Potty training

I never thought I would be writing this post before the baby is born!

To catch recent readers up with the state of potty use in our house, Natalie actually used the potty a few times, over a year ago. After I shared the wonderful news with her teacher, they also started putting her on the potty at school, but she has not eliminated since February 2009.  :(  She did it for the first time much earlier than we ever expected her to, but she didn't continue and now she goes through the motions (because she likes the handwashing part of potty training?) without any actual potty use.

When Konrad came along, I thought his potty training might be the inspiration for Natalie to start up again.  But when we became pregnant again, and looked at the dates, I decided some time ago (after he was quite resistant to even sitting on the potty) that Konrad's potty training wouldn't start until after the baby arrived.

But about the past month or two, Konrad has often commented immediately after he's used his diaper.  I knew he was ready to learn, but didn't want to start the process with a new baby on the way, especially when he doesn't even want to sit on the potty.

Fast forward to two days ago...Tom commented about making a hair appointment with his barber for himself and the boys.  When Konrad hears the barber's name, he immediately thinks of the treat he gets after the haircut:  a lollipop.  Konrad calls them "yummy pops" and couldn't stop asking for a yummy pop, even thought the hair appointment was several days away.  He actually went to bed crying for a yummy pop (not something I'm going to give in to, for so many reasons!)  Let's just say he was quite fixated on it.

Then last night he must have remembered crying for a lollipop the night before, because he started asking for one again!  I knew he still couldn't understand the concept that his haircut was two days away, so I said, "Konrad, you can have a lollipop right now if you pee in the potty."  Once he realized what I said, he was eager (for the first time!) to sit on the potty.

But of course he didn't pee in the potty before bed last night.  Thankfully he didn't continue his screaming fit too long for a lollipop.

This morning, with "nothing to do and no place to go" I decided we could continue the awareness part of potty training and try to get him to understand what comes out of his body and where it needs to go.  So he sat (rolled around, got up) on the potty for 30 minutes or so, no pee.  He was also alternating between drinking water with the sink cup (which he loves to do, and get very wet!) and sitting on the potty.  After cleaning up too much water on the floor, I gave him a sippy cup with straight apple juice and he sat and drank that.

The moment I turned my back on him, he peed on the floor next to the potty.  Of course!

So I re-filled his sippy cup.  Ten minutes later, he stood up and pooped on the towel I had on the floor from cleaning up the water and the pee.  Of course, it happened when I turned my attention for 30 seconds (there are two other children in the house).

I was optimistic that he could pee again, with all the juice he had recently drunk, so I sat in the bathroom with him, determined not to avert my attention again, to keep him on the potty.  Then I noticed there was pee in the potty!  He hadn't even noticed he'd done it!  Of course, we made a big deal about it (yummy pop included!)

 Potty training is over for this morning.  I'm exhausted!  Here's what Konrad thinks:





And what does Natalie think? When I showed her Konrad's great accomplishment, she wanted to wash her hands.