So, I finally took the plunge, and started potty training Kenner on Monday! And just to warn you this post is all about what has happened the last three days. So, don’t read on if you really would rather not read my detailed experience. I want to have this written down because I’m sure it’ll be fun to remember some day and be helpful as I go to potty train future kids to remind me of what I did and how things went. So, this could be really long and boring for anyone else so feel free to quit reading anytime.
I’ve thought about starting this off and on for many months but the timing wasn’t quite right it seemed. When I was pregnant I wasn’t up to it. Then going through the change of getting a new sibling and moving soon after that I decided we’d wait until things had settled down in our new home and Kenner’s life got a little more back to normal. I hated to do potty training in a brand new house with new carpet but I hated to see all my hard work get thrown off if changes from his life with a move through us off. I’ve heard that big events like that can make it hard so I didn’t want to chance it and I didn’t know if Kenner and I were ready for it anyway.
Anyways, the last few weeks I started thinking it was getting to be time. He’ll be three here in a few weeks and I really can’t leave him in diapers forever. So, I started reading things online about potty training and asking friends about their experience and what they suggested. I was trying to get prepared mentally and with all the ideas I could get to tackle this dreaded task.
My friend Jill recommended the book, “Toilet Training in Less Than a Day” by Nathan Azrin. It had helped her and many in her family with their kids. The book was only like $7 so I figured I wasn’t out anything getting it. I read the book and decided I’d try the technique. I read the book through one day and then several days later as it got closer to me deciding to actually start I read through the process again and wrote out on paper the different things I’d need to do throughout the training.
You first start off training a doll and your kid does the training. Then they see what happens when they do it right and what will happen if they don’t. After training the doll you start working on your kid. You have dry pants checks every 5 minutes and Prompted toiletings every 15 minutes where you have them go into the bathroom and go through the process of getting up to the potty and sitting on the toilet until they go, or for at least 5-10 minutes. Then you can increase the time of these pant checks and prompted toiletings after they start going in and going potty by themselves without you telling them to go in.
Then there is quite the process when they have an accident. You have to quickly and firmly reprimand them. You say something like, “No, you wet your pants. Big boys don’t wet their pants, or mommy doesn’t like wet pants.” If there is a little puddle on the floor then you have them clean it up, then you start practicing. You have to have them run from one part of the house to the bathroom then they have to quickly pull down their pants sit on the toilet for a second then get back up, pull up their pants, and run to another spot and back to the toilet to start the same thing. You have to do this TEN times. Yikes! Then you go through saying 10 times “Are you dry?” Then they feel and see they aren’t dry and you tell them you don’t like wet pants etc. You have a list of people on a “friends who care list’ so you go through 10 times asking if they are dry, no they are not, then you use the different people off this list and say so and so doesn’t like you to wet your pants or so and so wants you to stay dry. Then after that they have to take off their wet underwear by themselves and get a new clean pair. Then you just continue this process until they catch on and have a few successful trips to the potty doing everything by themselves.
During the process they are getting treats and drinks (lots of drinks to encourage the need to go potty often so you can practice lots) for doing good things, staying dry, etc. And you are suppose to talk potty all day during this time as well. Talking to them about the process of going into the bathroom and what you do and how they are big like so and so from their friends that care list and staying dry like so and so and everyone is so happy they are doing these things, etc. Quite the process huh?
Well, writing it out on paper helped me get it into my head more and also gave me an easier source to glance at quickly when I needed a reminder instead of having to thumb through the book. So, I started taking notes and refreshing my mind and everything Saturday night. I’ve been kinda nervous about this whole thing because I didn’t know how Kenner would respond to it, didn’t know if I could really handle this, and if I was really ready for the life of a kid in underwear having accidents. So Saturday night I didn’t sleep so good, I think I was thinking about all the stuff in the book and what not and just kinda nervous. Sunday night I finished up all my preparations and went to bed again a little anxious for the next day to begin. I don’t think I slept so good that night either. Silly huh?
Kenner had taken awhile to fall asleep in his room Sunday night so he got to bed kinda late. So Monday morning he slept in and I wasn’t about to wake him up and start off the day with an ornery kid. So, I let him sleep until he was ready to wake up and then when he did wake up I was trying to be all cheery and get him in a good mood. I had woken up and got myself ready early that morning, read through the example story in the book of a lady training her son and had Myer up and dressed. That was another thing I was nervous about. You’re suppose to be alone with your kid so you don’t have distractions and can focus solely on him and potty training. So, I wasn’t sure if I could do that with Myer around and usually my day is spent focusing on him but what else could I do?
So, we sat down for breakfast. I noticed Kenner had a very full diaper and I mean full. I didn’t want to change him yet because I wanted to go straight from the diaper to underwear to start off. I was a little hesitant since he was quite full but decided to wait. Then for some reason he wanted to sit on my lap to eat breakfast. Then again I was hesitant because I didn’t want his big loaded diaper leaking on me. But I let him, I had to keep him happy, right? I didn’t want a kid in a bad mood to start off my training. So, I got done eating. I was hoping Kenner would eat more so he’d have something good in him since he was going to be eating treats and junk all morning from the potty training. I needed to hurry and go feed Myer so we’d be ready to start. So I told him to sit and finish eating while I went and fed Myer. I took him off my lap and to my horror, I was all wet on both legs all over, clear through to my underwear. Yes, his diaper had leaked on me. I found it kinda ironic to start my day off that way seeing as that was what my day was going to be all about. Well, I went and changed my clothes and had no choice but to put him in a clean diaper until I got Myer fed and was ready to start.
So, by now it was 10:00 and I really needed to get going on this. So I put Myer in the exersaucer hoping he’d be happy for a bit and went to get underwear on Kenner. For the first part you train a doll. I was originally just going to have him train one of his little stuffed animals but thought there is no way a pair of underwear will stay up on one of those. So, I remembered I had a box of my stuff growing up in the closet. I went and fished around in there and found my old cabbage patch doll. So, the night before I had put her in some underwear and got her ready. Kenner wasn’t too into getting some underwear on so I pulled the doll out and was like, “Look, I have a friend for us and she’s wearing underwear.” I asked him if he wanted to call her Dolly or Hailey, a name of a friend and a cousin that he likes. He went for the name Hailey and I think it created an instant bond! They’ve been friends ever since and he wanted to get underwear on like her. So, we went through the whole training the doll process, were having drinks and treats for being dry etc.
After a little bit he kinda started getting distracted. He had gone into the front room and was just laying on the floor being lazy and ignoring me. I needed to keep his mind on potty. So, I brought out my secret weapon. . . . . POP. He loves pop and I knew if I needed him to drink lots he’d sure be willing to drink that. I had waited to bring it out for such an instance because I really didn’t want to get him full on pop. So, I asked him if he wanted a special drink and told him to come look in the fridge at what I had. He came in and his eyes instantly lit up at the big bottle of pop. I asked if he was dry and he was so I told him big boys with dry pants can have pop! I had his attention back, he he!
We were in the kitchen snacking and I was talking to him about potty when all of a sudden there was a little puddle on the floor. Yikes. It shocked us both. So, I got into gear, we had to clean up and practice. So, I had him wipe it up with some cloths I had gotten out the night before for such an incident. So, after we got it wiped up we started our runs around the house. Boy, was I getting tired running around and making him go FAST. We have to practice fast. It was quite the ordeal. So, we got through with that and in some fresh underwear. Then about 10 minutes or so later he was kinda running around pretending he was “practicing” and he had run to the front door. Then all of a sudden he got “the look” on his face. So, I asked him, “Kenner are you dry?” “Ummmmm.” And I went to find a nice little puddle on the tile. Luckily it was on the tile. So, we again, wiped it up, and started our runs. I was thinking, “My goodness, we just did this, we haven’t even gone in the potty, he’s had two accidents, I’m hot from running around, and I’m way out of shape!”
So, I guess I won’t take you play by play through every accident and every time he went in the potty. But yes, I think after his 2nd accident he finally did go in the potty a bit later for the very first time after I took him in there and made him sit. It was great! But then we kept having accidents, luckily mostly in the kitchen or places easy to clean up, amid going in the potty. I attempted to put him down for a nap but he didn’t stay which was fine I guess because I was nervous about him wetting, or pooping his pants in there. And he started to hate practicing as did I. The 3rd practice run he was boobing and crying and trying to make me feel sorry for him and hug me. But we ran and we ran. I think I got bad and wasn’t making him do 10 runs at least 6 or so. But when he’d start to pee I’d go make him sit on the potty and he’d go in there. Counting on my chart I think he went in the potty 12 times that day and had about the same number of, maybe minus one, accidents. See, he really was drinking a lot and it gave us plenty of times to practice, almost too many!
So, that is how I spent my day on Monday, from 10:00 am to 8:30 p.m. I was talking potty, or trying to talk potty. After 3 or so hours talking it I got sick of it and wasn’t as consistent with always bringing it up. Constantly taking a boy to the potty or going through a process from having an accident, or asking him if he was dry, or looking at his underwear to make sure he hadn’t wet in between all this. And my carpet is draped with towels and blankets to hopefully catch any accident that may occur on my new carpet. Which in fact it did come in handy twice. He was standing at my laptop and I looked over and saw “the look” and asked if he was wet. He was, so we went and sat on the toilet and got new underwear on. I came back to check where he was standing and sure enough the sheet I had on the floor was all wet and luckily had not gotten down to the carpet, phew. And so I moved a dry one into that spot which was good because he wet there one other time and the sheet saved my carpet. So, although I hate having blankets all over I’d rather deal with that for a week or so until I think he’s got the hang of things then have stinky carpet. Though I’m sure we are bound to have something someday, I’ll keep it off as long as possible.
So, in the book's example the little boy was potty trained and going on his own in like 4 or so hours. Ya right. I was starting to worry when by the end of my day I was still having to make Kenner go in to go to avoid an accident. I called my friend Jill up that night and felt better talking to her and realizing that me having to keep reminding him and taking him in there for longer then a day is more realistic and what I'd probably be doing for awhile.
So, after Day One, I was poooped, he he, pun intended! I decided I’d put him back in a diaper, since that is what I have, for bedtime because I did not want to think or worry anymore about an accident and I want to make sure he’s waking up dry or getting so he can go on his own better to help avoid being up in the middle of the night changing wet beds. And I’m fine with that for now. I look forward to putting those back on at night and not having to worry anymore. If we can master daytime right now I’ll be happy.
Day Number 2
I was a bit worried he’d wake up and not want to get back in underwear. We had had an episode the previous day where he didn’t want to put his underwear on and he eventually brought me a diaper and wanted that on. I almost caved in and just made him go to bed but I held strong and after he saw some bubbles in the closet I was able to convince him if he got his underwear on he could go play with the bubbles outside. So, after that incident and the long day on Monday, I was worried come Tuesday he’d say, “No, way I’m not doing this.” But thankfully he got back into his underwear. So, I was a bit sick of the potty training boot camp I had run the day before so I decided today I’d be a bit more relaxed and just take him in every so often, keep giving him a little skittle for being dry, and keep asking him if he needed to go.
I think by Tuesday, only a day later, he had kinda figured out how to control his bladder. Because we had no real accident on the floor. But a couple of times I would ask him if he was dry after seeing him kinda acting funny and he’d have the tiniest little wet spot in his underwear. I could not find anywhere on the floor where he had wet. So, I think he got so he would maybe start to go and then he’d stop it. So, it’d just get his underwear kinda wet. I was pleased with that.
It did help laying off the drinks yesterday so we weren’t constantly going potty or having accidents. We had some good long stretches of not having to go potty and only a few wet spots in the underwear and he did pretty good going when I’d take him in to go. We even went out and walked around that evening and were outside for a bit, with his doll Hailey of course. She seriously goes with him everywhere and every once and awhile if she isn’t with him, he’ll be like, “Where’d Hailey go?” But we were out for a bit and came in DRY!
I guess the only mishap of yesterday which wasn’t too bad was he did poop in his underwear while he was suppose to be napping. Luckily it stayed in the underwear and I got him before anything bad could happen with it. He wasn’t too happy about that and didn’t want me to take his underwear off. So, I’m glad the accidents he has had have either been in the kitchen or an easy to wipe up spot, in his underwear, or on a sheet I’ve put on the carpet. That has at least helped me remain calm and not totally lose it I think.
I liked using the books’ method to start out my training because it gave me something to plan on doing. And it gave me plenty of ways to talk to him and teach him to get this whole concept in his head. So, instead of just going into it giving treats for good things and freaking out and getting mad when an accident occurred, I had a method and a process to go through to take care of the accident and my mind would kick into the mode of what the book told me I should do. Instead of thinking of being mad about it, I was thinking, ok we have to do this, this and this. So, for me I think that helped. It put into my mind how I was going to handle the different situations so I didn’t have time to think about losing my patience.
Day Number 3
So, here we are at Day 3. I’ve just kinda been doing it like yesterday, taking him every so often, making sure he’s staying dry. He went once this morning and then it had been awhile so I took him in and he didn’t go. So, I just kept saying, if you need to go run fast to the bathroom. Still a bit later he hadn’t gone so I made him go sit again. Nothing. So I just reminded him again to come in the bathroom if he had to go. A bit later after lunch I was feeding Myer some baby food and Kenner disappeared. I didn’t think much of it until I heard something in the bathroom. So, I rushed into the bathroom to find Kenner trying to hurry and pull down his pants. I hurried and turned on the light and helped him and got him up on the potty, quick! I couldn’t believe my eyes, he had run in there on his own. I seriously was so excited and almost wanted to cry. He sat for a second and then started going potty! I tried to contain my excitement until he was done but when he finished I made a big fanfare about it. I hugged him and was yelling hooray and how big he was. I told him that’s exactly what he needed to do. That I don’t know when he needs to go that’s why I take him every so often but he knows so if he can come in there like that and go that that’s just what he needs to do! I was ecstatic and we danced around hooting and hollering! He picked up on my enthusiasm eventually and joined in! So, I texted Wayne and told him the good news then we called Grandma Lowder! Joyous day! So, now he’s down taking his first nap since we started potty training. He’s been in there like two hours, Yikes! Don’t worry I keep peeking to make sure he’s still asleep and not standing somewhere in a quiet corner pooping. He is in his underwear and I’ll be interested to see if he wakes up dry. I’ll keep you posted!
So, if he continues to do like he did today and go in when he needs to go I’ll be the happiest mother in the whole world. I’m rather pleased with how well he has done considering it’s only been three days. I do however dread going anywhere. That is why I started on a Monday so I could have the whole week to work on it before we had to go anywhere, like church on Sunday. So, hopefully by then we’ll be in a good system and I’ll soon be able to go out and not dread any accidents. We shall see.
So, wow, what the story huh? Are you still here reading this? I’m amazed. This was more for me and to help me remember this event more then anything. So thanks for sticking around. Sorry, no pics to go along. I guess I do have some of him driving in his little car last night with is doll Hailey. Maybe I’ll post those sometime. I’ve got to make that doll disappear; it’s getting a bit ridiculous. Last night he wanted her to shower with him. They are buds I tell ya. I wonder if I had given her any other name that he didn’t associate with a friend if they’d be so close.
So, there it is my 3 day experience with potty training. So far, not too bad, and hopefully it continues to get better!
UPDATE: Kenner just woke up not to long ago from at least a 2 hour nap and guess what, he was DRY! I'd been checking on him every so often so as soon as I saw him laying there with his eyes open, trying to wake up, I went in and asked if he was dry, and then whisked him off to the toilet to go potty before we had an accident. I was very pleased and he got several skittles after that I was so happy!
