And Baby Makes Three

Benjamin seems skeptical as Brad explains how this whole potty thing works.

“Potty training” and “15 month old boy” aren’t two phrases you hear used together very often. And it’s not like I had been planning to start potty training Benjamin so early. But, since he was showing signs that he was ready, we decided to give it a shot. A couple of weeks ago, Benjamin started telling me he had a dirty diaper by pointing at it. He would continue pointing at it until I got around to changing it. It was as if he were saying, “Come on, Mom. Get this thing off of me!” He now also tells me when he has a wet diaper. Methinks he is learning that a dry, clean diaper is more comfortable.

Here’s the “Potty Training Readiness Checklist” I consulted at babycenter.com:

Physical signs
Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily.
Urinates a fair amount at one time.
Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times.
Has “dry” periods of at least three or four hours, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.

Behavioral signs
Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes.
Can pull his pants up and down.
Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper.
Shows interest in others’ bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear).
Gives a physical or verbal sign when he’s having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you.
Demonstrates a desire for independence.
Takes pride in his accomplishments.
Isn’t resistant to learning to use the toilet.
Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one.

Cognitive signs
Can follow simple instructions, such as “go get the toy.”
Understands the value of putting things where they belong.
Has words for urine and stool.
Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty.

Benjamin is exhibiting all of the physical signs, except for maybe the last one. I’m not really sure how long his dry periods are. I do know they are longer than they used to be, but before he can be fully potty trained, we’ll probably have to wait for his bladder muscles to strengthen more. For the behavioral signs, he fits the babycenter profile except that he can’t pull his pants up and down. That’s mainly because he usually wears one-piece outfits still! But he is definitely interested in being independent, and tells us when he is dirty, and is even starting to tell me when he is either going pee pee or needs to go. And finally, he also fits all the cognitive signs, although he doesn’t say “pee pee” and “poopy” yet.

Shopping for a Potty:

• I quickly discovered that training potties range from basic to elaborate. I was amused by the potty that plays a song as a reward when the child successfully uses the potty. I was overwhelmed by a potty that had about five different features, including a toilet paper holder and built-in wipes dispenser. I laughed out loud when I spotted a toddler-sized urinal!

• I settled on the simplest potty I could find: the Baby Bjorn Little Potty. At $12.99, it seemed like a practical, low-risk purchase. And so far, it has been.

The No Pressure, No Expectations Strategy:

• When we started this potty training business a week ago, all I did was asked Benjamin if he wanted to sit on the potty before and after his bath. And so, every night for the past week, he has done just that. The Baby Bjorn potty conveniently fits in our bathroom cabinet, so we just pull it out when the time comes, and we also keep a stack of books nearby. (If there are no books, Benjamin gets bored and wanders off.)
• We haven’t forced him to do anything. He willingly sits on his potty, and when he’s tired of sitting, he reaches his arms out for help standing up. (Even though it’s a tiny potty it’s still a little difficult for him to pull himself to standing from it.) We always praise him for sitting on the potty like a big boy.

A Few Moments of Success:

• For the first four days, nothing happened. But then, on day five, Benjamin surprised me when, after drinking a sippy cup full of apple juice, he indicated that he wanted to go sit on the potty. He did this by pointing at his diaper and then standing by the closed bathroom door. So, I got him situated on the potty, and within a couple of minutes, he was peeing! I never knew I’d be so excited about urination.   Even more impressive, after he was finished, he wiped himself with a tissue he had been holding, and while doing so said, “Mama.” He has learned the correct potty process from watching me.
• Two days ago, we were in the play room when Benjamin suddenly started patting his diaper and running to the bathroom. By the time I took his diaper off and put him on the potty about 30 seconds later, I discovered that his diaper was still warm from urine. That means that he was either going while he told me he needed to go, or that he went on the way. Either way, I was impressed that he was aware that he needed to go.
• This afternoon, Benjamin again drank a sippy cup full of apple juice. About 30 minutes later, he gave me his “need to go” signals – patting his diaper and running to the bathroom. He sat on his potty, and a minute or so later, he peed! This proved that the first time wasn’t a fluke. He really is “getting it.”

"I can do this!"

Now What?:

• We are so proud of Benjamin for understanding the concepts related to potty training, but we’re not in a hurry for him to be completely out of diapers. So for now, we’ll continue to let him control when he sits on the potty, how long he stays there, etc. If he decides he’s bored with it, we’ll take a break for awhile. If he decides he wants to sit on the potty once an hour, we’ll make the time. We’re just learning as we go.
• I’m glad we picked up on the signs that he was receptive to trying out potty training. Otherwise, we may have just waited until he was two years old. And who knows, he may still not be fully potty trained until he’s three, but at least we’ve had a small bit of success on one of the biggest hurdles for both parents and toddlers.