Another Potty Update

Oh, the potty training advice. I have heard everything from "Give them M&Ms!" to "OMG YOU CAN'T GIVE A KID SUGAR!" to "sweatpants with no underwear, seriously" to "completely bottomless." A quick list of FB comments really drives home the fact that there are as many potty training methods as there are kids, and people really just need to find the method that works for their family and their lifestyle.

I, for one, am so very glad that we waited until the Big One was three; I think his age made all the difference in the world in terms of his success. He got what we needed him to do, and although he had a couple rough afternoons, he generally rejoiced in his potty success. He was super excited to switch to his dinosaur big boy pants, and that alone motivated him to try to keep everything clean and dry.

We now have accident-free naps**, and we're starting to get the hang of #2; previously, all of his accidents were solid in nature, but over the last week he figured out on his own that something had to be done about this. He hasn't made it to the potty for a completely accident-free movement, but after going just the smallest bit in his pants he realizes what's going on, and rushes to his Cars potty insert, grabbing a book on the way. Sure, I'd love for him to get it completely, but he's well on his way, and the rabbit-sized bits are certainly better than a full diaper!

An interesting observation: the Big One can't tell when his pullup is wet. We are using pullups at night because he has never had a dry night, and I plan on tackling nighttime training when he's physically ready for it. Every single morning he wakes up and exclaims with glee, "Mommy! I'm dry!" ... and he's nowhere near dry. Now, he very obviously knows the difference between wet and dry, because when the odd accident happens he waddles and sniffs with embarrassment, "I'm wet/dirty. I need a shower? Please?" The difference in his response is, well, night and day, and confirms my personal choice to jump straight to underwear for training.

*Sigh* I really don't miss changing all of those diapers.


** Oh man, do I ever count my lucky stars that my three-year-old still takes 1-3 hour naps!