Potty-Training

We have been working on potty-training this week. I'll be honest. We first attempted potty-training with Charlie at the camp over Labor Day weekend. It did not go well. He didn't care when he wet his pants and in the matter of a very short period of time, we went through the few pairs of underwear he had very quickly. I was not ready for it and was not inclined to begin the process in full.

I don't know if it was having two in diapers or if it was just how often Charlie goes to the bathroom, but I am now ready to be done changing Charlie's diapers. We started potty-training in full mid-week last week and I am happily surprised with how well it's gone. Charlie's potty chart has gone from 3 stickers to almost full and we took him out to dinner tonight because he filled his bean jar (reward system) to the point required to get dinner and ice cream at "The Kimball's" (as Charlie likes to call it). He's done so well! He's been letting me know when he has to go, has had few accidents, and he gets so excited when he goes on the potty!

So far, he's been in undies whenever we're at home. We usually do errands/storytime/playdate in the mornings and we spend the afternoon at home, so it's a good chunk of time for him to be in undies. When we go out, I've been putting him in a diaper and when he has "quiet" time (my hope for a nap) in the afternoon, he's in a diaper. We're taking baby steps. I don't want to overwhelm either one of us.

Our trip to Kimball's tonight was Charlie's first time out of the house in undies. I felt like I was pestering him all night asking if he had to pee, but when it came time for ice cream, he told us he had to go and we went rushing into the bathroom. I think the different bathrooms and unfamiliar toilets frightened him because once we got in there and on the potty, he decided he didn't have to go. Pops took him once and I took him once (I also wonder if the different bathrooms, urinal versus toilet was an issue). Shortly after trying, while running around in the rocks, he had an accident. :( Only the first of many, I'm sure. I took him to the car, changed him into the spare undies and pants I brought and we went back to ice cream and he was fine until bedtime.

There are so many things I hadn't though of in terms of potty-training and I think this will definitely be a learning experience for all of us. We're going to work on getting comfortable going at home all day first. The next step will probably be working on going when we're out in public and I think the last step will be night-time. If anyone has any pointers or suggestions, I will gladly take them!