Potty Training Is Not For Wimps!

I have always taken the stance that a toddler will let you know in their own way when they are ready to begin potty training. Until that time, I think it's more frustrating to both child and parent(s) to push the issue.

With my first son, Big Brother, he was about two and a half when I started trying. He was definitely ready to at least give it a shot. Knowing that he understood the concept of rewards for good behavior or accomplishments, I decided to make a potty chart. I took a large poster board and drew horizontal and vertical lines on it forming a large graph. After hanging it at his level in the bathroom, I stocked up on stickers. If he sat on the potty, he got one sticker on the chart. If he actually went while sitting on the potty, he got three stickers on his chart. Every time he filled a row across with stickers, he got ice cream (I even drew an ice cream cone in the last square of each row as a reminder). When he filled the whole chart up, he would get to go to the store and pick out a toy, I reminded him of this every time he sat on the potty. It took us a chart and a half before he was completely potty trained and it was overall a really great experience.

This time around, however, I didn't think I'd be able to approach potty training the same way. Dare Devil is very stubborn. He also pretends not to understand what you're telling him or he pretends not to listen. I also swear that he is very sarcastic and knows it. Crazy for an almost two-year-old, I know. (He'll be two this upcoming Monday, the twenty-first.) All of that combined with a new baby coming into the house I decided I should wait much longer to even talk about using the potty with him. I've heard that some children tend to regress when a new baby comes into the house, I was lucky with BB but DD is much younger.

While out at the store a couple of months ago, DD spotted a Go, Diego, Go potty and seemed very interested so we bought it and set it up for him to get acquainted with. Of course in true DD style, he was more interested in wearing it on his head than actually sitting on it, so I dropped the subject. But after that he began bringing me diapers when he was wet and taking his diaper off when it was wet. I took that as a sign. What sealed it for me though, that he might be ready to potty train, was when he ripped his dry diaper off, ran into the playroom and purposely peed on the floor until I yelled "Stop!" and he actually did. I figured if he can control it then it's time to teach him how to use the potty.

I brought down a different potty that I had saved from BB. This one is bigger, has a lid and a shield for boys. Of course again, he tried to wear it as a hat and even got the seat stuck on his head twice (while I laughed hysterically behind the cover of a pillow). But I managed to get him to sit on it. It's been a couple of weeks since we started training and while he hasn't actually gone while on the potty, he's starting to grasp the concept. He has started to tell me when he has to pee or poop and has even stood next to the potty while going in his diaper. We've had more "accidents" on the floor as well but overall I think we're heading in the right direction.

I am nervous that it's going to take a long time for him to be completely trained and I wish that he would stop wearing the potty as a hat but I feel much braver and more accomplished just for attempting to teach him.