Potty Training Boot Camp

(I realize that this post might be a little too much information for the average reader, but I know there are some who would like to know so I'm posting it.)

If there is one thing I have not looked forward to it would have to be potty training.  Regardless if I have thought Cruz was ready or not, I have not been.   I knew that it was going to take a big commitment on my part, and completely change our whole routines for a while and I was just not ready for that.  Maybe it was that I thought getting him potty trained was another sign of just how fast he was growing up and that made me a little sad too.  Whatever the reason, I have put it off... until last week.

Last Monday I began what I called Potty Training Boot Camp for Cruz.  I got him up that morning and did my best to explain to him what was about to take place.  I showed him his new big boy underwear and told him how he was going to start wearing them from now own.  I talked to him about using the potty, and how he needed to start doing it.   yada yada yada.  I then walked him to the toilet and sat him down.  He urinated right away!  Oh boy, I thought to myself "I'VE GOT THIS!".  Yeah, right.  haha  I got him down, put his underwear on, and sent him on his way.  I have a kitchen timer that rings pretty loudly.  I sat it for thirty minutes.  When the bell rang I took him back to the toilet, and sat him down again.  We repeated this every thirty minute process for the next three days.  It was hard!  I didn't realize how much me having to stop also every time the bell rang to take him to the bathroom was going to drive me crazy.  He never used the bathroom in the toilet again that first day.  Most every time he would go within five minutes of me getting him down off the toilet.  I ran out of patience, fast.  I cleaned up a lot of messes.  He cried some, and I cried some.  I had to remind myself often that it was just the first day.  I put a diaper on him at nap time and bedtime.  Day 1 I felt very defeated.

The second day started the same way.  There were times I would have to fight him to sit on the toilet, but he would do it.  He would not always use the bathroom, but he would sit there.   That day he had about half accidents and half of the time he went on the toilet.  By the end of day 2 I was starting to see some light.

By the third day he was getting into the routine.  I was more aware of the times he normally used the bathroom and could watch him for signs.  I extended the timer to more around an hour in between times instead of every thirty minutes to sit him on the toilet.  He only had one wet accident that day and he pooped in the potty.  We made such a big deal about it that it made him want to do it again.  He was happy, we were happy, and we could see so much improvement. 

I had stopped using the timer by Thursday, and he only had one wet accident all day.  He has not had an accident since.  He tells us each time he needs to go, and uses the potty well.  His diaper has stayed dry during nap times also.  On Saturday night he woke us up to tell us he needed to use the bathroom.  He did, and then went straight back to sleep.  I think he is getting it!

On Saturday night we made a trip in to town (45 minutes each way) to eat pizza.  He used the potty at the restaurant.  We even let him wear underwear to the village on Sunday morning.  Now let me just say that teaching him to use the potty and teaching him to "go in woods" is two totally different things.  That was a little foreign to him, but after four times of telling us he needed to potty and then not doing it, he did.  I think that will get easier too with time.

I would have never dreamed that he would take to it so easily.   I have read people say that they trained their kids in a few days but I did not think it was possible.  Now I know that with a little game plan, a LOT of patience and determination, it is possible.  We still need to work on the night time training.  I still expect accidents and set backs, but for now I am enjoying the fact that he is, for the most part, potty trained.