I should have written this post before Christmas, but, you know, life was happening. Christmas Eve a year ago LO surprised DH and me (at the ripe old age of 38 months!) by deciding to sit on the potty. I seriously think the kid thought if he sat there long enough he'd see Santa. Well, if you are a faithful reader, you know that story already, so no need to rehash it. The bottom-line (pun intended) is that he was ready in own time, and once he finally decided to do it, there was no looking back. DH and I were excited by that progress, and looked for something similar from NB. We expect that NB will be a little younger having his brother's excellent example to follow and a more adventurous personality.
Imagine our surprise, however, on the evening of December 14th when I walked into LO's bedroom and smelled something stinky. LO was in the bath, and NB was ready to get in with him. I turned to see poop smeared on the side of LO's potty that stays in his room. I was utterly confused until I walked into the bathroom and saw a similar smear on NB's bum. The little guy, without a word or ceremony, had just tried to help himself to brother's potty. Really we were shocked (and grateful that the carpet didn't need attention!), but didn't think much more of it.
The next day I heard a large crash in the hall bathroom fallowed by NB crying. He's a tough little kid, so crying usually means he's either mad or really hurt. It appeared that he had been trying to get on the big potty and the lid had fallen. I asked if he wanted to sit on it and he replied in the affirmative. He looked like such a big boy perched up on the seat, and low and behold if he didn't put another poop right where it belongs! We were amazed and completely unprepared, but he clearly was interested in using the potty. We dusted off the potty books and he got so excited. He began to ask to go potty with regularity, expected a book while he went, then begged so sadly for "undies!" crying and clinging to me as I placed a diaper on him. See, as much as his heart was interested, his body hadn't quite caught up. He still seemed to pee small frequent voids. That was a sign his bladder had not increased in volume and he likely urinated whenever his bladder overflowed rather than when he released it. Still, his cries for undies just broke my heart. Our potty book clearly shows that when the boy goes on the potty, everyone cheer,s and then he gets undies. LO even expected undies to granted to NB such that he went to his own drawer and brought some to share. Oh it was so, so sweet, and so not happening. Poor kid.
In the meantime, I was sick with a flu-like illness, and LO had special Christmas activities every day that week. He had a concert Monday night, gymnastics showcase Tuesday, school play and lunch Wednesday. I was running on fumes and trying to cough up my toenails, and there was no way we could stay home and give NB a chance to try to learn about potty stuff. I couldn't ask Nanny K to work with him when I didn't think he was ready and I hadn't even let him try with me. So we kept up with the diapers for a few days, but Nanny K suggested pull-ups might be a good middle ground. She rushed out to Target to get some for us (and got interviewed by the local news about how she teaches the boys-whom I'm sure they thought were hers-about money). While he continued to wet his diapers and pull-ups, he also continued to ask to go potty for poops. In the last three weeks I think we've only changed a few poopy diapers, and this kid is a couple times a day pooper! DH and I are over the moon about the whole thing. We still cloth diaper NB, so not having to deal with poop is a huge deal.
I had this past week off, so I decided to give NB a chance to try learning about peeing in the potty. I know full well that children in my generation were commonly potty trained before two. I also know full well that boys mature later than girls, and I feel pretty comfortable with the signs of readiness...this is part of what I do for a living after all. Before we went through this with LO, I thought I would do what's commonly called "naked boot camp" for potty training. I think it is very effective and fast. Then LO came along and he just didn't have the kind of personality that fit the naked training plan. I aborted that idea for him, and took the "he'll do it when he's ready" approach. It worked beautifully in our opinion. NB is a totally different kid though, so I thought we'd give the naked thing a try. Maybe he'd surprise me. If he didn't, well then I'd given him a chance and we'd try again as he matured.
So, we spent a lot of the past week home and with naked NB for a few hours in the mornings. (I have realized over the years that potty training doesn't have to be and all-or-nothing experience...it's ok to practice for a few hours each day, then give it a rest and put the diaper back on if one of us needs a break). We've had some pee-pee success, but not enough to graduate to real undies. NB now, I think, says "pee-pee" when he's going in his diaper, but I'm not sure he knows in enough time to make a difference. He's also clearly un-phased by the idea of peeing around the house...the garbage truck, the floor, right beside the potty, and (his favorite) in the time-out corner. He thinks the pull-ups are "undies" which we are working to remedy (I don't want him thinking he can pee in undies), but he readily puts them on. He also is a little more accepting of the diaper if he's had some naked time and wants to put some pants on or go in the car. I have no idea when his body will mature enough to let him be more successful. On average boys are 36 months before they are successfully trained. We are thrilled, though, that he is excited about it, and is at least putting the stinky stuff where it should go. We hope it won't take him until next Christmas to earn his undies, but in the Land of Nages, it sure seems that's the season for such things!
Quick; hide the car keys!!!
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