Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Potty Training Day #1

Well, we started the day by saying "bye bye, diapers!" He has been very happy to "hep you, Mommy" lately, so he packed away all his medium cloth diapers (minus nap and bedtime diapers)...and happily bid adieu to them.
Potty Training Day #1
Then he used his big, strong muscles to help me get rid of his change table. We moved it next door for baby Abby to use and eventually for his baby sister/brother to use. I didn't explain all that to him, he wouldn't have cared anyway. He doesn't seem to get emotionally attached to objects much.
Potty Training Day #1
Then, the fun began. Braden rarely gets juice. If I'm grabbing lunch on the go from McD's he'll get an apple juice or chocolate milk. I also have a new tradition that he gets an apple juice box after swimming to keep him entertained while I change. Other than that, I never have juice in our house for him, he loves his water or milk just fine. SO, I knew he would be thrilled to be drinking apple juice all day.
Potty Training Day #1
He probably gulped down 2 half glasses instantly then I stopped him before things got out of control!
Potty Training Day #1
Braden has been going diaper-less in the mornings for a few weeks now. It airs out his bum and he can hold his urine for 2-4 hours. He even asked me on the weekend for "new bum" just so he could have his first AM pee in his diaper! That's how I know he's ready for potty training.
Potty Training Day #1
One of his rewards is getting to play with his new train table! I assembled the table last night, but thought it would be fun for us to do the tracks together this AM.
Potty Training Day #1
Enter accident #1. It was about 2 hours after Jay got him up, so I figured I had a teensie bit more time...but I *should* have just taken him to the potty. Peed in his underwear on the area rug, looked so sad and said "Mommy! Need new bum!" So I whisked him away to the potty, took his wet undies off on the potty and said "it's okay, Braden! Pee goes in the potty! Next time!" He took his wet undies to the hamper, picked out new ones, and came to help me clean up his accident and threw away the paper towels in the trash.

Accident #2. Maybe I should have made him sit on the potty longer when he had his accident...but very shortly after he had his new undies on he had a tiny spot on his undies, just enough to wet the front. I explained to him that they were "wet" and needed to stay dry. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Success #1! At 11:30 on that fine Tuesday morning, my boy peed on the potty! We are using our big toilet, with a toddler seat built into the toilet lid, if that makes any sense at all. I used the iPad and Caillou on Netflix to get him to stay - otherwise he won't. I'll deal with "weaning" him from the iPad a bit later. I hooted and hollered, he happily said "bye bye, pee!" as he flushed the toilet, he was so happy to wash his hands, receive 2 Smarties as instant rewards, and THEN he got to go get a brand new train to play with on his train table. He picked James.
Potty Training Day #1
Potty Training Day #1
Potty Training Day #1

He was really thrilled to use his train table, as I've taken away ALL his trains and he also has time to play on the train table as a reward after he pees.
Potty Training Day #1
Potty Training Day #1
Accident #3. I should have known better, but it was so nice out and he really wanted to play outside, so I let him...and he had a big pee accident. I didn't keep track of my times as much as I should have, but it seemed really early to take him to the potty! I gave him another 1/2 glass of apple juice, and made us a gourmet lunch of Zoodles and right after lunch....
Potty Training Day #1
Potty Training Day #1
Success #2! Pretty much the same as success #1. He sure doesn't pee RIGHT AWAY when he sits down, I'd say maybe 5-10 minutes?? Normal? No? But it was a big pee and this time he got to play with Kevin the crane!
Potty Training Day #1
Potty Training Day #1
Since we were right on the heels of nap time, I let him go nude. He enjoyed playing with the train table a bit more, then suddenly ran to the potty saying "new bum!" Before I could even get up, get came back with his James underwear, so I just assumed he didn't want to be naked and needed his "new bum" on....which formerly was his term for new diaper.

He farted. Boys fart. Braden farts all the time. Whatever.

1 minute later....he had a BIG, wet, fart.... poop.

Poop Accident #1. Was totally not anticipating this today. He is a every 3-4 day pooper and he just pooped 2 days ago. The poor guy was SO devastated! He did NOT like having his underwear full of poop. Took him to the potty, dumped his poop in the potty and told him that's where his poop goes, although he does know this from multiple times of me cleaning his cloth diapers. P.S. Thank GOODNESS for diaper sprayers to clean messy underwear!

Nap time. Put on his usual nap diaper and told him it was his "sleepy bum" only for when he goes to sleep. He slept 1.5 hours and woke up screaming. Poor guy was SOAKED from head to toe. Oops, mommy fail. Too much juice. My boy pees like a race horse (whatever does that mean anyway!?) when he has "crap" sugary drinks...which is one of the reasons why I did want to use apple juice!

Success #3! I did put him on the potty once, about an hour after he got up...I figured he probably didn't have that much urine left after the big flood at nap time, and he didn't do anything. Took him awhile later (time is a blur) and he did it! He didn't seem to actually know he was peeing, or he certainly didn't care anyway, but he LOVED getting a brand new Alfie as a reward.
Potty Training Day #1
Potty Training Day #1
It was by far his favorite prize of the day. He actually switched from watching Caillou to watching old episodes of Thomas with the construction characters in it.
Potty Training Day #1
Then by my mommy fail and too much apple juice...he had 2 "poop smear" accidents...really embellished wet farts, if you will stand my disgustingness in talking all that is poop and potty. APPLE JUICE IS A LAXATIVE FOR YOUR TODDLER, SARAH! SMARTEN UP!!! I just clued into that after the 2nd smear. What have I done to my poor kid. I felt so bad, I felt like I failed him! Those little accidents didn't really seem to bother him, but he DID tell me that he was wet so we did the change, clean, new underwear routine and he was really getting it.
Potty Training Day #1
Then he had no.more.accidents all afternoon! Mind you, he did only pee that once. I swear we were off and on the potty for an hour, and delayed bedtime by 45 minutes to try and get that last pee out, with no success.
IMG_1555
Potty Training Day #1

Overall...pretty happy with day #1! I'm not reeeeeeally following a method. Just pointers that I've learned from Laura and my friend Katie. Laura did "less than a day" and Katie did "3 day". Going to review both and pick the points that I like. The thing I don't like about "less than a day" is that Braden has to undress and take himself to the potty. I totally see the benefit and reward...but Braden can't undress himself. He just can't. Not yet.

I feel like I am doing something wrong? I am so proud of him and I know he'll "get it"...I just feel like I should be/could be doing something better for him? I guess children have been potty trained since the beginning of time and I should just stop stressing so much! Also, today I did 4 loads of laundry (not all folded), cleaned my kitchen, vacuumed & washed my floors, and made dinner for everyone...and rotated my sprinklers 3 times. I did a LOT of that stuff during his nap and right after he did have a success...but I need to dedicate myself 100% to him tomorrow and I don't have to worry because my house is CLEAN and I don't have to cook supper!

Well, here's to you...day #2!
Sarah

12 comments:

  1. Each kid is so different. Lukey would pee the second his bum hit the toilet seat every time. I could take him every 10 minutes & he would go. But I know a lot of kids have to sit for a while & that's totally normal. I'm sure once he gets used to peeing in the toilet it'll come a lot faster. And that's good that he didn't like poop in his underwear! With th dressing thing I did the loose underwear & he would take them off but no way he could dress himself after. But really that part is insignificant for now. Good job mommy & Braden!

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    1. That would be an awesome way to kick off potty training, but I'm glad it can be normal for kids to have to sit awhile, as Katie also said of one of her boys! Thanks, "Lala"!

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  2. Day 1 sounded like a success to me! My kid is starting to show signs but is so distracted it makes it hard. We are hitting the potty training hard this summer. NO MORE DIAPERS in our house. You did great and so did he.

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    1. Yeah I'm just really happy that he actually did it...but I just guess I didn't know if I was doing him wrong. I feel so much better after day #2!

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  3. I'd say that your first day went very well.. there will always be accidents in the beginning! i'm looking forward to following your progress, as we are just starting to get into the whole potty training state of mind. Good luck and keep us posted!! Go Braden!!

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    1. I like that you say "state of mind." That is putting it very well!!

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    2. Oh it's definitely stressful, for all involved! The hard thing is not letting your child(ren) see you're stressed! It did go well, and day #2 was even better!

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  4. Yay Braden & Yay Sarah!! Sounds like a good first day! I think my boys would be super jealous of Braden's rewards. They get a jelly bean... and 3 for poop! Speaking of poop, it might not be all that bad if he gets juice & poops a little more often for PT. Livi had the pee thing mastered but has really struggled with poop as she too is on a every 2-3 day cycle. She has had constipation issues then holding it longer because of PT. So if he goes more often & gets more exposure to poop on the pot, it might be a good thing?? As long as he doesn't get too thin of poops I guess.

    Distracted days are hard days. If we are in the house all day we maybe have 2 accidents a day between the 2 boys. Usually H, Logan rarely has one inside. If we get outside.... all bets are off. Even 3 weeks out for us its hard to remember when you are really playing.

    At the beginning Logan used to sit for quite a while before peeing... like he really had to think about if his control abilities. Now he's not that way on the pot at home, but sometimes on a big public potty.

    My question is how many accidents in a day are you allowed to still be termed PT? Vs... still working on it?

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    1. Thanks for reading, Katie! On day #2 I explain a bit more about the trains! Hehe, he actually didn't seem to care sooooo much today, like you mentioned before - he's not really making the reward connection as it's not immediate like the M&M's are. I think you're trained when you say you are! I don't know! We are going on an 8 hour car drive on June 10 for holidays...so that and traveling should be a really interesting vacation!

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  5. Oh and once Liv got the PT thing all down, about a month later she went through a phase of having to do everything by herself. It took FOREVER for her to do it, but she mastered undressing & dressing herself. My boys are working on taking their own panties off. So that too will come...

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  6. Hehe the pictures of him on the little green potty are so cute. Definitely good to show the girlfriends in a few years ;) Hope day 2 was good!

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    1. Thanks, Kristi! Day #2 is up!

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