Potty Training

I think I have completely lost my marbles! After a series of failed life changes when James was about 2 (taking away the binky, switching to a big boy bed, etc.) I (supposedly) learned my lesson and vowed I would not make the mistake of giving the kids too many big life changes at once. I decided months ago that during this christmas break I would either tackle potty training, or weaning (from breastfeeding) with David. I went back and forth, and finally decided potty training was the better (easier) option. While I could wean David without a long break from daycare, potty training really requires a lot of one on one focused time at home.

The Saturday before Christmas, I half heartedly started the potty training process. I didn't really want to deal with it honestly, but I felt like I should at least give it a good effort and see how he would react. My method of potty training is very similar to the "potty training in a day", or "potty training bootcamp" methods. I like to get it over with as quickly as possible. The first day of potty training went way better than I had expected. David had three accidents, and probably 10 or 15 tiny pees in the potty. It was successful enough that I was motivated to keep going the next day. The next day was something like 4 accidents and 3 successes. By the evening of the second day I was getting a little tired of the whole thing, so I put David into a diaper as we were getting ready for bed. About a half hour later, he came up to me pulling on his diaper and saying "uhpa, uhpa" (his word for potty). I assumed he was confused and meant something else, but I took him to the bathroom, and what do you know? He peed! The next morning, he woke, and did the same thing, his diaper was dry, and he peed in the toilet first thing in the morning. From that day on, he's done really well, I don't have to ask him, and he tells me when he needs to go, and with the exception of times when I don't get him there fast enough, and #2, he's been accident free. We're still working on #2, but he's getting more aware every day, and it's typical for that to take longer to really click.

So I know what you're thinking, that sounds great, right?! Why am accusing myself of missing marbles? Well, here's the thing. He will tell ME when he needs to pee, but only me. Not his babysitter, and not the ladies in the nursery. I just can't imagine that the childcare at my integrations course is going to be particularly happy with me bringing in a half potty trained, english speaking, 24 month old in underwear. Furthermore, potty training and starting a new daycare are both big life changes, which totally breaks my "no two big life changes at once" rule. Which means there will probably be massive regression when he starts daycare. Which means, I will probably have to start all over again when the course is over in August. Sigh... I will learn someday, right? And it's better if he's potty trained at home than not at all, right?  Well, if nothing else, at least it's given me a sense of purpose for the Christmas break!