It's a Potty Around Here

Talmage's time has come. Potty-training time! Let's get down and boogie.

Saturday, Sept 27: Special trip with Talmage to Kohl's. He picked out Lightning McQueen and Friends underwear. I bless the name of Pixar.
Sunday, Sept 28: Remind Talmage that tomorrow is the big day to start wearing underwear and using the toilet. He gets candy for staying dry and clean. He seems game.
Monday, Sept 29: Details below.

I pumped him full of juice in the morning. He got as much as he wanted. The goal was to get him to urinate a lot so he could practice a lot. And boy, did Talmage have ample opportunity to practice! (Notation: I=input; O=output).

Day One:
8:39-9:22 am
On toilet, putting stickers on back of toilet seat. Morale: HIGH
I=8 oz juice; O=zero

9:23 am.
Playing with cars
O=in pants, onto carpet.

9:30 am.
I=8 oz juice

9:55 am.
O=in pants, onto carpet
Jo comes over and saves Sydney, who is being neglected

10:25 am.
I=8 oz juice
Playing outside. O=goes #1 and #2 in pants.
He understands when he urinates he gets wet. He doesn't like it. He walks wide-legged to the bathroom.

11 am.
On toilet for 26 min. Watching movie. Urinates in toilet for the first time!!!! He is rewarded with fistfuls of candy. He loves the potty party: juice, stickers, movies, candy, mom's undivided attention.

11:45 am.
O=in pants

12:15 pm.
I decide to cut down on the juice.
I=zero, O=in pants

12:40 pm
I=zero, O=in pants (again).
Morale: LOW (I ask my help-line, "Is this normal?" Answer: "Yes.")

12:42 pm.
Sitting on toilet.
O=zero.

12:53 pm.
O=in pants (grrr! He was just on the toilet. Argh!)

1:23 pm.
Sitting on toilet (12 minutes).
O=in toilet!!!!! Tremendous praise and more candy. Beaming Talmage. OK. This is worth it!

1:45 pm.
Naptime (1 hour, 15 min). We both need a break.
T wears a pull-up.

3:15 pm.
O=in pants. But ... a breakthrough. I was outside mowing the lawn. I had told him to come get me if he had to urinate. He came outside and told me he had to go and then peed on the sidewalk. Which meant he had recognized the sensation and was able to hold it long enough to come outside. I felt bad for not helping him be more successful. But I see that he's getting it. Good Job!

4:19 pm.
O=urinates in toilet!!! Talmage beams ear to ear. Me, too.

4:35 pm.
O=in pants.

4:40 pm.
Went for a walk.
O=in pants, on sidewalk.

5:40 pm. Sitting on toilet. O=zero
6:32 pm. Sitting on toilet (25 min) O=zero. I guess he was all emptied out.

Wore pull-up to bed.

DAY TWO:
Yesterday's cumulative efforts started to pay off. Sat on toilet first thing in the morning and urinated right away. Only one "accident" today- and it happened at the playground... so that's cool.

DAY THREE:
7: 30 a.m. Without being asked, Talmage pipes up, "Mommy, I need to go potty!"
O=In toilet. LOTS OF PRAISE.

I'll stop the detail here. Generally speaking, I think he's getting it. I ask him frequently "Are you dry and clean?" and take the initiative to put him on the toilet (you see he prefers the big toilet, sitting backwards. So he needs a boost). But he's off to a good start. There's no going back. We're committed to Lightning McQueen. I'm really pleased with him and his willingness to give toilet training a go. Have another Reese's Pieces, Talmage.