And We're Potty Training....

Seeing as how the two year mark is quickly approaching (someone hold me), we've decided to start loosely introducing Tyson to potty training. The kid already tells us when he's pooped, gets out diapers and wipes for us, and actually helps to wipe himself. I'm convinced that if we don't start the training now we'll end up buying Tyson diapers for the rest of his life-he'll just eventually start changing himself. I'm pretty sure a ten year old in diapers won't be cute. Even if he can change himself.

We've had the potty in his room since he turned 1 and he's actually been pretty receptive to it. He's eager to sit on it and claps for himself when he goes in it. He's gone pee in it twenty or more times and has even managed to poop on it twice. I checked and that qualifies him as a child prodigy. That said, I'm fairly sure that up until a few weeks ago any results we achieved were mere coincidences.

In an effort to vamp up the introduction to the potty, we created a potty chart for Tyson that now sits in his room next to the potty. I divided the chart into three sections so it will hopefully grow with him as we start to focus more and more on training. The first section is for peeing, the second is for pooping and the third is for staying dry during a nap/night. If Tyson successfully completes any of the above he gets a sticker to put on his chart. We had considered giving Tyson a small candy when he went, but found that most of his "successes" were coming at night-right before bed. Giving him candy before bed seemed like we were rewarding one battle, but creating another. I like sleeping, so, luckily for us, stickers are just as cool as candy in our house.

I've also made a concentrated effort to allow Tyson into the bathroom with me when I go. It's awkward to pee with a toddler watching you, but he does clap for me when I finish.

We decided to work potty time into our routine. For now, we are only opting to focus on the potty before bed and naps. If he asks to go other times we'll certainly let him, but we're only asking him to sit on it before bed and naps. We usually read books to him while he's sitting on it while constantly reminding him to put his pee-pee/poopy in the potty.

The results thus far?

Two stickers in two weeks. I realize that this doesn't seem like much, but I'm actually more proud of those stickers than any of the twenty mere coincidences he achieved prior to now. He finally seems like he understands what he's supposed to be doing when he sits on the potty. He focuses on trying to go rather than being surprised when he actually does.

After a few months of this, we plan on having a potty weekend devoted to full time training complete with books, big boy undies, constant sitting on the potty and rewards. I'll be sure to document this weekend so I can properly embarrass the crap out of Tyson when he gets older. Let's just hope the crap that I embarrass out of him ends up in a potty instead of a diaper by that time.