Nathan will be turning three this August and in order for him to move up to the three year old room, he has to be completely potty trained. At face value, that is a daunting task -- especially given that we have less than 2 months to get this finished. We've made several halfhearted attempts to introduce the potty and the idea of potty training to Nate (i.e. buying his own potty, a potty adapter for the real toilet, stepping stools, potty books, potty DVDs, stickers and candy for bribery, etc.). We've tried encouraging him to go, letting him observe (overshare?), and peer pressure ("Your friend ___ uses the potty. Don't you want to, too?"). Nada. No dice.
Last week, the teachers at daycare asked if we wanted to try moving directly from diapers to underwear, effectively bypassing the pull-up phase. Considering how many kids they potty train on a rotating basis, they are the experts so I absolutely agreed! Not to say that I didn't do a little research of my own! There are a ton of blogs out there about potty training, but I've gotten so that I reference Babycenter pretty often because there are so many articles and with lots of opinions on how to approach new challenges.
Day 1:
We started this great experiment on Monday. I went overboard with supplies, as per usual, taking in 10 pairs of underwear, 8 pairs of shorts, extra socks, and 2 extra shirts, as well as some pull-ups in case they decided to throw in the towel. As much as I wanted to call and check in on Nate throughout the day, I wasn't going to be that parent, so I resisted temptation. At pick-up, I was ecstatic to find out that Nate had only two accidents all day! His teacher was so proud of him that she gave him a cupcake before he went home:
Fast forward to that evening, Nate came home, took off his underwear, and promptly pooped in our linen closet. UGH!! #lifesbleachablemoments
Day 2:
An even better day! Only one accident at school and Nate used the potty for me at home until it it was time to go to bed. No poop in random closets or accidents of any kind! The trade-off is that Nate expects candy and/or cake for his good behavior. I'm apt to give into what motivates him at this point.
Day 3:
This brings us to today and to the point where I need to learn a good lesson in patience. Another great day at school with only one accident! However, once we got home, I feel like there was a bit of regression. From not wanting to sit on the potty, to puddles on the floor, to a pair of soiled underwear soaking in my bathroom sink, it's been quite an evening. It's at this part of the night where I step back and think about all of the amazing progress that he's made in three days....and that his stubbornness is an inherited trait from his momma. :)
Hopefully tomorrow will be another great day of learning for Nate on this new adventure. I am so looking forward to not having to buy diapers!! To all the parents out there who are getting ready to take on this challenge, just remember that it takes time, patience, consistency, and some bleach!
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