Thursday, June 30, 2016

Update to Potty Training a High Needs Toddler

It's been a month. I didn't update. Why?

Well, because it didn't work. At the end of the weekend, I was in tears, I was angry, and Kaiden was just as frustrated. So, I let it go. I stopped it all. I just didn't have the energy or desire to keep putting him on the potty every twenty minutes, especially when he wasn't even going. It wasn't doing either of us any good. I emailed his preschool and told them I wasn't sure how strict they were about it, but it didn't seem to be working out. They emailed me back and told me to let it go, because it would be doing more harm than good, and they would work with him when he started school. So, that was it. We were done.

Fast forward to last weekend. We were coming home from the beach and stopped at the Delaware rest stop. They have family bathrooms there that have little potties for little kids. While I was on my big potty, Kaiden INSISTED that he wanted his diaper off so he could sit on the little potty. I put him on the potty, and although he didn't go, he did sit -- and that was a huge deal. We gave him a special treat from the store and went on our way home.

When we got home, I decided to take him with me into the bathroom whenever I had to go. I used to do this before, but he'd throw a fit and act like I was taking him into the bathroom to be murdered or something. This time, he went with me without fussing, and sat down and actually peed. But, what was more important, is that he realized that he was in control of his bladder. You could see it in his face that he understood when it would release. Every time I took him after that, he'd pee when I peed.

But, what really shocked me was when he stopped playing with my phone to tell me that he wanted to sit on his potty, and he went potty and got up and went back to playing. Then, I knew.

All those people who told me that he'd do it when he was ready...were right.

The next day was a daycare day, and he wouldn't go at daycare, but I think it is because she doesn't use potty chairs, but the seats that go on the big potty, and Kaiden doesn't like those. I put him in underpants when he got home from daycare, and aside from a poopy accident, he stayed dry for the rest of the night. This continued into Tuesday, where he stayed dry the whole day (aside from a poopy accident) in his underpants. Then came another daycare day. His provider went out and bought the same kind of potty we use at our house, and sure enough, Kaiden went the whole day on the potty and stayed dry again.

Today, I brought him to the mall for family fun day. We stayed for a few hours in his underpants, and he used his travel potty twice in the mall -- and stayed dry. <3

It is looking good, and I am hoping it keeps going well. We were using cars to motivate him, along with stickers and cookies, but today I changed the cars to coins because he was becoming a little too obsessed with them...and he has a lot of cars now. Haha.

So, I guess it is right in that they do it when they are ready. :)

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