three day potty training: a reflection

I've had a few emails asking about our three day potty training weekend and IF, our stubborn child is actually "potty trained."

Now, if you don't know me, I have very high expectations for what terms/phrases mean, especially in child rearing. For example, sleeping through the night = 12 hours. I hate when people tell me their child is sttn from 10pm-5am...lets be serious, what parent raising an infant wants to go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 5am? And really, what child should be going to bed at 10pm? ... or maybe I'm just bitter because 10-5 is a good night for my second born?

"Potty Training" to us Waelty's meant no longer using diapers. I've seen parents "potty training" for a year, going back and forth between diapers and underwear. I didn't/don't have the time or energy to be going back and forth. Plus, talk about mixed signals... (I'm sounding judge-y, and we mothers are supposed to be each others cheerleader, right? But really, I have no energy to do anything half-ass right now or to actually BE judge-y).

SO...YES, it totally, 100% worked! I believe Charlie is potty trained. Woohoo! To be honest, I was scared this day would never come. But it did!...after three incredibly hard days (I actually get a little anxiety thinking about having to repeat the process with Mack).

#1 is great. He tells us when he has to go pee or he just runs to the toilet. He also loves to pee outside, so we have a designated pee spot on the side of the house that is sheltered, you know, so we don't offend the neighbors.

#2 is still a bit of a struggle. He doesn't know when his body is telling him it is time to actually go...so we do go back and forth to the toilet several times before it comes out. He does make it in the toilet! But it is a pretty stressful process (for him and me) to get it out. Who knew learning to relax on the toilet was a thing?

He has had a few (3) #1 accidents, but only in the morning (between 6-7am) after being in bed for 12 hours. And, we are having a few power struggles at night...he is telling us he has to pee to get out of bed, but isn't actually going to bathroom. See, we have been incredibly blessed with a child who doesn't get out of bed unless we come into the room to get him and we really don't want that to change, so even if he has to pee, we would like for him to ask permission...which he does, excessively...

So yes, friends,we've beat the odds. Charlie Waelty is potty trained.

PT: D3

Charlie slept 12 hours last night, no accidents! I'm so pumped and excited for him (and us)! When I went to get him this morning, we went straight to the potty. He is really proud of himself and that has kept him motivated...but I think we are all getting some cabin fever. I didn't sleep a wink, between Michigan winning (!) worrying about hearing Charlie if he needed to go to the bathroom and feeding Mack, I was up a lot of night. But my energy and enthusiasm was restored this morning after such a successful night.

His morning was great, no accidents, telling us every time he had to pee. #2 is still a battle but he did make it in toilet! Woohoo.

This afternoon was perfect. He told us every single time he had to go.
I'm hesitant to say I have a kid that is potty trained. But I think I have a kid that is potty trained...daytime, naps and nighttime potty trained. This weekend was the worst (Nick just told me he's excited for work tomorrow) but for all the effort/fatigue/stress that went into it, it was totally worth it.

I honestly didn't believe this day would come. Charlie is a champ. I'm so proud of him.

PT: D2

Charlie slept great last night and didn't have another accident until 6:30 this morning.
He actually went 10 hours without peeing. I didn't think he could actually do it, but he did. Stud.

But today he woke up in a horrible mood. A total brat..complained the whole way through breakfast about how he didn't want oatmeal, he wanted a"snack". Snack=processed horribleness/food you can buy at wal-mart. Don't worry, I didn't budge, he kinda/sorta ate his oatmeal and we began day #2...

Potty dance ensued soon after his second glass of cranberry juice (3 parts water/1 part cj), he snuck around the table and peed out a freakin' waterfall before I got my hands on him...he also screamed the entire way into the bathroom. Like I said, total brat.

BUT, he proceeded to kill it the rest of morning, going pee several more times, telling me when he had to go. He did have a poop accident (on Nick's watch) but hopefully he can get that worked out soon enough.

He napped like a champ, going to the bathroom right after waking up. He was accident free the whole afternoon. He might...just might, be getting the hang of things...

AND how about those Michigan Wolverines?

PT: D1

I tried to potty train Charlie in January. My mil gently/obnoxiously urged me over the holiday's. It got to me. I tried for about four hours before I threw a diaper on him and waved my white flag from the comforts of the couch. Wow. Who cares if he was ready...I clearly, was not. I didn't have the energy or the time to be potty training a toddler who fought me tooth and nail. So instead, I put a date on the calendar in the way far future. You know, when Mack was sleeping through the night (he's not) and I would be pleasant and perky like my old self (I'm not. Have I ever been?)...

Fast forward four months later and the date is here. I am a lot more prepared this time around. We decided to follow the intensive 3-Day Potty Training method outlined in a e-book by Lora Jensen. Of course, my sister used it on her kids and they were both potty training pros by the third day, hopefully that will be the case for us. I don't doubt that Charlie is a very capable child, he's just stubborn as all get out.

It's a pretty simple concept.
Throw away all the diapers, put him in underwear and stalk him all day to catch him the act.
While, simple...the actual "doing" is very exhausting. I had to force myself to turn off all technology and have Nick take Mack out on some errands...I didn't want any distractions...I know if I mess this attempt up, it will be a long time before Charlie will let us try again. Whose is charge, right? The kid has a steel trap for a memory and he'd fight it all the way to the pot(ty) and back.

Yesterday being day one, he did great. He peed five times before noon and we made it to the potty every time. Of course, it was me watching like a hawk and noticing when he did the potty dance, but we made it and he was thrilled with his praise and "prizes."

Nap time came and he wet/#two'd the bed within a few minutes of being down. It was fine. We changed the sheets, put him back down and he proceed to have a 2+ hour nap accident free. 

The afternoon was okay...he was tired and frustrated. You could tell he was annoyed with me tailing him. He only went to the bathroom once all afternoon, and wasn't that interested in the "game" anymore. I could not get him to pee before bed, so we put him down for bedtime (@7pm) and I was expecting another accident right away. Our plan, was to go in at 8pm and take him again, "to try." He yelled for us at 7:58 having wet the bed. I was so bummed I missed it! Oh well, I guess we'll just wait and see how the night does.

Regardless, of all his successes today. I don't think he knows he has to pee until it is already coming out and that is my biggest concern. Hopefully, he'll catch on a little more tomorrow...hopefully, all of this will be worth it.