Potty Training Update

As you can probably tell from the photo, I was a little overzealous in purchasing the potty for Vince at Christmas when he was only 15 months old.

Now that he's almost three, I'm glad I didn't wait.  He got to mess with his potty for almost two whole years before I began to potty train him.  He spent those two years getting to know his potty... playing with his potty... and using his potty as a ramp, step-stool and yes, even a seat. 

Once I started to coax him into using it for its actual purpose, he wasn't really scared of it.  From all the horror stories I've heard of parents trying to prove to their toddlers that monsters don't exist in their potties, or that the seat wouldn't swallow their bottoms, etc, I'm just really, really glad that Vince had a good, happy relationship with his special seat.  No fear of the unknown for him, thank goodness!

However, trying to get him to figure out just what that "Uh oh, I gotta go!" sensation actually meant was an entirely different ballgame.  As some of you may recall from my 1st foray into Potty Training, I was less than successful.  In fact, I was pretty miserable and felt like an all-star failure.

I'd even accepted failure.  Almost.

Instead, I didn't give up.  John and I just altered our approach.  Sure, Vince still had a few accidents over the last two weeks, but ya know what?  He's only had a handful!  That first weekend of hell really made him incredibly self-aware.  Sure it took several hours of me scrubbing my carpets and floors.  Sure it took several extra loads of laundry and a couple extra trips to shower, but in the end, I can see what it was all for.

I haven't bought any diapers this month!

Vincent requests to go to the potty now - frequently. 

He's in big-boy underwear all day.  He hasn't had an accident in three days.  THREE DAYS! 

And last night?  Last night he woke up from his sleep just so he could ask to use the potty.

I think I've died and gone to Heaven.

<3

My little boy... I'm so proud of him. 

Several of my friends asked if we did a reward system to see results so fast.  We haven't.  We've just been very diligent about asking him - over and over again - if he needs to use the potty.  Every time he does use the potty, we praise him like you wouldn't believe.  In fact, I think we over-praise him.

Twice Vincent stopped playing while we were in Chick-Fil-A's playroom on Wednesday so he could run to the potty.  He only went once, but he expected a huge round of applause both times. 

:)

Ah well - I'm just so proud of the progress he's making.  So moral of the story - Don'T Give Up!

No child goes to high school in diapers.  :)

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