Potty Training Update!

It's been about a month and a half since I told you all that I was starting the potty training process. I decided I should give an update since I've had a ton of people asking me about Isaac and if he's potty trained or not. I have to start off by saying, I really don't have secrets! I would be glad to tell you what I've been doing but if anything I have a kid who was pretty interested to begin with. (He did want to give up 1/2 way through, but he was doing too good to make me let that happen!) 

He loves his little singing potty, the music was a great starting reward. We also made a sticker chart which he thought was great - for a few weeks! We've moved on to gummy bears, small chocolates, and bigger treats for poopies in the potty. Now we are to the point where we don't really do rewards unless he remembers. He always shouts, "I'm still dry!" I say, "hooray" and give him a high five & that seems to be sufficient. He's now to the point where he takes the time to go potty but likes to get back to what he was doing. He also has learned wherever we go has a bathroom and he can "hold tight" (thats how he puts it) when he sits on a big potty. (He also loves washing his hands!) I know with a step stool he can climb on a big potty... I'm hoping to get rid of the little one when he's more comfortable. 

I would say we are 75% of the way there. He wears underwear all day for the most part... I haven't tried church in real underwear yet. But he has been staying dry as long as I come get him in nursery. He also has learned he can hold it in the car. I always think he won't make it like when we were 1/2 way to the zoo, but he made it! We went to Mona yesterday which is like an hour drive for us... he was dry going too and from! ya!!! I figure that's good progress! On big trips I still have him in a pull up but I'm getting more daring. We've taken him to friends houses and he's gone potty at their houses and wore his big boy underwear! At night time, I think this will take a bit longer... but I'm not worried. Already he is 50/50 on waking up dry and some of the time he wakes himself up to go potty. Its kinda sad to see such a little person stumbling into the bathroom and sleeping on the potty. But he's learning! 

Okay, so here are some things I've done that may help you. There is a book my sister told me about that has some great ideas. Potty Training Made Easy Fast & Simple. By: Johanne Cesar. She's trained over 300 kids and has some good ideas, from pre-potty training to ending. She really recommends starting by 2 if you can... I always thought it was too young, but actually Isaac has shown me some kids really can do it! I really feel like if your kid has any interest to introduce it. I think Isaac was never scared of the potty because he never left me alone in the bathroom! Not fun for me, but he's fearless when it comes to the potty now. We've always made it a happy thing, saying goodbye etc...  I've tried to make it fun from charts, stickers, treats, books, and picking out underwear.  

He has tried my patience and we have cleaned up a lot of accidents but if you can endure it for now, its really paying off. Clorox wipes have been my best friend! I've made him clean out his own underwear in the sink when he's had an accident... I think he got tired of it cause shortly after he would tell me when he had to go. I started with pull ups cause I'm not as brave to start just with underwear! (I tried it for a day and he could careless his legs were wet) So I stopped that and we just through away a pull up every time they were wet...(may I suggest a Costco box!) then went to the underwear and washing them out. He caught on with the pull-ups after he realized the "cars" disappeared and now he can't stand to be wet, not even a drop! he walks like a man who's been on a horse for 10 hours! Sometimes at night he uses the potty card to get out of bed, "No pee in my bed mom" So with that, he gets out of going to sleep as long as he's sitting on the potty. What a smarty pants. 

In the beginning my life was running to and from the bathroom, setting timers every 10-20 minutes and sounding like a broken record... "Isaac where do we go potty?" "In the toilet" he would answer. But now he can hold it from 1-3 hours, he recognizes when to go, stops what he's doing... even if he's outside (cause he doesn't like peeing on the rocks. He had an accident once and he was so sad he peeped on the rocks. we heard about it all night!) And sad but true, he knows how to pause his show and run in and tell me he needs to go potty... then un-pauses it and continues on. Summer was suppose to be a great time cause he's in shorts or no pants at all (too bad its been so cold) but there is a lot of less layers to undress him! Thats been nice. Also I have loved his walmart brand crocks cause they are plastic and easy to wash! 

Good Luck with any of you who are ready to venture into this world... my brother in law asked me and Brett once, "How do you feel that your life revolves around talking about going to the bathroom?" Its true! But its getting better! I would just recommend as you start out have the time and no big changes. I don't have a second car right now, so I was home and it was good for Isaac cause it was the same thing everyday until he learned to hold it longer. Hope any of this gibberish helps! Good Luck!