potty training...for real this time.

For the past year I have been asking Noah time and time, and again "you need to start using the potty." He'll look at me with a huge smile, and just laugh. Sometimes he'll give me a tight hug, and with a few giggles say "no"! I let it go, and continue on with the day. He is spoiled, and I know I shouldn't just let it go. I really don't want to be mean about it, but I do need to be serious, and not give in to that sweet face of his. He knows that he should be using the potty. He knows what it is, and when he hears any of us pass gas he'll say to me, "mommy, you need to go potty." So he definitely knows the whole concept of poop, potty, in the toilet, underwear, "diapers are for babies" is. He will be four in six months, and I am pretty much at my wits end with this diaper changing on a three and half year old.

And here's why...

I'm tired of changing them! His poop reeks like an adult, and sometimes they are the smallest rabbit looking pellets. 

I'm tired of buying them! I know that I can be saving a ton of money if he was just potty trained! 

I'm tired of him always pooping in a fresh diaper. Every morning when he wakes up he waits for me to change him, he'll eat breakfast wearing a clean diaper, and then will almost immediately poop right after he's done. I know his routine now, and I am going to take advantage of that.

So I have decided to seriously start potty training Noah this week. He has a few of these anchor diapers left which I'll miss dearly, but it's time to say bye to them for now. I mentioned potty training him when spring came along, and well...spring is here. 

Our house gets super cold throughout the winter months, and I didn't want him running around in plain underwear freezing to death. Now that the weather is warmer I think it's seriously time to tackle the potty training.

Some of you may be asking "why isn't he potty trained yet?" Well... call me lazy, impatient, uncaring, whatever. The fact that he's my only boy, and possibly my last child I wanted to enjoy him being a baby still. I also didn't want to force the issue on him, and I've had a few people tell me that he will go when he's ready. 

I believe he's ready.

I am so glad that he has shown signs of readiness because it was starting to weigh me down. All my girls were easy to train, and pretty much learned on their own. So glad he only frowned a bit when he put his underwear on. 

He said, "I want my diapers" one time, and then I proceeded to show him pictures of kids his age on the internet going potty, and this nice potty seat that we're going to get for him. His demeanor changed, and now he's having fun playing with his toys in the living room wearing his cute underwear as I blog. 

I know there will be resistance along this journey, and the ongoing question of, "do you need to go potty?", but we're ready for it. 

I know consistency is key, and now that the focus is off of Sierra now that she is all set up for college, I can now focus on putting my full attention on potty training Noah. 

I hope this is it! Wish us luck!

potty training advice anyone?

Noah is three years old, my first boy, and to tell you the truth I haven't been in the mood to fight with him on teaching him to use the potty. Sometimes I wonder if there is a reason why I had three girls first. To teach me patience for when it was time to have and potty train Noah.

God knows what he was doing and I'm glad that I had the girls first! No stress was involved, and they were so easy to potty train. They also learned at a very young age!

You would think that Noah would be so interested since there is like five of us that he knows sit on a toilet to use the bathroom, but to no avail.

He has begun to say "I need to go potty", but when he says that it means that he already went in his diaper, and that he needs to be changed.

Maybe I'm being lazy, but I truly need some words of wisdom here. Especially for you mothers who have boys.

I did buy him the cutest Osh Kosh underwear for Christmas, and even though they have trains and cars on them, he would rather hold them in his hand guard them with his life (as if the trains and cars were real) than wear them. 

Maybe I need to be a little more firm, but I don't want to be mean like that. 

I really don't want to push the issue. 

I'm glad that Noah is a petite boy, and that he isn't wearing ginormous diapers! I'm getting to the point where I am getting tired of changing him though.

Hopefully by the time spring arrives, and the weather being warmer he can run around butt naked. It doesn't matter to me if he has accidents. 

Luckily hardwood floors can be easily cleaned! 

Funny how I want him to be potty trained already, but I don't  want him to grow up too fast.

Any advice would be helpful! 

Thanks.  

let them be little.

I have found myself giving up on the fact that I cannot force Noah to use the potty. He is his own person, and even though he loves his red underwear with cars and trains on them he won't keep them on for too long. He is three years old, and I have come to the conclusion that he may be in diapers for a lot while longer, and I'm not going to stress on this.

He has the concept of knowing why there is a toilet in the bathroom, but he still won't sit on it. I'm sure he'll eventually get the picture.

I'm not going to force or beg him to use the potty. He is a petite little boy, and I don't mind the size four diapers...for now.

Aside from the difficult potty training, and constant diaper changing, I find him constantly setting his trains on the piano. Whether they are on the piano or train track it makes no difference to me as long as he is content and having fun. 

In between the daily potty training struggle, and the playing of trains on the piano he'll approach me with those big dark eyes, and ask me if he can have a banana or an apple. I look at him and am amazed with his politeness in asking me if its okay to eat a piece of fruit. I'm sure he hears me telling his sisters to rash and limit on the fruit because it's not cheap.

He'll later then tell me that he's hungry, and he'll direct me to the pantry door with childproof locks saying, "c'mon mom, c'mon." I open it and then he'll point at the tapioca pudding, honey bunches of oat cereal, and cheetos.

I allow him to choose just one, okay two...okay he actually had all three. Exactly in that order. Pudding, cereal, and cheetos.

I remember when my firstborn ate cheetos for the first time I got so upset because she got all her clothes dirty. I don't even recall if she ever asked for a napkin. Noah will almost always asks for a wipe, and instead of using it in on his hands I'll find out later that he used it to clean the couch where he wiped his fingers on.

When I realized what he was doing I couldn't help but to laugh. Not that it's okay to wipe dirty hands on anything, but the fact that he was cleaning pleased me. I also know that my patience with kids getting dirty has gotten better, and I don't get mad anymore. I know that this is my domain, and as a mother I get to choose whether or not it's okay to make messes, and I choose-okay. 

The feeling I get looking at my little boy making all kinds of messes such as finding crumbs tucked in the couch, spilt milk, and dried up cereal on the floor doesn't matter to me anymore. I remember when he did that for the first time when he was a little over one years old, and I didn't mind.

I have to give credit to my mom for being a woman of cleanliness. I learned from her to be clean, and that mopping, scrubbing, and sweeping is a form of therapy (and very good exercise.)

I also had to teach myself that as a mother raising a boy, having messes is okay too.

I never had a chance to be little and want Noah to experience all the different types of mess, and fun there is out there. Whether it's putting rocks inside his red coat while playing in the park, splashing in puddles without rain boots, playing with dirt, disassembling his train track with toys all scattered around, I just want him to experience all kinds of happy!

He is my only boy right now, and I am going to let him be little for as long as he wants.