Adventures in Potty Training

Let's start this blog off with a bang, people! I have finally decided to force (Yes, I said FORCE) Jax to use the potty. This decision comes after months and months and months of following the expert advice not to push your child into potty training before THEY are ready and ignoring my husband's argument that I was being too lax on the issue. Well, for over a year, Jax has been on the verge of being potty trained, but has simply refused to take the final step of committing to the milestone. He'd go, but only if we really begged him to. Otherwise, he was content to take care of business in his pull-ups.

To be completely honest, I am not one of those moms that really minds changing diapers. No, I don't jump for joy at the opportunity. In fact, I volunteer my husband for the job anytime he's within shouting distance, but I'm pretty much indifferent to it. I just happen to feel it's completely unacceptable to be over 4 years old and still wearing a diaper (assuming you don't have a medical issue and are younger than 80). If I didn't push the issue with Jax, I'm certain he would be content to wear pull-ups well into middle school! I don't want my kid to be teased for still being a baby, and I know that wouldn't be too far away. Kids can be evil little monsters.

So last week I was thrilled to hear the following words come out of my kid's mouth, "Mommy, I have to poop in the potty!" My response was, "Okay, okay...let's go!" What I thought was, "Thank you, Jesus! I thought this moment would NEVER come!" Now, my son didn't have this moment of enlightenment without the ultimate of parent trickery, a bribe. Yes, a bribe. Three weeks ago Jax became obsessed with getting a red bicycle. Not a blue one. Not a green one, but a RED one. He would ask me EVERY day if he could have a red bicycle. I have no idea why he became obsessed. It's certainly not because he lacked something to play on outside. The kid will soon need his own garage to house all of his outdoor play gear. Anyway...I, being the evil yet resourceful mother that I am, agreed to purchase said bicycle under one condition, that he pee and poop in the potty.

Now, to me, that meant becoming diaper free. To Jax, that meant pee and poop one time in the potty and he got a red bike. I didn't hold him to the fine print. I caved out of excitement that we had taken the next step of going on his own without Mommy forcing him kicking and screaming onto the potty. Ever since, he has worn his "big boy undies" like a trooper. They are quite fashionable attire too. He has a variety of Diego, Cars, and Elmo print options. We have only had two very, very small "couldn't run to the potty fast enough" accidents. I'm one proud Mommy at this point. It might have taken him a little longer to make the commitment, but once he put his mind to it, he handled it like a champ.

So, there we go. I start my blog off with a story about crap, and I'm sure there will be plenty more crap to follow. Hope you enjoy my tales!