Potty Talk, again. Avert your eyes if it's not your cup of tea.

I have a small boy who suddenly doesn't seem so small anymore. The baby is nearing 3-1/2, and still is in pull-ups. Yes, I know, I've been down this road before, pull-ups and toilet training in general stink. I really thought Jason would be different. He's known how to pee since about age 2, I'd always plop him down before his bath & he knew what to do. He's been standing up to pee since about age 3, after a trip to the elementary school & side-trip to the bathroom with the little toilets so low to the ground for the kindergartners. After that we had some success with him getting to the bathroom on his own, but it was short-lived.

I think my kids are smarter than I am, or maybe, if possible, even more lazy than me. It's just easier to keep doing what you're doing and have Mom clean you up, right?

I ended up bribing Sarah at almost age 4 with Littlest Pet Shops. I bought a big multi-pack of different animals, and she earned one or two for using the potty on her own, and then one or two for pooping, and I saved the last one for when she was dry all day. Worked like a charm & she's been diaper-free since. 

Since Jason showed no interest in doing this on his own (Evie did, so I guess that's just what I was expecting with the others...) I took him to the Target toy aisle & let him pick something out. He chose the Spider-Man Web Battlers Spinnin' Staff Spider-Man. Go figure! You squeeze his legs together and that long pole-thingy spins. (Laura I can hear you laughing...) The deal was it stayed in the package until Jason pooped on the potty.

 

Later that day, Jason insisted he had to go. I came back from my first run outdoors in ages to find him getting himself all set-up in the bathroom, determined to earn his Spider-Man. No luck.

After baths that night, I was helping Sarah get dressed for bed & discovered Jason headed downstairs to the potty, as the upstairs one was occupied. He HAD TO GO.

 

Sure enough, at 8pm that night he managed to poop out maybe an inch of poop. Sorry for the description, but it's the truth. Apparently Jason can poop on command for Spider-Man. Silly me, I thought that would be enough to get him going to the bathroom on his own, since he now knew he could do it. HA! I think this all happened on Wednesday last week. By Sunday, after fighting him to change his pull-up yet again, I'd decided that was it. This kid clearly knows what's what, and he is going to use the potty.

This morning I took him to the bathroom, he used the potty, and we got him dressed in underwear. By the end of the day, I think I'd changed his underwear 3 times, and thrown out one pair completely. I think he's winning the battle, but I am determined to win the war :)