Training wheels coming off!

Jack turned 3 on June 25th and Ben and I were determined to have him potty trained soon after. We prepped the big occasion for several weeks by telling him that they didn't make diapers for 3-year-olds and that he would have to start using the potty. That Saturday, June 27th we went cold turkey into big boy underwear. The whole next week Jack spent at his Nana and Poppy's house to get some good one on one attention to his potty training. In the beginning things were going pretty well. We had successes and our fair share of accidents. Moments of compliance were followed by moments of utter refusal to go on the potty. We began to notice that our normally "regular" toddler would now go a day or two without a BM and this is where the trouble began. All of the books tell you to note when your child's normal BM happens and try to get them to sit on the potty at that time. But when he starts holding it in, those regular BM's become harder to predict.

At some point, Jack decided he didn't like the feeling of wet underwear and would pee regularly on the potty. However, he got quite used to pooping in his underwear. I'm not clear if it was a lack of wanting to spend the time it took to sit still long enough to go poop at school. More and more it became a daily occurrence to have him come home in different pants and underwear than what he went to school in. Not being with him all day pretty much rendered *us* useless in helping the cause except to offer lectures about how big boys don't poop in their underwear on our way to school and on our way home in the afternoons. Our frustration had pretty much reached an all time high and I think the poor preschool teachers that had to clean up the mess were even starting to show signs of wear and tear.

School is now out for a week on summer break. Friday was Jack's last day in the 2-year-old preschool room and Monday, Aug. 10th he will be going back to his new teacher, Miss Denise, officially in the 3-year-old class. I descended on the mission to get him full trained by the time he went back this past Saturday morning. Jack was obviously tired and cranky that morning and he was resistent to going even pee on the potty, but kept whining to me about wanting to watch a movie. To which, my response was "you can watch a movie as soon as you go poop on the potty." My patience was almost pushed to the limit and we were getting nowhere. Whenever that happens, I find that it is best to take a deep breath, pick him up and just sit and hold him until he calms down. I assured him that it was okay and all he needed to do to watch a movie was go poop on the potty.

Finally, I successfully got him preoccupied with a TAG book on the potty for several minutes. Then, from the other room I heard him say, "Mommy, I did it!" I went in there to find he had indeed pooped and in the big potty, no less! I cheered and praised him and immediately rewarded him with five mini M&Ms and he finally got to pick a movie to watch.

Sunday came and I nervously thought there was no way I'd get him to do it again. But low and behold he had asked for movies and I repeated my mantra now, "Sure you can, as soon as you go poop on the potty." He was playing with a toy and he grabbed the back of his underwear and all of sudden looked at me and said, "Mommy, I'm going to go poop in my pants." At which, I jumped up and grabbed him and said, "Quick, let's go sit on the potty." Not a few minutes later he screamed, "Mommy, I did it!" So now we had made another big breakthrough...announcing that it is time to go poop on the potty. Today he went to Nana and Poppy's and again he successfully told them he had to go and then did poop.

For now, we will keep our hopes high that the week will continue with these successes. And that next week we can return to school with our potty training wheels off and ready to roll in the 3-year-old class!