Potty Training started for Brayden a little over a year ago when he was two. He peed in the potty a few times and I was getting pretty excited. I had him sitting on the potty every 1/2 hour to an hour all day trying to get him to go. In my frustration I called my Mom (sorry Mama-- this one is about YOU!) and she told me I was only potty training myself and if Brayden wasn't ready than he wasn't going to do it. I gave up. He had peed probably 6 times at the point that I quit. Fast-forward to three year old Brayden. I had been hearing from everyone that boys train later and they usually train around three.
When Brayden turned three I decided it was TIME! Changing diapers didn't really bother me. I had two children in diapers so I became quite accustomed to it. I didn't enjoy it by any means, but it was like brushing my teeth, just an instinct or habit. Bryan was very adamant about Brayden getting Potty Trained ASAP. After talking to both my sister-in-law Bre (Who had a potty training weekend with my 2 1/2 year old nephew.... NOT FAIR!) and my sister-in-law Sunny (who was still having difficulty with my 3 1/2 year old nephew) I decided Brayden and I were somewhere in between. I was not a diligent potty trainer. I thought one day Brayden would come to me and say he had to go potty and that was that. It was actually KIND OF true.
I searched on-line like a crazy woman. I heard about sticker rewards, bribery, psychological problems, and mental problems. The whole thing was very overwhelming. I knew Brayden was smart and I knew he COULD do it, but I couldn't understand why he wouldn't. He would either cry when we sat him on the potty or yell "The monsters coming and he's going to GET MEEEEEE!"
Finally, On March 8th 2011 :) Bryan was home one day and we were trying underwear (AGAIN). Brayden had an accident (Not so much and accident, but a refusal to go to the bathroom) and Bryan spanked him for it. I was pissed!!!!!! I had done a lot of research and rule number one is not to punish during potty training. Bryan sat Brayden on the potty and told him he had to go potty or he couldn't get up. BRAYDEN PEED!!!!! It was a happy moment, but kind of ruined because of Bryan's punishment (I was STILL MAD!) I told Bryan that he only peed because he was terrified! :(
It worked though. After that point, Brayden raced in the bathroom to pee and never had a pee accident again. He was a champ!! He had so many stickers we couldn't keep up. He still wouldn't poop though. This made things particularly sticky around our house because Brayden was wearing underwear all the time. I would have to dump the poop out and spray the underwear out (I wouldn't recommend it!)
I was so frustrated I decided to go and buy some pull-ups so he could still have underwear, but I wouldn't have to clean out his underwear twice a day. He immediately reverted back to treating the pull up like a diaper for both pee and poop! The Pull-ups had to go! I was not going to lose this victory!! I treated Brayden with Peeps (Actually Pink Bunny Peeps) when he would pee in the potty. I told him he could have two for a poop and it did NO good! He was content to get just one pink bunny. I took him to the store and we were looking at Peeps and they had Purple Bunnies!
I bought the bunnies and told Brayden he could only have purple when he pooped. A few days went by of him peeing and asking, "I get a purple bunny now?" "No, you only get purple for POOPS!" Finally, on April 4th 2011 :) Brayden pooped in the potty! It was glorious he asked for his bunny and it was delivered. I think he was a little disappointed after he got the bunny because it tasted just like the pink one. Back to square one, accident after accident in the number two department!
Brayden has loved bikes since he was a baby! The first time we took him to the park he spent most of the time trying to touch a child's bike and he was six months old!!! The lightbulb went off.
"Brayden when you can poop in the potty REGULARLY we will get you a bike!"
"I CAN!? I can get a BIKE!???"
"Yep, you just have to poop in the potty everyday with no accidents"
He has pooped a few more times, but we aren't out of the woods yet. He still uses a diaper at nap time and bedtime and has been pooping in the diapers, but he hasn't pooped in his underwear! It has been a long process, but I am excited that we can end it with no more diapers and Brayden can have the bike that we would have bought him anyway :)
When Brayden turned three I decided it was TIME! Changing diapers didn't really bother me. I had two children in diapers so I became quite accustomed to it. I didn't enjoy it by any means, but it was like brushing my teeth, just an instinct or habit. Bryan was very adamant about Brayden getting Potty Trained ASAP. After talking to both my sister-in-law Bre (Who had a potty training weekend with my 2 1/2 year old nephew.... NOT FAIR!) and my sister-in-law Sunny (who was still having difficulty with my 3 1/2 year old nephew) I decided Brayden and I were somewhere in between. I was not a diligent potty trainer. I thought one day Brayden would come to me and say he had to go potty and that was that. It was actually KIND OF true.
I searched on-line like a crazy woman. I heard about sticker rewards, bribery, psychological problems, and mental problems. The whole thing was very overwhelming. I knew Brayden was smart and I knew he COULD do it, but I couldn't understand why he wouldn't. He would either cry when we sat him on the potty or yell "The monsters coming and he's going to GET MEEEEEE!"
Finally, On March 8th 2011 :) Bryan was home one day and we were trying underwear (AGAIN). Brayden had an accident (Not so much and accident, but a refusal to go to the bathroom) and Bryan spanked him for it. I was pissed!!!!!! I had done a lot of research and rule number one is not to punish during potty training. Bryan sat Brayden on the potty and told him he had to go potty or he couldn't get up. BRAYDEN PEED!!!!! It was a happy moment, but kind of ruined because of Bryan's punishment (I was STILL MAD!) I told Bryan that he only peed because he was terrified! :(
It worked though. After that point, Brayden raced in the bathroom to pee and never had a pee accident again. He was a champ!! He had so many stickers we couldn't keep up. He still wouldn't poop though. This made things particularly sticky around our house because Brayden was wearing underwear all the time. I would have to dump the poop out and spray the underwear out (I wouldn't recommend it!)
I was so frustrated I decided to go and buy some pull-ups so he could still have underwear, but I wouldn't have to clean out his underwear twice a day. He immediately reverted back to treating the pull up like a diaper for both pee and poop! The Pull-ups had to go! I was not going to lose this victory!! I treated Brayden with Peeps (Actually Pink Bunny Peeps) when he would pee in the potty. I told him he could have two for a poop and it did NO good! He was content to get just one pink bunny. I took him to the store and we were looking at Peeps and they had Purple Bunnies!
I bought the bunnies and told Brayden he could only have purple when he pooped. A few days went by of him peeing and asking, "I get a purple bunny now?" "No, you only get purple for POOPS!" Finally, on April 4th 2011 :) Brayden pooped in the potty! It was glorious he asked for his bunny and it was delivered. I think he was a little disappointed after he got the bunny because it tasted just like the pink one. Back to square one, accident after accident in the number two department!
Brayden has loved bikes since he was a baby! The first time we took him to the park he spent most of the time trying to touch a child's bike and he was six months old!!! The lightbulb went off.
"Brayden when you can poop in the potty REGULARLY we will get you a bike!"
"I CAN!? I can get a BIKE!???"
"Yep, you just have to poop in the potty everyday with no accidents"
He has pooped a few more times, but we aren't out of the woods yet. He still uses a diaper at nap time and bedtime and has been pooping in the diapers, but he hasn't pooped in his underwear! It has been a long process, but I am excited that we can end it with no more diapers and Brayden can have the bike that we would have bought him anyway :)
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