Conventional Potty Training

Okay, so I just had to update this thing.

I've been toying with potty training for a while, doing sort of a part-time thing, getting warmed up to the potty, we have had the M&M's on the bathroom counter for several weeks, I kept telling Levi that if he pooped or peed in the potty that he would get one. Whenever I told him about this all he heard was that he would get M&M's. I think he totally missed the pottying thing.

Well, we have had some breakthroughs the past couple of days. He has definitely shown me that he can, in fact, hold it. I've seen him stop his pee mid stream and then a few minutes later pee on the carpet, so, yes, he has control. A few times I have put him on the potty and we got lucky where he peed. I think this started to re-enforce the idea that if he goes on the potty he will get an M&M. Or should I say "emems" as he calls them.

Every child is different, each of us are created in our own unique, special way. Levi likes his privacy. Yes, he will run around the house naked and laugh, that's not a problem, but he does not like to do his business in front of other people. Specifically me. So I have been setting him up with a book on the potty and I tell him to sit and wait here until I come back. I leave for a few minutes and he is usually standing up and pointing to the potty by then saying "oh, oh" or "potty?" And sure enough, there will be tee tees in the toilet. So, we make a big deal and say "yaaaay" and dump it into the big toilet, wash it out, flush the toilet and get an "emem" we talk about what color the emem is and how he did such a good job by peeing in the potty.

This morning I left him to do his business and I was in the next room when I heard him say "poo poo!" (you have to understand at this point, he hasn't pooped in the potty since we EC'd forever ago, and he definitely doesn't remember that. I wasn't sure if he would be okay with going poop on the potty because some kids are nervous and prefer to go in their diaper, so this was completely unexpected.) Sure enough, I came in and found his poop. We were so excited and got the wipes and wiped off and then dumped it and flushed it and he got TWO emems. It was a good day.

Now, this potty training thing might look like a breeze for me right? Maybe you are a young mom and it looks impossible. Well, this is my problem I am running into. He has so much control that he will go a little bit, get me and we will celebrate and get our emem and everything's great. But then he will want to go again. Okay, you can try again now. And then he goes again. Hm, okay, you still get the emem... but then he wants to go again, and then he pees a third time. Each time it's a little less... but I'm starting to see a little manipulation here... how do I get him to empty his full bladder so that he's not stopping himself six times while going to the bathroom just so he can get more "emems" ?

One thing I do know, I have a very smart and crafty little boy.