How I potty Trained Caleb...

Well, let me first say that "I" did not actually potty train Caleb, it was the grace of Jesus that allowed it to happen so easily. Honestly I cannot take any credit at all. Other than working in a daycare in Yosemite, potty training is still new to me, even after one has been trained. I have not read any potty training books, or articles, other than infant training, which I have decided is not for me, no matter how ambitious I am...kudos to all those mommies who do this! Anyway, so potty training to me is a lot of common sense, teach him to feel to urge and associate the potty with the urge, and believe it or not, this oh so simplistic point of view has worked, for not one but two boys!!

Gideon was waaaaaaaay easy. Seriously he practically potty trained himself, at 23 months no less, and right after I had Caleb. First he started telling me when he had to go stinky and then eventually started telling me when he had to go tinkle. And before I knew it he was in big boy undies all the time...with no bed wetting...I'm still amazed to this day.

So when Caleb hit 23 months, I was more than ready to train him, but he wasn't ready, and then at 24 months, 25 months, 26 months still not ready. I believe that a child must be ready, otherwise it will be a long, miserable process, and every child is ready at different times. But in December he started telling us when he had a stinky diaper and in January he started telling us, sometimes, when he had to go, and went on the potty a couple of times. Yess!! Now he is ready. So last week I picked up a ton of big boy undies and on Wednesday I asked him if he would like to wear them today. Needless to say, he was soo excited. He had two wet accidents and two small stinkies, but that was all, and by Friday he was telling us every time. Now we did have moments where he would feel the urge and he would sit on the potty and not go, but he was learning. He wears big boy undies for his nap and a cloth diaper for bed. But, he is even been waking up in the morning dry too, if this continues through Sunday, he will wear big boy undies at night also.
So he is potty trained...woohoo! But we still had our share of difficulties. Caleb trained so well, that he would not go on the potty...or in his pants...he would just hold it, for hours! Needless to say I was a little concerned, I was like "Caleb, you have to go tinkle, this is not healthy..." And he would not go. And I have never given into sweets as a reward, but I was like "please...please go tinkle and you'll get a chocolate chip..." LOL! And believe it or not, that didn't work either. He would finally go when he was about to burst. So he did that until about Tuesday this week and finally the last few days he has been going all the time...shew wee, boy am I relieved. He got stickers as a reward the first few days, but now he just prefers the potty over his pants...it's great and I'm so proud of him.