Potty Training Log, Day 7

Reserved Toilet Training in Less Than A Day by Nathan Azrin from the library.

Considered taking Boy to Chicago for Booty Camp.

I guess I'll settle for reading the book.

Even though I had good 'ole dad show his son how to pee standing up and aim for the Cheerios, Charlie was mildly impressed. He had no success before nap time. Well, or after nap either. But I will consider nap time a success because he peed just before I laid him down so I left the undies on him and he woke up dry.

During his nap--and a finely tuned Internet search--I recharged my resolve and altered my strategy. Based on some of the reading I did about potty training in a day, I decided that I'd take the responsibility for going off of me and put it onto Charlie. I am not a trained expert and I'm sure I made some mistakes, but following is a re-cap of how I attempted to do so.

I had decided we'd work with the salty snacks and lots of fluids method again so we set up camp in the kitchen (which is weird, I know, but the kitchen floor is easier to clean up).

We started by Charlie carrying the potty to the kitchen when he came down from his nap. I explained that it is Charlie's job to listen to his body and to go potty when his body tells him it's time to go and explained the steps involved in doing so. He hadn't gone during his nap so he choose to sit down and try to go. He didn't produce but he willingly tried. I consider that a victory.

As part of the "this is your responsibility" theme, I had him do everything from putting on his pants to cleaning up the accidents (which, for the most part, I no longer believe are really accidents), putting the wet or dirty clothes into the laundry and helping fold the undies and put them in his basket when they were clean. Again, he was willingly involved at every step and made several attempts to hit the desired target. He also made just as many choices to go on the floor and told me in so many words that that was his preference. But this time around he did all the work. I didn't ask him if he had to go. But I again explained after each accident that it was unacceptable to go in his pants, that it was his job to go to the toilet when his body told him it was time, and gave specific instruction on exactly how to do that.

I also gave lots of rewards for listening, following directions and staying dry. If I left the room and he was dry when I returned I gave him a skittle from my pocket. If he tried to sit on the potty but didn't produce I'd give him a reward for trying and staying dry. If he dressed himself without any of my help, again another skittle. Now as long as I don't get the skittles confused with dog treats, we should be fine. (As an aside, I did not reward or praise when he was in "clean up" mode.)

At bed time I started teaching him what a big boy does before going to bed with the focus on Charlie doing for himself. He brushed his own teeth, tried to go potty (again, didn't produce because he told me "Darlie doesn't want the pee to come out."). Put on his own jamies and climbed into bed. I read him a book, sang my version of Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight (except I learned it from Sha Na Na and I sing it without the four part harmony, sorry), he said his prayers and then lights out.

I'm going to try the same strategy for the rest of the week hoping that a little consistency will push him over the edge. It is true that he needs to take responsibility for his body and I think the fact that this new focus has eliminated his resistance is a huge step. It seems this method is in fact treating him like a "big boy" and he feels like one too (instead of just Mommy saying it is so).

Here's hoping Day 8 is a better one.