Big Boy

Disclaimer: This is a potty training post. If you don't want to read about a toddler peeing and pooping, please skip this post. (Don't worry, there's no pictures!) ;)

So I finally decided that I've had enough of buying size 6 diapers. We have been trying to potty train Hunter for over a year now (He first went pee pee in the potty while we were in Arizona, and today is actually the one year anniversary of us arriving in Virginia Beach.) But for whatever reason, he has REFUSED to poop in the potty. He would start to cry and everything, and I didn't want to traumatize him about going poop and scar him for life of something.

We have tried everything. We tried dumping the poop into the big potty from the diaper; I've tried just putting him in underpants. He'd just poop in them. We've tried buying MULTIPLE rewards for when he did poop. He has over 10 Matchbox cars and trucks hanging in his bedroom as rewards for pooping. We've offered ice cream, pop, chocolate, slurpees...about anything you can think of. But nothing was worth it, apparently.

But I'd had enough. He's almost three and a half and a very smart boy, and I decided it was time.

So Tuesday morning, I took his diaper off of him, brought the little potty into the living room (so it was convenient) and told him that if he needs to go pee or poop, he goes in the potty.

He was so ready for this that he did not have ONE accident, and everytime he pee'd it was because he decided he had to go, not because I asked if he needed to. I wasn't even in the room half the time. He would just come to me and tell me he pee'd in the potty.

Typically, he is a morning pooper, but he didn't want to go in the potty all day. Finally that night (while I was at choir practice) he asked Greg for a diaper and pants because he needed to go poop. Greg told him no and to go in the potty, so he said 'ok,' walked over there, and pooped! I think he was just sick of holding it, but I'm thankful he didn't just make a mess somewhere instead. Anyway, right after he did it, he walked over to Greg and said, "I get truck now."

Here is a picture of what he got!

He got a Kit Kat, a new Grave Digger monster truck, a Volvo, and a Camaro! (Man, if only I was showered with prizes like that for pooping in the potty...)

When I came home I showered him with kisses and we did the "poo poo dance" which he LOVED!

Then yesterday, he did the same thing with holding it. But he finally went last night (while I was grocery shopping) on his own. Greg said he was sitting on the potty and said "I get new car now," because he'd pooped again. Here is his new GTO (and you'd better believe that's what he calls it)...

So, that's where we are. No pee (or poop) accidents. He doesn't necessarily like doing it, but he does it anyway. And hopefully he'll decide that just going and getting a prize is way better than holding it...

I just bought the huge $30 box of diapers from Target for him about a week ago (go figure) but hopefully we have enough to last us through nighttimes until he's fully trained and I won't have to buy any more size 6's!