Potty Break Through!

Ian has been great with potty training. We've been following my strategy and it seems to be working. After mastering being out in public and staying dry, Ian stopped pooping in the potty and started pooping in his pants. He went to the hourly daycare center for 3 hours and pooped in his pants twice! Then, they finally put a Pull-Up on him (I don't use Pull-Ups) and when he got home, he pooped in the Pull-Up and said,"It's ok this is a diaper (the reason I don't use Pull-Ups)."

It was really hard not to react or bribe or threaten. It was frustrating because he pooped on the potty before he peed. As we went to the bathroom to clean up he would laugh and say,"I'm not supposed to poop in my underwear, I 'm supposed to poop on the potty."

All I said was,"You will just keep practicing and you will get it."

When he asks about going to school, I say,"You have to be able to go on the potty before you go to school. We'll keep practicing and you will get it."

That way it is his choice with no pressure. I don't hang it over his head. He needs to have control over his body. I can't ask him if he wants to go or just take him to the potty because he will refuse. I deal with getting him to go by incorporating potty time into our routines: first thing you do when you get up, last thing you do before bed, last thing you do before you leave the house, first thing you do when you get to your destination. He likes knowing what he is supposed to do and if I give a reason for the potty time and go myself, he doesn't feel controlled or pressured. The rest of the time, I try to wait for him to say he has to go unless I see a pee pee dance happening. It is hard not to keep asking, but I really try to restrain myself and if he says he doesn't have to go, I don't force him to out of the routine times.

So, I am surviving potty training quite well. Almost makes me want to explore Elimination Communication. I've always said that it isn't for me and I still don't think I'd want to do it full time, but it might work well for Eva because she seems to be bothered by being wet or dirty. Ian never cared. My friend, Caroline, is pregnant with her first and planning on doing it.