Adventures in Potty Training

It amazes me how different 2 children from the same family can be. When you are pregnant with your second child you hear it over and over again how different they will be. You just cannot fathom just how different until you actually experience it though.

For both of our children we have bought potty chairs at 18 months...I guess it's a right of passage at this age in our household ;). Although how it was received by each child was very different.

Joshua - screamed and refused to sit on it, like it was some kind of device of torture and we had it out for him bad. This just shocked us as Josh was always just a laid back kid, active, but he always just kind of took things as they came and his world never became too upset. We aren't ones to push the issue, he'd use it when he was ready. But when he was almost 3, staying dry through the night, and still acting a fool when we suggested potty time we decided enough was enough. I was sick of diapers, sick of the cost of diapers, sick of changing stinky diapers, just wanted to be done with them for a while. So, the day came when I told him no more, Mommy was not going to buy him any more diapers. He was a "big boy" now and he had to use the potty. For the first 3 days I was sure I had lost my mind, what had I gotten myself into? Joshua was determined that he "needed a diaper" I mean, he actually verbally told me that...he would run up to me and tell me "Mommy I need a diaper!" and my response "No, you don't, if you can tell me you need a diaper than you don't really need one, you can use the potty" many times I wondered if I shouldn't just forget it until he was willing to change. But after 3 days, he resigned himself to the fact that Mommy & Daddy were serious, man they were not giving in and that was that, he was trained. I think he's had maybe 3 accidents since that day...so all in all he ended up being really easy.

Grace - now she's just a whole different person entirely. She's wired differently, she isn't laid back like Josh was/is. She's a wild woman ;) But she's taken to potty training like a fish to water. When we brought the new potty home she was more than willing to sit on it...and she did, she'd sit for 10-20 mins, she'd stand up and say "all done" but there was nothing. And whatever I mean she was only 1 1/2 yrs old. Eventually the facination wore off and she really wasn't using it, so in the closet it went for a few months until we pulled it back out to see if her facination would be renewed. Sure enough she was excited to sit on it again, and when she actually pee'd in the potty, she was on top of the world! She would all of a sudden exclaim "POTTY!" and sure enough what a good girl. Since then she has taken it upon herself to potty train, we keep the door open so she has easy access and she will just disappear and do her thing. She is without a diaper during the day and wears one to bed but usually wakes up dry. We usually have an accident a day but most of the time it's a matter of trying to get to the potty but just not making it in time. I really couldn't be more proud.

So in their own unique ways each one has really been pretty easy in the potty training department, I mean I've seen people struggle for months trying to train their kids. My first took 3 days and my second is training herself...man I've been blessed ;) And while I'm sad to see my babies growing up, I am so glad I probably will never have to deal with potty training again....YIPPEEEEE