Well, we're finally really potty training. I thought I would write about it since I have not found too many personal stories about how people have potty trained their kids. Just how to do it, not how it went. So here it is. I will give another update later on.
About 3 months ago, Blue Rock was very close to being potty trained. Then we went to the States. After we found out why he was throwing-up, along with having to be on iron supplements, we decided to wait until we were back home, he was almost off iron (which causes black sticky poo), and we were not traveling anywhere before we got serious. He used to wear cloth diapers until he got sick last year and was throwing up almost daily. It got to be too much laundry so we went back to disposables. Cloth is great if you have the time and a good washing machine.
We started the 3-day potty training method on Thanksgiving (6 days ago). We had to make a few errands so we put him in a pull-up on Thursday and Friday. Friday was the last day he wore a pull-up during the day. Blue Rock used the potty out in public both days but had one accident in the pull-up. At home, he has been bare-bottomed and is doing great! When he's bare-bottomed he has had no accidents and makes it to the potty every time, even poop, which I was surprised and very happy about. Yesterday we went to the grocery store and I put underwear and pants on him - I was so tempted to put a pull-up on him, but resisted. He went potty before we left and had no accidents and I took him twice to the toilet at the store but he didn't need to go and told me he didn't need to go but I wanted him to try. After we loaded the groceries in the car I asked him again if he needed to go. He said, "no." So we drove home and when we got home I took him to the bathroom and he went. Yeah! A little while later we went to the park. He played for about 20 minutes and we came home, again no accidents. I left his pants and underwear on and he didn't make it to the potty in time. I read that they should be diaper free at home for 3 months. That seems like a LONG time!
Today I started the morning with just his pajama pants on, wanting him to get used to pants since he's doing so well at going to the potty. He went to the potty twice but then didn't make it in time. I tried putting underwear on him and he said, "no underwear. No, no, no!" So I decided to let him be bare-bottomed again. Later this afternoon I put just underwear on him even though he didn't want to wear it. While he was playing he peed in them. The rest of the day he was bare-bottom and went every time in the potty. The only time pee got on the floor was when I tripped over the potty trying to get a Kleenex to catch a drip of pee on his leg as he got off the potty. I made a huge mess! Pee went everywhere, including the couch which is such a shame since he's been doing so good, no accidents on the furniture, just from me. I think we're going to rent a carpet/upholstery cleaner. Thankfully I have some cleaner that I used and our microfiber couch doesn't seem to smell like pee. I'm just a germophobe and the thought of pee left somewhere grosses me out.
I am very proud of Blue Rock. He has done much better than I thought. Everyday he has only had 1-2 accidents since we started. My plan is to everyday let him try pants and/or underwear. I'd like him to always wear something on his bottom but he has an embarrassed look on his face when he doesn't make it to the potty wearing undies. So, for the most part, we'll probably stick to bare-bottoms while home, at least for a little while longer. He does very well with that has had 100% success rate when being bare-bottomed. I think he's officially potty training and definitely knows how to use the potty. We are no longer using day-time diapers, not even when we run errands. However, we are going to keep using them at night, at least for a while. For one, he's still in a crib, yes, we have a toddler car bed, very cool, that he slept in for a while, but after a while, he wanted to sleep back in his crib. He's happy, we're happy, and he sleeps 11.5-13 hours per night. When we travel he sleeps in a regular bed. Every morning I ask him where we go poo and pee. He says, "poopoo and peepee go in the potty." Then if I have to run downstairs to do laundry or something I ask him again and usually while I'm gone he uses his potty.
Here's our potty training set-up. We have a tall house, 3 stories (4 if you include the basement) and only 2 bathrooms. So we have a few portable potties. I keep one in the living room, which we'll probably move to the bathroom. And one upstairs on our top floor that has no bathroom. We also have a little potty in the bathroom on our middle floor and a step-up potty to the toilet. Blue Rock usually sits to pee but in public he likes to stand. Sometimes he wants to stand at home but I usually ask him to sit. I'm no longer asking him if he needs to go unless it's been a while or we're out in public or about to leave the house. He has gotten very good at just going when he needs to go. I hope this helps if you're about to start potty training your child.
