When I began thinking about potty training Cohen, I sought advice from anyone and everyone. The most common response I received was “good luck!” At the time, Cohen was two and a half years old and wanted nothing to do with learning how to go potty like a big boy. We read books, let him pick out his very own potty and his big-kid underwear. We even made a cool chart! We used M&M’s and stickers as rewards as well as the potential of receiving a favored prize, but in the end nothing seemed to work.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Around Christmas, I had a four-day weekend and I was determined to teach Cohen how to go potty in the big-boy potty. My solution: Let him run around the house naked. He sat on the potty in front of the television with a space heater for warmth. As soon as I turned my back, he ran behind the chair and peed on the carpet. Needless to say, Cohen did not learn how to go potty that weekend.
I was getting frustrated and I could tell that he was as well. It was at this point that I threw my hands in the air and simply told myself that he wasn’t going to be using diapers in high school and that his time would come, so I stopped pushing him to use the potty.
New Baby Brings Potty Inspiration
A few months later in April 2014, our daughter Collyns arrived. Now, not only were we having to buy size one diapers but also size six. At this point, we were still nowhere near successful with potty training. After Cohen’s third birthday in May, I decided it was time to try again. This time I was determined, so I raised the stakes. I told him that if he wanted to participate in swim lessons and go to preschool, then he would need to use the big-kid potty. Finally, he told me “OK mommy, let me try.”
For a couple weeks he would only go number two on the potty. Then something clicked, and Cohen was going potty on the big-kid potty during the day. I don’t know if it was swim lessons as a reward, him wanting to go to school or seeing his little sister in diapers and not wanting to be a baby, but he made the decision to use the potty. After about a week without accidents, he got to pick out a favored toy.
No Pants, No Shoes, No Perfect Potty Time
He has been using the potty for more than six months now. However, we are trying to work on his technique. When Cohen has to use the potty, everything from the waist down comes off. He tells us that it’s easier to go when he takes his shoes and pants off completely, but we keep praising him for using the potty and encourage him to put his pants and shoes back on by himself when he’s done rather than leaving the bathroom pants and underwear in hand.
Now if only he could go without a diaper at night. Baby steps, right?
Mallory Connelly
Babies & Toddlers
In addition to the time I devote to being a mom, I also work full-time outside the home, which means my day is hardly ever as simple as nine to five. With an all-too-established schedule, as soon as I walk through the door, my day doesn’t end, but rather just begins. It’s a balancing act, especially with two children, but being a mom is one full-time job that I never want to quit!
