Saturday, July 24, 2010

Hooray for Potty Time

Reese has owned underwear for ages. He has even worn it a time or two. Last month I decided to start potty training. It was a retched fiasco. After he sat on the potty chair sobbing "no stickers! no stickers!" (you know, the enticing reward) I said forget it and we stopped. Everyday I've asked if he wanted to put on underwear and pee in the potty. He'd say "No! No underwear, diaper" So....whatever. Diapers are really so much easier. We can come and go as we please and not deal with public restrooms. If not for all the judgment...he is almost 3 1/2 after all...I'd probably not bother to press him and just let him say "Hey everyone else uses the potty I think I should too." Except he may be 8 before he could make that sentence.I should let you know we've been upping the ante on rewards. I bought all the Toy Story 3 matchbox cars and thought they could be a good incentive (wrong) and Kyle has been buying Marvel Super Squad figures left and right. I said the boy has way too much it's ridiculous! Let's save them. So Kyle put them in a row on top of the dvd case as a potty incentive.
Last week Reese had a very painful, big "BM" that was stuck and he was screaming--not just crying--so I put him on the potty to see if that position helped it come out better. So I'm hugging him, he's crying and struggling, "it" is halfway out and he starts going on about "bad guy, blah blah blah, bad guy, bad guy." I assume he's talking about something he can hear on the tv. But no! The poop drops and he is like a shot off the toilet racing to point at his super squad toys asking for his prize! Ha ha! Since it was so painful for him I went ahead and let him pick...the bad guy, Abomination (you know, from Hulk). But then he says no to underwear. The next day he came and told me he had to poop, he was successful, I was so excited I gave him a toy...again refused the underwear. he made zero attempts to pee and the following days No toilet attempts (he got the guys he wanted apparently).
So today I asked as usual "Do you want to wear underwear and pee on the potty?" Today Reese answered "Yes!" So we did, he didn't go, but he had no accidents, finally about 2 hours later he peed. I was very excited. I hung up an Elmo potty chart while he washed his hands and then he added a sticker. I said 3 stickers = prize. 10 minutes later he peed again! 15 minutes later he got the stool and elmo potty insert (goes on the normal toilet), pulled down his own pants and started grunting. I figured nothing would happen...I mean you can't really force pee and he went twice. The next thing I know he's all excited to tell me about his poop! So he got a toy.
Then he went on to pee and poop the rest of the day!!!
We shall see what tomorrow brings. Too bad he didn't do this yesterday...it could have been a "Finer Thing Friday."
Woo Hoo! Apparently waiting until he was good and ready was the way to go! The no nagging, no constant asking do you have to go, no forcing him to chug extra fluid, laid back let him take the lead path to potty training really is a Finer Thing!

1 comment:

Susana said...

Heather your commentary in this post is hilarious--had me laughing the whole time, partly too because I can relate:-).

Way to go for Reese and you! I hope this continues!!