The Swayne Diaries: Potty Training Bootcamp

Father's Day weekend we decided to get serious about potty training. So we packed up the pull ups and diapers (except at nap and bedtime), and picked out some cool "big boy" underwear. We got out the sticker chart and prizes and were set to go. Friday he went to the bathroom about every 30 min, since he wasn't used to having to hold it at all. He went through all 6 pairs of his underwear due to accidents, and by the end of the day I was EXHAUSTED. Saturday he went to the bathroom about every hour. He still went through all his underwear due to accidents. Sunday went about the same as Saturday, but he had fewer accidents! Monday he had even fewer accidents, Tuesday he only had one, and Wednesday on he hasn't had any!

Poop had it's own crazy story. Saturday and Sunday the poop went in his underwear, so Monday I was determined to get him to poop in the potty. On and off all day I read books to him on the potty for as long as I could keep him on the toilet. At one point Corina needed a bottle, so in an effort to keep Lukas on the toilet I put my computer on the floor in front of him with a movie on. That worked for about a minute, and then he was off and gone. After Corina had eaten her bottle and fallen asleep (I was still holding her), Lukas came running up to me holding his bottom and said, "Mommy, I have to POOP!" I told him to potty while jumping up to put Corina down. As I pass Lukas just standing in the bathroom naked I tell him to get on the toilet, and he says, "I CAN'T!" (about as sad as he could...I think he was trying so hard to hold it in that he couldn't move anymore). At that point I run to C's room to unceremoniously dump her in her bed (somehow she stays asleep), run back into the bathroom to put L on the toilet, run back into C's room to put on her blanket and close her door, and go back in to read books with L. As I sit down beside him on the edge of the bathtub I almost burst out laughing because I've never been (and will only be once again...with C) this excited about poop ever! Needless to say, he did his business and hasn't had issues with it since. He actually really performs it since it usually ends in "tada! my poop!"

Since I'm getting this post finished almost 2 weeks after we did our bootcamp, I'm happy to report that Lukas is doing fantastically well! He tells us when he needs to go, and holds it until we get there. And this was tested greatly on the road trip we took. We even put him in a pull up, just to save ourselves the trouble of a bunch of wet clothes in case we couldn't get somewhere safe to stop in time. But he always held it!! He's even been keeping his pull up dry at naptime, so he's about to start wearing underwear to bed at naptime. His bedtime diaper is even getting drier, so we're even making progress at night! He is amazing!

Showing off the new "big boy" underwear!