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Potty Training a 3-Year-Old Boy

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Potty Training.

Perhaps the biggest personal achievement mankind can make.  No seriously–think about it:  you can win the Nobel Peace Prize but if you’re still wearing diapers…if someone ELSE is still changing you…

Today we climbed that mountain. I’ve been afraid of this challenge for over a year now, ever since hearing the horror stories from my friends who have had difficult-to-train children.

I decided to try last July, when he seemed to be showing lots of signs of readiness.  He would tell me when he had pooped and seemed uncomfortable with it.  My baby was just a few months old and still slept a lot during the day so he wouldn’t be a distraction.

I started out by putting the Cars potty seat in the living room, surrounded by towels of course.  I gave him lots to drink and let him watch a movie naked while he sat on the potty.  It worked great for awhile.  I even moved the potty into the bathroom and he went #2 all by himself.  But every time I put underwear on him he would have an accident.  About six accidents later, I just decided he really wasn’t ready after all.  He was only 2 and about 3 months, and they say that boys usually train older.

So I waited and waited. I was getting very antsy about it, so tired of changing two sets of diapers every day, with my oldest being embarrassingly large for the changing table and his #2’s beginning to utterly disgust me.   And last week I actually threw up in the middle of changing his poopy diaper.  Yes.  I dry heaved through most of it and then just couldn’t take it, running to the bathroom and leaving my poor child with his poopy diaper.  Thankfully my husband took care of the rest.

I was prepared this time.

I bought the “Potty Power” DVD, along with stickers for a potty chart and the coveted Thomas Train for doing 3 poops in the potty.  I talked to Will about ‘no more diapers’ and ‘going poop and tinkle on the potty’ for several weeks to prepare him.  I told him he was a big boy now, too big for diapers.  I asked him if he was scared and told him he didn’t need to be scared.  I even showed him that I could do it without being scared.  I kept telling over and over we would start ‘next week.’

And today was the big day. It started out well enough, me giving him lots of drinks, him watching the Potty Power movie.  Then we had the grand ‘ditch-the-diaper’ ceremony and presented him with his underwear.  I took him to the potty every half hour to see if anything would happen.  But nothing did.  Until he had an accident a couple hours later.  But it’s good to have an accident, so he knows what it feels like.  I told him it was fine, we just cleaned it up.  I told him that sometimes accidents happen and it’s okay, that no one expects him to be perfect at first.

We tried nude for awhile and he actually went #2 on the potty all by himself!  I made a big deal of it, lots of praise, three stickers, a cookie, and a phone call to Grandma.  Then I put underwear on him again (he kept asking for it) and he had another accident.  But this time his accident was in the bathroom.  I think he was trying to make it to the potty.  Change underwear.  Another small accident.  Very small…I think he was trying to hold it in.  He was eating lunch and whining that the ‘tinkle kept getting out!’  So I took him to the potty and he went tinkle.

He woke up dry after his nap in a pull-up.  Good signs! And the rest of the day went wonderfully.  No more accidents.  He was naked for awhile and did great and then I put on underwear and he just started going by himself when he needed.  I even fell asleep on the couch for a few minutes and he ran out exclaiming, “I DID IT!!”

This is a very detailed account of my son’s potty training, I know. But I really can not express how proud of him I am.  He picked it up so quickly and was so happy with his accomplishments.  I think this was a very positive experience and really built his confidence.  I can only hope that tomorrow goes as well.  I know that there will be bad days and more accidents, but having today be such a positive experience has really bolstered all of us up.

The biggest lesson I have learned from today is the power of positive reinforcement, love, and praise. I took every opportunity I could to tell Will how proud of him I was, how it was okay to have accidents, how it was easy wasn’t it, what a big boy he was.  And I feel closer to my son for helping him through and getting so many chances to praise him.  So many times we get busy with life and forget to give our child proper praise and attention throughout the day.  Who would have thought that Potty Training would make me love my son more? 🙂

 

13 Comments

  1. Wow I just let out a big sigh of relief!
    I have been SOOO nervous to start potty training with my 3 yr old. Honestly the thought scares me. Reading this just gave me renewed hope. I will start my child with the potty training soon. Thanks for the post!!!

    1. Heidi @ Honeybear Lane says:

      I think I made this post to appear like it’s been super easy. It still takes a lot of diligence and it can be hard to not get frustrated! Good luck though, everyone has a different experience!

  2. This is such a sweet post! I can totally see how proud you would be. It IS a major accomplishment! (not just for the child learning, but also for the parent teaching/ guiding).
    I have a son who turned 2 a month ago (he’s my only child so far) and I have to confess that I had NO IDEA how to even start potty training until I read this. I’m going to basically copy everything you did with your son when mine is ready (which will probably be when he’s closer to 3, I’m sure). Thanks for sharing all the details; it’s all so helpful.

    1. Heidi @ Honeybear Lane says:

      For sure the most important thing is to wait until your child is ready! I probably could have waited a few more months but I knew he was physically ready and could do it if he decided he wanted to. I think he’s decided he wants to, the hardest part is just going from being naked to not having accidents in underwear. Good luck when the time comes.

  3. Hooray! My son has been way harder to train than his two older sisters! It really is a big accoplishment! And you really hit the nail on the head about praise and love and positive feedback. They do more to change behavior than any other method!

    1. Heidi @ Honeybear Lane says:

      Thanks Amy–it’s just exhausting to keep doing it! I’m ready for him to just know everything already so we can leave this prison of a house! 🙂

  4. congratulations!!! Such a huge accomplishment for mama and child!

    1. Heidi @ Honeybear Lane says:

      Thanks so much! It’s day 3 and no accidents so far!

  5. First off (as a mother of a newly potty trained 3 yr old)…congratulations!!! I KNOW it was SO much more work than you probably had room to write about:) Its an adenture for sure!!

    I had to laugh out loud when you talked about puking while changing the #2. I did the EXACT SAME THING right after I found out I was pregnant. I tried to toughen up and change it and ran out of the room yelling out to my husband in mid puke:) Good times, right??

    Second, there is a reason I became pregnant BEFORE my daughter was potty trained. If we had waited to try for another baby after experiencing diaper freedom…Im not sure we would have! Ha! Just the pure bliss of NOT having to change a diaper is life changing! Oh well, at least I have 5 more months until we start it ALL OVER AGAIN:)

    Thanks for this post:) Thanks for being honest about how sometimes you try and have to wait longer until they are ready. My daughter picked it up over night as soon as I backed off. Maybe these little guys know more about themselves than we do, huh?

    1. Heidi @ Honeybear Lane says:

      I’m so glad I waited! I probably could have powered through it last July but I think it would have been much more stressful. It’s Day 4 now and I think he’s officially trained. We’re going to try going to the store! Congrats to you too!

  6. Thank you so much for this post. I have two daughters, the oldest will be 3 in July and my youngest is 15 months. I am also in potty training limbo. It is frustrating me to no end. If I put my youngest on the potty, sometimes she’ll go, but my oldest is being stubborn. I’m trying to be positive, and just reading your post made me feel a little better.

    Good luck to you, and cross your fingers for me!

    1. Heidi @ Honeybear Lane says:

      Every kid is so different and can be surprisingly easy to train (like my son was) or extremely difficult. I hope for the best for you and your kids…I know it can be very trying!

  7. I have a son who will be 4 in November and trying to get him to quit pooping and peeing himself is like hitting a brick wall. Reading your post makes me relieved that it will happen. I tried the favortie candy as a treat but now he is bored of it. I finally told my husband I’m done with the pullups they are to exspensive and underwear is what he will wear. So far since he has been wearing them I can get him to go pee most of the time but poop is still a challenge. He tells us he has to go potty after he did the deed in his britches. So I’m going to try your method and see if it works.

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