Potty Training

This post isn't for the weak tummies. It involves several bodily functions. All are messy and unwanted anywhere but in your bathroom toilet....they didn't occur in my toilet all the time.

So, I decided it was time, for my non verbal, slightly spoiled and completely adorable child to be potty trained. We are pushing three here folks....thankfully, O is small for his age, and still looks totally small enough to be placed on one of those shopping mall changing tables.

I'd put it off long enough. I was dreading potty training my last little man. The older two boys were so different in their potty training routine, I wasn't sure what to expect.

S was a breeze. Took about 2 weeks to get him mostly trained. He still needed diapers at nap and bedtime, but that was just fine. Two diapers a day versus 6 or 8 was a huge money saver - and yes, at 2.5, I needed that many diapers a day. Our children, thankfully, are great poopers. Yes, folks, I'm talking about my children's bowel habits on my blog.

S did great. He needed little prompting and had to sit backwards to pee for the longest time, but it worked. He also had to take off his pants, shoes and socks to go potty, which was fine as long as we were at home, not so fine say at...the grocery store or church. He has outgrown that habit...in case you were wondering.

Then it was M's turn to train...WOW! I had met my match. We tried training right before O was born, but I went into labor 3.5 weeks early and that kind of went out the window with a newborn at home. We tried again, once I was feeling better from the post partum issues, and M was used to having a new baby in the house. He was almost 3 by this point. Dangerously close to 3. I always swore I wouldn't be one of those mothers, hoisting a 50lb 3 year old up on the changing tables...never say never. Thankfully, M still doesn't weight 50lbs and he's 5...but still, he was big.

The child was impossible. He is laid back...so laid back in fact, that he would poop and or pee his pants and not care. He'd sit in underwear that were soiled and not say a word. It wouldn't be until I smelled/stepped in something that I discovered the "accident". I was convinced as time went on, that is was less and less an accident and more laziness.

We had to resort to a spank every time he peed his pants when he told me, "I just don't want to go in the toilet, I'm busy". It took months to get him trained enough to leave the house without extra clothes. He was still having accidents at 4.5. He's yet to stay dry through the night - but in hindsight, his diabetes might have had something to do with the accidents later in age and the night wetting....

O, I was certain was going to be a nightmare. He still wasn't talking much and it's difficult to potty train when a child isn't verbal. The first week was shaky at best. He didn't want to go in the potty and would fight when we tried to put him on it...I was persistent.
Week 2 went oddly well and we've continued down that path for quite some time!
Naps often are accompanied by a dry pull up....nights, not so much! He's doing great and is even to the point where he tells us he has to go potty, instead of me taking him every 30 minutes.

That being said, I've cleaned up my share of poop and pee puddles around our house. Some, poop issues are to disgusting to even talk about...like the time, he tried to dump his own potty and missed, and then tried to clean the poo up himself.....just let your mind wander on that one.

I've also been reminded that the makers of potty chairs, aren't always conscience of little boys and how their plumbing works....until a boy learns to pee standing up, there is some direction issues. I've cleaned up more pee of walls and doors in my boys lives than I care to remember.

We've also had some moments of poohing on the playroom floor....not fun for your brothers who happen to to playing in there with you. Those moments are often accompanied by, two screaming brothers...one of which is dry heaving from the site and smell.

All in all, it's been mostly smooth sailing and for that, I am grateful. I'm sure there are still more wet pants and undies that have to be thrown out in store trash cans to be had.....but for now, I am proud of my newly potty trained boy, and of myself, for getting the last one out of diapers....

So long Pampers, Luvs, Huggies and mostly store brand diapers...you have served me well for the last 6.5 years, but alas...I have no need for you anymore. We have graduated to your more superior counterpart - the Pull Up - equally expensive, but much better suited for our needs.