Jase has been showing signs of readiness for potty training for what seems like forever. He's been going pee in his potty chair and on the big toilet for months now, but we've never really had a very strict routine. He's been telling me after he poops and then asking to have his diaper changed for a few weeks now. When Kyra text me last week saying Jase told her he needed to poop on the potty when one of the other kids was going and then he actually went...I knew it was time. Then on Thursday, we were playing hide and seek when he bent down and said, "I'm pooping, mom" I REALLY knew it was time. So I requested Monday off and we took the plunge...(FYI the 3 day method recommends you take 30 days off from any potty training routine you're currently practicing before starting, but I'm too impatient for that)
Day 1 - Saturday
7am: Awake & dry - pees in the toilet. Threw away his last diaper & put on his first pair of big boy underwear...too cute for words.
7:50am: standing in the kitchen says, "Mom, I need to go poop" while pooping in his underwear
10:15am: starts to pee on the floor while playing - I catch him & get him to the toilet where he finishes and earns 2 Mike & Ikes.
And yes, there's a lot of exploring of his new found "freedom" if you can't tell by the above picture.
My dad stops by. Jase was VERY proud to show off his big boy underwear asking Grandpa if he wanted some. My dad innocently says, "I wish I had spider man underwear!" Jase gets him a pair from his room and when my dad said he's too big for them Jase tells him, "My mom will help you put on." Kids really do say the darnedest things!
10:45am: says he needs to poop - pees in the toilet
12:10pm: potty accident on the floor - I don't catch it
12:15 - 3:10pm: Nap - wakes up dry & tells me he has to poop - pees in the toilet
4:50pm: tells me he has to poop twice, but nothing either time he sits. A few minutes later he runs to the bathroom saying "I need go poop!" and does both!! Earns a sucker :)
Sometime between 7:30 & 8, pees in the toilet before bed
3 accidents total - I feel like we're off to a good start
Day 2 - Sunday
3:35am - hear him whimpering in bed...he's soaked. Put him on the toilet while I changed his sheets. Goes back to sleep until 7am with no other accidents. I blame myself for this. The method clearly states to keep them in underwear and a shirt only for the entire 3 days...I put him in his regular pajamas. Lesson learned.
9:30am: tells me he has to poop. has a tiny dribble in his underwear, but pees in the toilet. Realize he waited 2.5 hours to pee after getting up. Become envious of his bladder control.
11:55am: potty accident on the floor...I don't catch it
12pm - 2pm: Nap - put him on the toilet immediately after waking up, pees
4pm: accident...I don't catch it UGH
5pm: tells me he has to poop, pees in the toilet. Give him a sucker for extra praise since it feels like a hard day
6:40pm: tells me he has to poop, pees in the toilet
Bedtime = 7:15/7:30ish
3 accidents total - I feel frustrated
Day 3 - Monday
2am: wakes up whining so I take him to the bathroom. Pees in the toilet. I quietly celebrate not having to change his sheets.
6:30am: hears Kiel in the shower & gets up
7:30am: tells me he has to poop, pees in the toilet
10am: we're playing hide and seek in his room. He crouches down behind his motorcycle, toots and
with a horrified look yells "I HAVE TO POOP!" Poops in his underwear while I'm carrying him to the bathroom, but pees in the toilet. A small success is still success - Give him 2 M&Is
Decide to break the rules and try pants since he'll be going back to daycare tomorrow and don't want him to go into shock. Bravely take a drive to get eggs so we can make cookies and pick up lunch, he stays dry.
12:10pm: potty & down for a nap. As I put him down I start to say, "If you need to go potty, come and get me" but he interrupts saying, "I wake you up" Feel like its starting to sink in.
3pm: wakes up
4pm: no accident, but I put him on the toilet anyways, he pees.
Never asks to go to the bathroom for the rest of the night, but goes before bath time and bedtime (7:15ish). Slept all night with no accidents.
1 accident total - I feel hopeful, but scared to admit it out loud
6:15am: wakes up & pees on the toilet
7:45am: tells me he has to poop & actually makes it to the toilet HALLELUJAH! Give him a sucker
8:45am: poops in his underwear while I'm in the bathroom $#@! Feel like I should have known when he didn't go as much as usual an hour ago.
Note: Jase knows when he has to poop and has a few tell signs. He gets very antsy, switching from one toy to the next like he's trying to occupy his mind, but can't focus. Goes from room to room seeing if I follow him, asking to play hide and seek. He's ready, we just need to continue to police this.
11:45am: pees in the toilet before I take him to Kyras so I can go to work for a half day.
Kyra reports no accidents and says he was in a great mood and seemed excited about his underwear.
During our pre-bedtime potty sesh, Jase sees Kiel getting out of the shower and announces, "you have giant wiener." We laugh hysterically. I'm crying and Kiel is embarrassed because Jase just keeps repeating himself over and over and over...and over. Putting this in the blog will probably not be appreciated, but no way am I taking a chance on forgetting that gem.
1 accident total. A good day.
It's now been a week since we started the 3-day method and we've had a handful of accidents since I stopped documenting his progress. I'm really happy we took this route, but I'm also fully aware that we still have quite a bit of work to do. I've read the manual word for word a few times and no where in there does she flat out promise, "After 3 days your child will NEVER have an accident again!" but I do feel like that is what she's implying or at least giving you the illusion that it's possible for sure. I will totally recommend the 3 Day Method to any of my mom friends that ask and will most likely use it on any future children assuming potty training in general doesn't make me take Kiel up on the offer to just adopt one that's house broken next time :)
This life hurdle is a tough transition and something I've been dreading. Just like everything else, I think we're all learning our way together and hopefully with a lot of positive reinforcement, patience and Mike & Ikes, Jase will get a better handle on his body's signs and I'll have a little less laundry sooner rather than later. For now, I will continue to ask him if his underwear are dry over and over and over, repeatedly remind him to let me know when he needs to use the bathroom and worry about his progress at daycare where he's got better things to do than sit on the toilet. And just because I think he's adorable in his new underwear here's a video. Yes, he's standing on the kitchen counter. Yes, we sing songs about mac-n-cheese. And yes, Jase thinks we're excellent parents.
Please think dry thoughts for us!
-Nicole
