A parenting post I never thought I'd write.

Potty training.

When you have a little baby, you don't think wayyy into the future and how you'll have to actually train said human being to use a toilet like a responsible little human being.  At least I didn't.  I knew I'd have to do it.  I just never really focused on it.

Declan turned 2 last October and everyone says "potty train in the summer!"  So I thought.. I'll wait until summer, there - I have a plan.  

Then my brother planned his wedding for the last week in June - in Grand Cayman.  So... I thought, I'll wait until after that.  It makes sense, I'm a logical person.  Let's do it.  We have a plan.

Then my Grandma was turning 90, so I thought.. I better go up to Canada and see her - I told her if she made it to 90 I'd be there to celebrate so she better hang in there.  And she did.  So.. 6 days after we got home from Grand Cayman, Declan and I were off for Canada.  Well of course I had to wait until after that, who wants to be potty training while you are on an airplane, and running through airports.  I figured.. what's a few more weeks, we'll wait.  We have a plan.

Then while I was in Canada I got word that an old college friend of mine was going to come visit, the next week.  Awesome couldn't wait.  And.. why would I train him while I had company, that didn't make sense?  I put it off again. 

So we went to Cayman and it was a blast.  We went to Canada and it was a wonderful visit.  My friend came and we traveling around from the river to lake tahoe, just exploring and doing our thing.  It made sense not to do it then.  And then, my friend went home.

Two days went by and I realized... I have things to do next week, I need to do this... now!  Crap.  So Thursday I decided that Friday was the day.  We'd give it a go, no turning back.

I opted to try him in underwear instead of "nekkid" and I am glad I made that decision.  He has seen himself pee before, he's had potty successes littered through the months since he was 14 months old.  I knew he understood the biological part of it.

I never read any potty training "how-to's".  I never read him any potty books.  Seriously. (and we have like 10).  I thought about it, and what would make sense for us and what might help.  And I put my experiment into action.

Friday morning we went to the store, I let him pick out some salty snacks (veggie straws, pretzel sticks, etc.) We bought two boxes of that Honest juice/pouches things.  Then we headed to Jamba Juice.  I bought him a small drink (normally he just gets the toddler size) and we went home.  I figured - the thirstier the kid, the more he'll pee.  And the more he pees, the more chances we have to help him understand what is going on.

We put on underwear, we went out onto the back porch (where we would spend every waking moment for the next 48 hours) and we played.  He painted, he chalked, he blew bubbles, played monster trucks, etc.  We spent our time out there.  We read our books out there.  I read mine while he played (that was fabulous btw.) and I read him a huge stack of his (while he sat on my lap and I asked him every 2 minutes... are you sure you don't have to pee?)  ;)

And... that's what we did.  I asked him approximately every 10 minutes for 48 waking hours if he had to pee.  When he started getting annoyed my incessant questioning, I spread out my asks.  Every 20 minutes.  Every 30 minutes.  He had a little bit of urine in his first underwear the first two days - finished both pees in his potty and so far... has had successes ever since.  

I should mention I did the candy method. I know my kid and he's motivated by treats.  Not by stickers. And it's worked, first thing he says after he pees is "May I pwease have jewwy bean?" 

I thought, he's got this.  Is this really going to be so simple?  Was waiting the best idea?  Was not "over preparing him" (reading him all those books we have, and annoying him until he didn't want to...) was that the best idea?  I think for my kid, it was.  It really was.  

It was a low stress time.  We still have a month to get him ready for school, so I wasn't feeling too pressured. We were outside, so I didn't care if he had accidents.  He is almost 3 (2 months away) and that's a great age, could we have done it earlier?  Sure.  I'm positive we could have.  Am I glad I waited?  You betcha.

But now.. right when I was feeling everything has come into place, and life will not be too difficult - he's already begun waking up at night- to pee.  Are you kidding me?  I thought we were years away from this, seriously.  I am frustrated. I like sleeping.  I wish I could take it all back (sorta).