Potty Training Boot Camp...The Results

Potty Training Boot Camp is finished and was successful! It was an intense 3 days that have ended with Ben wearing only big boy underwear all the time (even nap and bedtime). He now knows to keep his underwear dry (still working on #2). Are we 100% potty trained? No, but we are on our way!

I was complaining about spending the first 3 days of the New Year stuck inside dealing with toddler bodily functions, but in reality, I was blessed to spend the first 3 days of 2010 with my boy. He is so sweet and so funny. We really had a lot of fun together and got in a lot of great snuggle time!

While we were shut-in, he perfected his manipulating skills. When he does something naughty, he immediately runs to me and says "I sorry, mommy!" in the hopes of avoiding a time-out. It is so cute and usually works to his advantage unless the offense is too great!

I've had a lot of people ask me what guide I used and other questions in general about potty training, so I'm going to give an overview of the technique. I used 3 Day Potty Training by Lora Jensen. You can get more information at 3DayPottyTraining.com. I read the manual multiple times before putting it into effect!! (I was a dork and even high-lighted it as if I was taking a test on the material...some habits die hard!)

Before starting the technique, you must choose 3 consecutive days that you can stay at home with your child. Ben and I did not leave the house once for 3 days. Before starting, I got all my errands done, stocked up on groceries, and finished laundry and other time consuming chores around the house. I got potty treats for Ben: starbursts and smarties for tee-tee and small toys for #2. I also purchased several different juices for Ben. During potty training, you offer your child a lot of juice, water, or milk, so they have more opportunity to use the potty and be successful. I also made sure that I had a lot of activities to keep us busy while we were stuck inside for 3 days: coloring books, play-doh, finger-paints, books, etc.

About a week before starting, I stopped giving Ben anything to drink 2 hours before his bedtime, and we started using the potty before going to sleep. This got his body used to not releasing while he was sleeping. When he woke up, we went immediately to the potty and had no accidents.

For the 3 days that you are home with your child, you are constantly with your child watching for signs that they have to use the restroom or are having an accident. That way you can rush them to the potty. Your child will not wear pants for 3 days, so you can easily spot an accident. There are some methods where your child doesn't wear underwear, but the approach I used called for underwear (regular underwear, not padded or training underwear).

Day 1 of potty training, I took a shower and got ready for the day to begin. When I was ready, I explained to Ben that he was a big boy now and let him throw is diapers in the trash. He then chose which big boy underwear he wanted wear. I told him that he needed to keep his underwear dry and that he needed to tee-tee on the potty. I then offered him some juice and the journey began.

The technique says not to ask the child if they need to use the potty and only have them tell you. For me, this wasn't very successful for Ben. I did give him prompts and asked if he needed to go potty. For Ben, he initially wasn't interested in stopping playing to tell me he had to potty, so by reminding him, he would go. Eventually, he figured out that he could tell me he needed to go. All day long, I gave Ben little quizzes asking him if his underwear were dry. He would check, and if they were dry he got a teddy graham. I also constantly reminded him to "Tell mommy if you need to use the potty." I said it so much that I was tired of hearing it myself!

We had several accidents on Day 1, and I was frustrated and wondering why I even decided to try potty training. I was committed to making it through, so we stuck with it. Ben made it through nap and bedtime without any accidents.

Day 2 started with me immediately taking Ben to the potty when he woke up. By the afternoon of Day 2 Ben only had 3 accidents. He connected keeping his underwear dry and knew when they were wet. When Ben was in diapers, he didn't really care if he was wet. In underwear though, he felt when he was wet and started telling me if he was wet. Ben even had a major success with #2 in the potty on Day 2. Throughout Day 2, I continued to remind Ben to tell me if he needed to use the potty as well as quizzed him about whether or not he was dry. On Day 2, I stopped giving him treats if his underwear were dry.

Day 3, Ben woke me up at 5:30 AM to let me know that he had to "Tee-tee on potty". After that, he told me on his own without prompts several times that he needed to use the potty. He had one accident at 6 AM and no others all day long. He got to the point that he might tee-tee a tiny bit on his underwear and immediately stop. We would then rush to the potty and finish in the potty. By the afternoon, Ben would stop what he was playing and tell me that he had to use the potty with no leaks at all!!! We only used 2 pairs of underwear all day!

It took Day 3 before it really sunk in with Ben that he needed to use the potty and not go in his underwear. So, be patient, and stick with it the entire 3 days!!!

Ben is now done with diapers. His daycare is great about working with him on using the potty, so I know there will be carry-over at school. I am keeping some pull-ups around just in case. I have a travel potty in the car, so we are committed to being potty trained!! We will continue to work on #2!

At times, the shut in was really stressful and frustrating, but it was totally worth it. I would recommend it if you are looking for a way to potty train. The technique I used, focused on being positive (which was sometimes hard!!!), and Ben responded really well to it. I was skeptical that in 3 days Ben could be potty-trained, but it worked! I'm no expert by any means and made a lot of mistakes but would be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

On to pictures...the first of 2010!!!

Are we done with this boot camp already?! I had lots of projects to help pass the time....finger painting was one of Ben's favorite activities....which escalated to body painting!

Body-painting didn't even stop for a potty break!


Ben couldn't wear pants for 3 days so accidents were easily spotted. But wearing no pants didn't stop Ben from wearing his boots!
Playing on the computer

New Year's Eve

Ben and I had a fun, low key New Year's hanging out with Auntie Buffy, Ce-Ce, and Thad at Auntie's new house. Before the festivities, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant. Ben was a complete angel at dinner which lasted a long time. After dinner, we went to Auntie's house. Ben played and had a blast until his bed time. No, he didn't stay up until midnight...Mommy even had a hard time staying awake! We rang in the New Year and then headed home to get up bright and early for Potty Training Boot Camp.

Here are pictures from our New Year's:



Ben and Auntie
Ben and Mommy...Mommy sporting her lack of sleep look!
Ben and Ce-Ce
Thad making daiquiris on the front porch so as to not wake up Ben!
Happy New Year to all!

2009 in Pictures

January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009

Playdate and Potty Training Boot Camp

Today Ben and I got a special treat....we were able to have a play date at the McWane Center. We met our friends Jyl, Jackson, and Isabel and Ashley, Kennedy, and Nana. I have been wanting to take Ben to see the train exhibit and was so happy when we all decided to get together and go as a group!

Ben was very excited about the trains and about seeing Jackson. He has quickly learned that Jackson always has in his possession a coveted train, car, or tractor. Both boys are slightly obsessed with trains and all things that go, so the train exhibit was a huge success for them!

The kids were all so cute and played really well. It's always fun to watch your kids play while getting some adult interaction!

Ben did have to go to time-out, but only once. He was playing at the sand table with a tractor when a smaller boy came along and decided he wanted Ben's tractor. Ben just snatched it up and continued playing. The little boy then proceeded to hit Ben across the head and try to get the tractor again. Ben did well and just grabbed the tractor back and continued to play. Again, the little boy hit him across the head. So, Ben got his tractor, walked over to the little boy, and whacked him across the head with the tractor! Ben was then quickly escorted to time-out.

My pictures aren't very great. I had my hands full keeping up with Ben, so I just snapped a few. I'm hoping that Jyl was able to get some better shots.

Here is Ben at home ready for our play date:
Kennedy and Ben. Ben is wearing his leash in this picture. Some think it's tacky, but Ben is extremely fast and has decided that it's sometimes fun to run from me. The leash keeps me from sprinting after the little booger!
All the kids playing at the sand table.
Ben loves to climb...the fish's mouth is no exception.
Too loud for Jackson.
Kennedy and Ben looking for Nemo.
A group shot...this picture would not have been possible had Jyl not bribed the kids with Starbursts! It did the trick!
Kennedy and Ben spotting the trains.
Ben in complete awe!
The kids playing.
Here are the two train nuts! I think they could have stayed all day at this one exhibit!

While we were at the McWane Center, Ben started calling me 'Mama'. He must have heard one of the other kids saying 'Mama' and decided to try it out. He called me 'Mama' for a while when we got home and would always have a sly little grin. He finally gave it up though and went back to 'Mommy' which I prefer!

On to the second part of my title...Potty Training Boot Camp! Starting Friday morning, Ben and I will be shut up in the house for 3 days working on potty training. He has been potty training for a while now and really understands going tee-tee in the potty. He has woken up 3 days in a row now with a dry diaper and asked to use the potty. The tricky part will be going #2!

So for 3 days/nights, he will wear his big boy underwear exclusively, and we will be working on potty training! I have to be honest and say I'm not really looking forward to 3 full days stuck in the house, but I think Ben is ready to move on from diapers. These are the only 3 consecutive days I have off of work, so we will ring in the New Year with a potty going extravaganza!

In order to get ready for full blown potty training, the house is stocked with all sorts of potty rewards (toys, candy, food) and activities to, hopefully, keep us busy.

When the 3 days are up, the goal is that Ben will be potty-trained. I hope we are successful! If we are, I went ahead purchased a travel potty to use when we are in the car or out of the house. Here is Ben sitting on his new potty:

During our potty training shut-in, I will not be blogging, so Happy New Year to all!!

Time-Out and Speech

Ben has recently decided that his toys are requiring some discipline and takes it upon himself to place them in time-out. He has done this for about a week now. Last week, after Bob the Builder had done his time, he held Bob up and said for Bob "I sorry, Ben!" It was hilarious!

So tonight he decided to try his hand at really disciplining Auntie Buffy. She came over to spend some time with Ben and was, according to Ben, very naughty!

First of all, Auntie was playing with Ben's drum and being entirely too loud. He asked her to stop, in a not too polite manner, but she continued to play on. She even decided to drum on his back! This act crossed the line and was unacceptable behavior. His face was horror-stricken as he yelled at her "Auntie, no hit Ben's back! Go to time-out!" He then took her hand and led her to time-out. She did her time and was released.

Next, Auntie threw Ben's hippity-hop, and it hit Ben in the face! Again this was very poor behavior in Ben's book. His quickly face registered anger and outrage (which was actually SO funny). He looked at me to make sure I saw the fury and said "Auntie, no hit Ben's face! Time-out!"

Poor Auntie spent a lot of time in time-out this evening while I laughed so hard my sides hurt! I even got my share of time-out. I "hit" Auntie which resulted in immediate time-out for Mommy!

Ben's vocabulary is really exploding lately. He is easily putting up to 5 words together. One of his longest sentences was when Auntie was playing kitchen with him and made the mistake of touching his knife. He told her very sternly "Auntie, no touch Ben's knife!" He now says "Ben" when before he only said "Be". He has started referring to pictures of himself as "Baby Ben". Last week, we went to Auntie's house for dinner. I put on a pair of her pajama bottoms to be more comfortable. Ben took one look at me, laughed, and said "Silly, mommy! Auntie's pants!" This afternoon, Ben had a conversation with me about the berry bushes outside of his school. He said "No touch berries. Berries hurt Ben. Ben cry."

I have been really worried about Ben catching up in the language department. Now I wonder if he will ever be quiet again!

Christmas

Ben and I had a wonderful Christmas. It was filled with family, laughter, fun, and real joy.

This past week was met with loss of loved ones for two families in our community which made having the whole family together extra special this year. It really makes you stop and cherish the time you have with those you love.

We all converged on my parent's house to celebrate Christmas. We ate like pigs, laughed until our bellies hurt, and played Wii until our muscles ached! My brothers are like two kids. They literally spent hours trying to break each others records!

Ben and Karsten hit the jack-pot in the toy department. My parent's went crazy with the presents...all of which were adored by the boys. I think the favorite gift were the matching trucks the boys received. They pushed each other, rode together, crashed into each other and furniture, and begged for Nana and Papa push them (which was, of course, granted).

Ben was so well behaved at my parent's house. He even surprised me at how good he was. He was a potty going whiz too! He uses the potty at our house but is usually too busy at Nana and Papa's house to take time to potty. This time, he consistently told us when he had to use the potty and did! He's such a big boy!

On Christmas Eve, Ben was ready for Santa Clause. He and Kayla put out the milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Ben ate one of the carrots before it was said and done. While I was putting him to bed, he asked me if Santa was coming. He then sang 'Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus'.

It has become our tradition that Ben wakes up at Nana and Papa's house on Christmas morning. It is a special time for Ben to enjoy with just Nana, Papa, Kayla, and Mommy. He gets lots of attention and has the house to himself.

When he came downstairs and saw what Santa brought, he was a little overwhelmed at first. It didn't take him long to take it all in: a motorized 4 wheeler, a wagon, and a kitchen complete with food, pots, pans, etc. Ben immediately climbed up on the 4 wheeler and took off like he had done it before.

Ben was so funny. Whenever he received a present, he asked "Ben's house?" He wanted to make sure that the toys were going with him to his house.

The rest of Christmas day was spent playing with Ben and enjoying all the new toys. He radiated with happiness. Squeals of delight were heard all day long! It was great to see and hear. Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning with Ben!

On Christmas night when I was putting Ben to bed, he asked me if Santa was coming again. Silly, boy!

So another Christmas has come and gone, and it was a memorable one. We are truly blessed with amazing family and friends. We are looking forward to another year together and excited to see what 2010 will bring!

Here are pictures from our Christmas:

Kayla, Karsten, Nana, and Ben
Ben figured out the hippity-hop after being shown only once.
The cousins trying to figure out the Wii fit.
The boys got new trucks from Nana and Papa.
Ben and Nana playing Play-Doh.
Ben and Kayla putting out the milk and cookies for Santa.
First thing Christmas morning.
Ben checking out his stocking.
Enjoying Christmas morning
Ben LOVES his new motorcycle. Mommy can't wait to see him on the open road!
Kayla and Ben
So big!
Ben enjoying his new kitchen in his room.
Ben putting his toys in time-out. He even makes them tell him they're sorry when their time is up!

Merry Christmas

This year I sent out 50 Christmas cards and still wasn't able to send one to everyone! Erin did an amazing job on the card as usual!


Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!