I think I wrote a mini-novel!

Sunday, March 04, 2012

The Decision:

As Asher and Nolan’s SECOND BIRTHDAY neared, I found that they were becoming more and more interested in the potty.  So, my husband left for a two day business trip and in that moment that I dropped him off at the airport, I decided…This is it! This is the time to do it.  I will have two full days to commit to potty training without having to worry about housework, showers, extensive cooking, getting dressed etc.  I was committed. My main reason for doing this before their second birthday was because I didn’t want to be ‘caught up in potty training’ during the summer when we would want to be doing all of the fun stuff.  I was going into this with the attitude that if it works it works, if it doesn’t it doesn’t but I was going to give it a real effort.  I was actually excited about it, but anticipated that I would be exhausted mentally and physically. (And that would be proven true!)

My approach was decided.  I am an all or nothing kind of girl and I figure the same principle apply to potty training.  So we had purchased our special snacks to reward dryness, new underpants and gerber training pants.  I would put them in their underwear when they work up, take them to the potty on regular intervals (and when they wet their pants).  That sounds easy enough, right?

Monday, March 05, 2012

Potty Training – Day 1

I woke up ready to tackle the task at hand and commit myself entirely!  I had all of my kitchen timers, my paper and pens to write everything down to try to find some rhyme or reason in their internal patterns, special snacks, Clorox wipes, towels…oh…AND TARPS ON THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR!!!!

The morning was PURE CHAOS!  My 10:30 we had peed through all of the training pants and underwear….so we took a trip to Wal-Mart to re-stock.

Back home and back at it. 

Day one results…

Asher peed in the potty 7 times and in his pants 15

Nolan peed in the potty 3 times and in his pants 10

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Potty Training – Day 2

“Okay, we can do this! Yesterday went completely as expected, let’s see what day two holds”

Not quite as chaotic.  My day pretty much consisted of setting a million timers for when to use the potty and how long to stay on the potty and watching a whole lot of Elmo Potty Time on Youtube (while on the potty).  (FYI this is the MOST TV my children have EVER watched in one day – I don’t really let them watch tv, but this helped with getting them to sit on the potty for longer periods of time)

Oddly enough, Asher, Nolan and I are enjoying this time together! Life is busy, but this situation allows me to be completely committed to them without any guilt and we’re all loving this extra attention!

Day 2 Results….

Asher peed in the potty 6 times and in his pants 9 times

Nolan peed in the potty 7 times and in his pants 2 times (A far cry different than yesterday!)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Potty Training – Day 3

I’m starting to wear down…When I say that my entire being has been dedicated to potty training over the past two full days that doesn’t even begin to explain the effort….

Day 3 Results….

Asher peed in the potty 4 times and in his pants 4 times

Nolan peed in the potty 3 times and in his pants 3 times

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Potty Training – Day 4

The tarps have been removed….

My mom asked me a question today that really irritated me (at first), “Why are you doing this?  Why are you pushing for this? They are too young.”  Slightly annoyed I gave her all of my reasoning and we had a discussion about it and that was that…..

Day 4 Results…

Asher peed in the potty 6 times and in his pants 4 times

Nolan peed in the potty 5 times and in his pants 2 times

**I would like to note that many of the times they peed in the potty were times that they told me that they had to pee and not just because of my kitchen timer, because don’t we all pee at the sound of the bell???**

I called my amazingly supportive friend Allison, who tends to share the same views as I do about just about everything involving child rearing to safety, cleanliness, discipline, nutrition etc etc etc.  She encouraged me (as usual!!) and I was determined to keep going.

But, That night when I went to bed the question was eating away at me, “Why?”

Friday, March 08, 2012

Potty Training – Day 5

I woke up crying!  I thought to myself…I just took what little baby that they had left and literally flushed it down the toilet.  I vowed to myself that I would never rush their growing up and look what I’m doing. 

Today was a busy day.

Day 5 Results

Asher peed in the potty 5 times and in his pants 2 times (when we had company)

Nolan peed in the potty 3 times and in his pants 6 times (three of which when we had company )

Feeling very torn and confused.  The conversation I had with my mom was till ringing loudly in my head and I didn’t feel as though I was all in or all out.  I went through the day a bit scattered about what direction I was heading. 

Again, I called my amazing friend Allison and she encouraged me.  She’s great like that.  And she gets me, she really gets me so she’s a great resource!

After a few more tears after the boys finally went to bed, I talked with my mom again admitting that what she had said to me really got me thinking.  As the conversation continued she helped me come to the following ideas…

This is such a special time and I really don’t want to spend it sitting on the toilet feeling isolated from everything and depriving my boys of fun adventures that little twenty- one and a half little boys should be having.  I don’t want to become overwhelmed and frustrated and take the great attitude they have about potty training and ruin it!  I want to fully enjoy this special tender age that will already be gone before I know it.  Here’s the biggest one….they just weaned last month and now I’m going to make the pee in the potty!  (What am I doing?!?!)

I was still battling though…..We are already 5 full days into this…how can I quit on them now!  I am so proud of them, they have made such huge huge strides!!!  Amazing progress…for boys (gasp) and under two (gasp!)
 

But this is what got me….It goes back to a conversation with Allison that I will remember forever!  I was speaking with her when my boys were younger about how they wouldn’t sleep through the night and everybody was telling me that they should be sleeping through the night and I was trying to ‘train’ them (to a certain extent – we are NOT talking a full on cry it out method) And she said to me something like this, “Does it bother you to get up with them and nurse them?”

I said,  “No.”

She replied with such ease, “Then keep doing it! I have a feeling you are going to miss those nights when they are no longer waking up.”

What simple logic!  I loved it!  So that’s what I did.  I got up every night and nursed my babies until they were 11 months old and THEY slept through the night on their own.

I think the same logic is applicable here.  Does it bother me to change diapers?  No, not particularly.  It actually bothers me more to think that I am missing out on precious time with my boys and precious family time because we’re sitting on the potty. 

So, here is my decision after 5 full days of potty training boot camp!  We’re not quitting we are just changing our approach.  We will go for a more casual or relaxed approach to potty training.  We will continue to talk about the potty and award dryness.  We will continue to use the potty if the need is indicated in some way.  We will wear cloth training pants (Can’t wait to get the Flip Training Pants Set) And we will enjoy our special time together! 

Yes, I am choosing what I think is best for our family and we’re not quitting…We’re just changing our approach!