Potty Trained

Just before Alex's 3rd birthday, we bought him brand new big boy underwear. I knew he was ready to be potty trained but I wasn't in a big hurry. I still kind of wish I hadn't bought into the potty training propaganda. There isn't anything better now that he is potty trained.

We could tell if he was pooping in his diaper because he would hide in a corner. I kept a detailed account of his potty training so I could remember when I do this again with Edison. I want to remember that although Alex eventually figured it out, it didn't happen in a day or two.

Day 1: First accident was not even 45 minutes into the day. "Ahh! Dripping!" He wet seven pairs of underwear that day but didn't have any poop accidents.

Day 2: After peeing in his pants, he said, "Oh no! What happened?!"

Emily: Did you wet your pants?

Alex: No, my underwear, Mommy. I don't have pants.

I decided to pull out his little potty that day. Alex peed in it and then jumped off and Edison stood in the pee. Alex pooped in it once and it was nasty. I was done with the little potty but he still liked to use it sometimes. I left it out but most of the time he would climb up on the real toilet.

He had four accidents that day but he didn't spend the whole day in underwear because we had to leave the house a few times.

Day 3: "This is hard work," he said while sitting on the toilet.

I was in my room nursing Edison and Alex ran in saying that he had peed. He was naked so I was worried. When I asked him where he peed, he said, "In the toilet. All the time."

Two accidents that day, both while wearing underwear. I let him run around naked the rest of the day and he did not have any accidents. He was going to the bathroom without me asking/reminding him.

Day 4: No accidents the whole day! Pooped in the toilet on his own four times. He figured out that he gets two pieces of candy for that.

Potty training is disgusting. I don't think my face has ever spent so much time being scrunched up.

A whole roll of toilet paper ended up in the toilet. I wanted to take away his toilet privileges for being disobedient but that would just be counteracting myself.

Day 5: He went to the bathroom three times in the hour and a half we were at the grocery store.

He had an accident at 6:30pm. He had more accidents when he was dressed. It was like he couldn't tell he was in underwear.

Day 6: He was still wearing a diaper at night. It was dry in the morning though! He wore a diaper to church and then after naptime he went back to underwear.

No accidents unless you count when he tried peeing in the center of the little toilet which was not in the base and then tipped it over and I didn't see the pee puddles until I stepped in both of them.

Day 7: One accident. Dry through his nap.

Day 8: No accidents. Dry in the morning. Dry through nap.

Day 9: No accidents. Dry in the morning. Dry through nap. Dry at friend's house.

Day 10: Peed in the parking lot after playgroup. Dry through nap. No accidents! Although he did pee in the bathtub and he thought it was hilarious.

Day 11: Accident at the grocery store. Peed in potty with underwear still on. Pooped in underwear for the first time. "My underwear is stinking, Mommy! Ah! It keeps stinking!"

Day 12: Dry in the morning. Leaked a little at the park. Threw his underwear in the toilet.

Day 13: Left his underwear on and peed while sitting on the toilet.

Day 14: No accidents.

Day 15: No accidents at the park, store, or friend's house. Edison stuck his hand in Alex's potty full of pee and then stuck his hand in his mouth.

Day 16: Accident but it was my fault. We were at the park for a long time and I forgot he was in underwear so I never asked him if he needed to go potty. He still needed asked at this point. That went away after a few more weeks.

Day 17: No accidents even while at the park!

Day 18: Accident after dinner.

Day 19: Dry in the morning and after nap. Dry at the two parks we went to for a combined 5.5 hours.

Day 20: Underwear during naptime. He kept it dry!

Day 21: Underwear at night. Soaking mess.

It has been more than three months now. He wears underwear all day. He takes off his pajamas in the morning, goes potty, and puts on his underwear. He is most successful when he only has underwear on. Sometimes if he is wearing pants he will ask, "Am I wearing underwear?" He has to go potty before his nap but he always wakes up dry. He stays dry through all of church. We still put him in a diaper at night but he occasionally wakes up with it dry. I don't care enough to try for that yet. I am really impressed with Alex. We changed what he had known for three years and told him he needed to go potty like a big boy. I think he adjusted really well and I am glad he likes being a big boy.