Don't be alarmed by the title of this post. I have been potty trained for the last 27 years or so(except for a brief period after Andrew was born...damn 4th degree tear). No, I'm talking about potty training my son.
That's right, people. Andrew has made a huge turn in the last week and a half. He is entering the bathroom and voluntarily sitting on the potty. -gasp- He is willing to put on underwear. -gasp- He is excited about going potty.
I am almost crying right now. How grateful am I that I MAYBE won't have to change this child's diapers in high school. I MAY NOT have to home school him due to no potty skills. I AM ELATED.
Don't get me wrong. We have a long way to go. Both of us have a long way to go.
Andrew's been wearing underpants every morning. Saturday morning he went 2 1/2 hours with no accident!!! I just put him on the potty every half hour or so. Kind of like potty training your puppy...just put them outside every once in a while, praise them tremendously when they succeed, and hope they get the hint/clue where they are supposed to dispose of their excrement. Who needs parenting books?
Sunday, we're feeling quite confident. Andrew was driving Jeff and I CRAZY. "Mom. Mom. Mom. Look at this. (2 seconds pass). Dad, watch me. Dad, watch. Dad, what are you doing. Dad, watch this. Dad, this car is going to win the race. Dad. Dad. Dad. " You get the idea. As wonderful as it is to have a verbal child, it can be mentally exhausting at times. So I decide to take Andrew to the grocery with me. Sunday morning.
We jet out the door. I don't remember that Andrew has no diaper on. I don't even think about it. For the first 3 years of his life, the only time I think about his bodily waste is when I'm changing his diaper. I've taken for granted the fact that I don't have to worry about the exact timing of his peeing or pooping. Oops. As I'm bagging up some green peppers, Andrew starts crying..."I peed in my pants".
Poor humiliated thing (although I'm kind of excited that he's upset about wet pants...also a move in the right direction). His doofus of a mother didn't even think to have him sit on the potty before we left the house. Nor did she offer him a diaper.
But what makes me an even worse mother is I finished shopping. I asked Andrew if he wanted to go home or could I finish shopping. He agreed to finish shopping...as long as he could sit in the cart.
Moral of the story...potty training Andrew is going to take some Mommy training as well. His life is changing, and so is mine. Suddenly I'm watching him for any sign, any signal that peeing is immanent. I'm mentally measuring how much liquid has gone into his body in the last few hours...how that correlates with the amount of liquid coming back out during our potty visits, and then calculating the amount of time until the next potty visit should be. I'm setting timers, creating charts, doling out gumdrops like water. At the same time, I'm trying to hide my enthusiasm and plotting so that my 3 year old doesn't suddenly change his mind just to spite me.
I haven't used this much mental energy in a long time.
That's right, people. Andrew has made a huge turn in the last week and a half. He is entering the bathroom and voluntarily sitting on the potty. -gasp- He is willing to put on underwear. -gasp- He is excited about going potty.
I am almost crying right now. How grateful am I that I MAYBE won't have to change this child's diapers in high school. I MAY NOT have to home school him due to no potty skills. I AM ELATED.
Don't get me wrong. We have a long way to go. Both of us have a long way to go.
Andrew's been wearing underpants every morning. Saturday morning he went 2 1/2 hours with no accident!!! I just put him on the potty every half hour or so. Kind of like potty training your puppy...just put them outside every once in a while, praise them tremendously when they succeed, and hope they get the hint/clue where they are supposed to dispose of their excrement. Who needs parenting books?
Sunday, we're feeling quite confident. Andrew was driving Jeff and I CRAZY. "Mom. Mom. Mom. Look at this. (2 seconds pass). Dad, watch me. Dad, watch. Dad, what are you doing. Dad, watch this. Dad, this car is going to win the race. Dad. Dad. Dad. " You get the idea. As wonderful as it is to have a verbal child, it can be mentally exhausting at times. So I decide to take Andrew to the grocery with me. Sunday morning.
We jet out the door. I don't remember that Andrew has no diaper on. I don't even think about it. For the first 3 years of his life, the only time I think about his bodily waste is when I'm changing his diaper. I've taken for granted the fact that I don't have to worry about the exact timing of his peeing or pooping. Oops. As I'm bagging up some green peppers, Andrew starts crying..."I peed in my pants".
Poor humiliated thing (although I'm kind of excited that he's upset about wet pants...also a move in the right direction). His doofus of a mother didn't even think to have him sit on the potty before we left the house. Nor did she offer him a diaper.
But what makes me an even worse mother is I finished shopping. I asked Andrew if he wanted to go home or could I finish shopping. He agreed to finish shopping...as long as he could sit in the cart.
Moral of the story...potty training Andrew is going to take some Mommy training as well. His life is changing, and so is mine. Suddenly I'm watching him for any sign, any signal that peeing is immanent. I'm mentally measuring how much liquid has gone into his body in the last few hours...how that correlates with the amount of liquid coming back out during our potty visits, and then calculating the amount of time until the next potty visit should be. I'm setting timers, creating charts, doling out gumdrops like water. At the same time, I'm trying to hide my enthusiasm and plotting so that my 3 year old doesn't suddenly change his mind just to spite me.
I haven't used this much mental energy in a long time.
2 comments:
So funny ... keep up the good work!
I would totally have tried to finish shopping! :-) I wonder all the time how we are going to deal when Harper actually gives up the diapers because I am really not interested in doing pull-ups at all. She has been peeing in her potty seat since last August but if we take the diapers away she'll just wet her pants over and over again. I think Andrew has just been waiting to be ready. You're both doing great!
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