Calvin's Potty Training Adventures

I was sooo nervous to start potty training Calvin. Why? I guess I thought it would be a huge fight between parent and child to get him to do it. So I prepped myself with supplies before we started:

books about going potty in the toilet

a little toilet just for Cal

a box of CapriSun juice

stickers

m&m's

and a handmade chart

A week or two before we started potty training, I read him books about going potty in the toilet to help prep his mind for the idea of trying to go on the toilet. I looked up amazon reviews about which books are the best for potty training boys these days. These were the top three books: 

I loved The Potty Book for Boys by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. It goes through the whole experience of wearing diapers, trying to go in the potty, having accidents, and picking out underwear at the store. I especially like how it talks about feelings and that it's okay to have accidents as long as you keep trying to go in the potty. 

Calvin loved the book Even Firefighters go the Potty by Wendy Wax and Naomi Wax. It goes through different characters (fireman, policeman, baseball player, doctor, astronaut, etc.) showing what activity they are busy doing. They all take a break from what their doing to go to the potty. On each page there is a flap designed like a bathroom door that Cal can open and see the character in the bathroom. 

With both of those books combined, I think it helped Calvin understand the step-by-step process of going potty as well as the importance of taking a pause in whatever your doing to make sure you go to the potty when you feel like you have to go. 

The third book, Pirate Potty by Samantha Berger wasn't that impressive to me or Calvin. The setting and wording was in pirate lingo which made it fun but unrelatable for Calvin. I wouldn't recommend it.

POTTY TRAINING TIME!!!

Once all the diapers were used and gone out of the house, we started potty training the next day. I planned it that way so I didn't have the temptation of reverting back to diapers if it was going poorly. When Calvin woke up I told him, "Oh no Calvin! All the diapers are gone!! No more diapers. Where are you going to go pee?" He looked at me with an adorable concerned face, took a moment to think and said, "Hmmm...potty!" YES! I was so glad he came to that conclusion on his own. I showed him his little potty that he could use. I explained to him that each time he goes pee in the potty he would get a sticker and an m&m. Cal was really excited about that. So I gave him as many CapriSun juices as he wanted (so he could feel the urge to pee more frequently) and kept his bum naked (so he didn't have to worry about pulling clothes down yet...just focus on getting to the potty in time). 

Calvin did great! Day 1 and 2 were learning experiences, but overall he got the hang of it. 

Calvin was excited about his new potty. He wanted to sit on it and read his potty books :)
Initially, I kept the potty out in the main kitchen/family room area so that he could visually see where he had to go and he could get to it quickly. 

We made sure he went to the potty before he went to bed hoping to encourage him not to pee while he slept. But he still wore "pull-ups" at night just in case.

I noticed he was having stage fright about going #2 in his potty. So I thought watching a movie while sitting there would help him. Nope! He just watched a movie.

After a week of keeping the potty in the main kitchen/family room area, he was ready to move his potty to his bathroom. He liked the idea of having his own space and being able to help out with the clean up.

In this picture below, Calvin is telling me to take a picture because he's a "big boy." I was so proud, he went straight to the potty when he woke up. But he had to bring his comfort items: Snowflake and Pillow.

Lately, since he's so good about telling us that he needs to go potty NOW. Thanks to Dad, he's even mastered going pee on a tree when toilets aren't available.

I'm so grateful Calvin was so excited and ready to be potty trained :) That made my life a lot easier. Thanks kid!