Adrian officially began potty training last Saturday morning (July 31st). In the past, Angie had placed him on the potty a couple of times just to get familiar with it (and he even peed on it a couple of times). But pre-school starts September 17th and he needs to be trained before then, so it was "All Hands on Deck" with no turning back now.
It's been slow going for Adrian. I remember the twins "getting it" within a couple of days. That's not to say they didn't have accidents occasionally or that Jason didn't lapse back into having trouble going #2 on the potty (ended up wearing pull-ups for like 5 months more), but within a couple of days they each knew to go on the toilet or potty when they had to go #1. Getting them to do #2 took a few days of practice, but it eventually happened. Adrian hasn't yet told me that he has to go. I just nag him constantly (which must get to be annoying for him) or I force him to sit on the potty if it's been about 2 hours since he went last.
Angie has had some good luck and bad luck during the week. He had a bowel movement on the potty on Friday morning (8/6), which was a major milestone. Earlier in the week, he would go multiple days before finally having an accident in his underwear. So this new development at least meant that he would know that he can poop on the potty as well as pee. Unfortunately for Angie, she decided to take all three kids to see "Despicable Me" on Friday afternoon. Also unfortunately for Angie, Adrian's poops turned into the "loosey goosey" kind after that successful healthy one in the morning. When they arrived at the movie theater, he told her he had to go (which is great). She got him to a bathroom stall and put him on the toilet (she didn't have the "adapter seat" with her, though) and his butt slipped into the bowl, freaking him out quite badly. Of course, he wouldn't go after that so they went back out, bought their tickets and went into the theater. A few minutes later, Adrian got up and walked to the end of the aisle, pointing to the exit. Angie grabbed the twins and walked back to the bathroom with Adrian. By the time they got there, he had let it out all over his underpants. Fortunately, Angie had put him in a pull-up diaper over the underwear so it acted as a little buffer for his pants. Underwear and pull-up went into the trash. Angie had left the diaper bag on the seat in the theater, so she had to clean him up with regular toilet paper (yowza!) and put his remaining undies on him when they got back to the seat. I think they had to leave the movie again to deal with a situation, and then he pooped again as they were leaving. Since Angie was out of pull-ups and undies, he had to sit in it all the way back home. Ugh! I'm sure Angie won't be taking any kids out during potty training again any time in the next few years...
Yesterday was a success since he woke up dry, peed on the potty and even had a small #2 around mid-morning on the potty. I don't believe he had any accidents on any furniture or flooring yesterday, so that's always a good thing.
Adrian wakes up dry most days, but sometimes he lets it go in the morning before getting out of bed (like this morning). I haven't yet seen him walk over to the potty on his own, which concerns me. I really feel like a broken record, asking him all the time, "Do you have to go potty?" But the few times where I've thought, "Let's leave him alone with no nagging and see what he does," he pees on the kitchen chair or the family room floor. It's been over a week now, and I just want it to "click" in his mind: "I have no options. When I have to pee or poop, I have to use the potty." He wears only underwear during the day (no more diapers), but we'll put a pull-up over the underwear for naps and when he goes to bed at night. Since he wakes up dry about 90% of the time, we'll probably just have to roll the dice and let him have an accident or two at night so he learns to hold it all night 100% of the time or to get up and go to the bathroom. But first I want him to get more reliable during the waking hours. I really don't want to have to nag him any more.
We've tried the Cheerios thing, which is OK. It got him to pee once when we knew he had to go badly. But this kid is just really stubborn and wants to do what he wants to do on his own terms, I think. I've noticed that two or three times now he has gone on the potty after I've placed him there and I've left. This morning I was waiting in the bathroom with him for 15 minutes while he was sitting on the potty (not going), so I walked out and pulled the door partially closed behind me. As soon as I did, I heard him peeing in the potty. I waited a minute or so, then opened the door to see him standing there pointing at the potty. I guess he just wanted his privacy!
More to come...
It's been slow going for Adrian. I remember the twins "getting it" within a couple of days. That's not to say they didn't have accidents occasionally or that Jason didn't lapse back into having trouble going #2 on the potty (ended up wearing pull-ups for like 5 months more), but within a couple of days they each knew to go on the toilet or potty when they had to go #1. Getting them to do #2 took a few days of practice, but it eventually happened. Adrian hasn't yet told me that he has to go. I just nag him constantly (which must get to be annoying for him) or I force him to sit on the potty if it's been about 2 hours since he went last.
Angie has had some good luck and bad luck during the week. He had a bowel movement on the potty on Friday morning (8/6), which was a major milestone. Earlier in the week, he would go multiple days before finally having an accident in his underwear. So this new development at least meant that he would know that he can poop on the potty as well as pee. Unfortunately for Angie, she decided to take all three kids to see "Despicable Me" on Friday afternoon. Also unfortunately for Angie, Adrian's poops turned into the "loosey goosey" kind after that successful healthy one in the morning. When they arrived at the movie theater, he told her he had to go (which is great). She got him to a bathroom stall and put him on the toilet (she didn't have the "adapter seat" with her, though) and his butt slipped into the bowl, freaking him out quite badly. Of course, he wouldn't go after that so they went back out, bought their tickets and went into the theater. A few minutes later, Adrian got up and walked to the end of the aisle, pointing to the exit. Angie grabbed the twins and walked back to the bathroom with Adrian. By the time they got there, he had let it out all over his underpants. Fortunately, Angie had put him in a pull-up diaper over the underwear so it acted as a little buffer for his pants. Underwear and pull-up went into the trash. Angie had left the diaper bag on the seat in the theater, so she had to clean him up with regular toilet paper (yowza!) and put his remaining undies on him when they got back to the seat. I think they had to leave the movie again to deal with a situation, and then he pooped again as they were leaving. Since Angie was out of pull-ups and undies, he had to sit in it all the way back home. Ugh! I'm sure Angie won't be taking any kids out during potty training again any time in the next few years...
Yesterday was a success since he woke up dry, peed on the potty and even had a small #2 around mid-morning on the potty. I don't believe he had any accidents on any furniture or flooring yesterday, so that's always a good thing.
Adrian wakes up dry most days, but sometimes he lets it go in the morning before getting out of bed (like this morning). I haven't yet seen him walk over to the potty on his own, which concerns me. I really feel like a broken record, asking him all the time, "Do you have to go potty?" But the few times where I've thought, "Let's leave him alone with no nagging and see what he does," he pees on the kitchen chair or the family room floor. It's been over a week now, and I just want it to "click" in his mind: "I have no options. When I have to pee or poop, I have to use the potty." He wears only underwear during the day (no more diapers), but we'll put a pull-up over the underwear for naps and when he goes to bed at night. Since he wakes up dry about 90% of the time, we'll probably just have to roll the dice and let him have an accident or two at night so he learns to hold it all night 100% of the time or to get up and go to the bathroom. But first I want him to get more reliable during the waking hours. I really don't want to have to nag him any more.
We've tried the Cheerios thing, which is OK. It got him to pee once when we knew he had to go badly. But this kid is just really stubborn and wants to do what he wants to do on his own terms, I think. I've noticed that two or three times now he has gone on the potty after I've placed him there and I've left. This morning I was waiting in the bathroom with him for 15 minutes while he was sitting on the potty (not going), so I walked out and pulled the door partially closed behind me. As soon as I did, I heard him peeing in the potty. I waited a minute or so, then opened the door to see him standing there pointing at the potty. I guess he just wanted his privacy!
More to come...
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