Potty Training: Day One

Well, we officially started potty training. I was afraid, and continued to put it off these last few weeks. But I decided to just bite the bullet and scheduled it on the calendar. Much to my surprise, Jack actually took to it pretty well. We bribed him with a tube of tiny farm animals that cost $4.99 at Toys R Us...if they do their job well, they're worth a heck of a lot more than that to me!!

Last night, I showed him the tube of animals high up on the fridge, and the sticker chart I made to tape on the wall in front of the potty, entitled, "Jack's Poopa-palooza." I told him that when he woke up in the morning, we were going to say goodbye to diapers and hello to underwear and the potty!

Fast forward to the next morning--today. I get him out of his room, only to discover that he's dropped a rather large load in his training pants...but okay since we hadn't officially started. It just meant he probably wouldn't go number two today (unless I filled him full of oatmeal for breakfast or something...which I did consider, but he wanted toast and cottage cheese instead.)

I decided to just go for it and put him in underwear, knowing that he would feel the pee much better that way. Well, it worked like a charm! We were playing and then sudddenly, "Mom, pee pee!" He stopped, I picked him up and put him on the potty...and, he went! He was so excited and he said, "I want Dad to see!"

He then asked if he could have the farm animals and I laughed. I told him that he had to fill up the chart with stickers by going pee pee AND poo poo on the potty a few times (ie filling the sticker chart).

I underestimated this kid, thinking the power struggle would conquer the desire to earn something. But I was wrong--he must've asked to go potty 10 times today because he knew it meant earning a reward...

So proud of my little goal-oriented dude. :) These pics are PRICELESS...and good blackmail for the teen years.