The Joys of Potty Training

Yes, I know I'm probably crazy for trying to potty train Ben while taking care of three infants, but it has to happen sometime.  Four children in diapers is not easy on the pocket book.  Ben is now two and a half years old and ready.  Had it not been for everything that has gone on in our house the last eight months he might have been potty trained well before now.  Potty training takes a lot of time and energy, something I haven't had a lot of lately.  We have had the little potties out in our house for months.  Ben has used them from time to time when he gets the urge to go, but nothing consistent.  We have tried several times to wear underwear for the day or just go bare bottom to help him potty train.  The trouble is he usually loses interest after several hours or begs to have his diaper put back on him.  At school, they put him on the potty and he is happy to sit, but he hasn't actually used it.  So I had to figure out a way to get him interested and keep him interested.

Ben and I went to the store to get some bribes.  We bought Toy Story underwear and lots of snacks and juice to give him for using the potty and staying dry and clean.  Last Tuesday, when Ben woke up we began.  He got up took his diaper off, went potty, and put on his new Buzz Lightyear underwear.  All day I rewarded him not only for going to the potty, but randomly for staying clean and dry.  He only had one accident the entire day.  That night he was upset that he had to wear a diaper to bed, so we compromised and put the underwear over the diaper.  The next morning, he got up and wanted to go potty and put his underwear back on.  He also insisted on wearing underwear to school.  I didn't want to dampen his spirit so he went to school with it on. It didn't end well.  He came home with a bag of dirty clothes.  He was so disappointed.  Luckily his teachers were very good sports about it.  Now, he wears pull ups while he is at school, but I don't think he can tell the difference between them and a diaper.  When he is at home he wears underwear.  He is doing great.  He knows when he has to go and sometimes he goes potty without telling me he has to go.  He has had very few accidents.  Today, just a week later he was able to keep the same pair of underwear on all morning before nap time.  Not one single accident!  I put a diaper on him to take a nap. However, I just found his diaper in the bathroom floor.  He decided he had to go potty, took his diaper off, went potty, and got back in bed with no diaper.  I will have to wait to see if he makes it the entire nap time dry or if I will be cleaning up a mess when he wakes up.  I am so proud of him and the progress he has made in a week!

Update:  He woke up dry and brought underwear out so I could help him put it on. :)