{Mama's tell all // Adios diapers!}

Me: Mason why did you spill your soda?

Mason: I didn't Mama. I peed

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For Mama's Tell All...

Oh man, potty training feels like many moons ago, but I still remember it. And as much as I hate to say it {because I know how difficult it can be} we got really, really lucky in the potty training department. Mason was potty trained at 33 months and it only took 4ish days with only 4 or so accidents. We were very blessed, though, that his school helped with the process. This particular school broke up the rooms like so; newborn-12 months, 12-24 mths, 2's, 3's, Pre-K. And they start potty training them in the twos classroom when they show interest. And again, we were blessed that Mason was ready at this time. I think a big factor was seeing his friends go potty {at school} and he wanted to be big like them! And honestly, I've heard that boys are just easier to potty train than girls. I can't attest to that since I don't have a little girl {Heaven help me if I ever do!}, but I can say Mason was pretty darn easy. 

Here's what worked for us...

He has to be ready...

Make sure they are 100 % ready first and foremost. If they're not ready and you push it you will only bring upon yourself many of tears, stress and frustration. I remember taking Mason to his two year well check and his sweet doctor asking me if he had any interest in potty training. I told her that there have been a couple of times when Mason wanted to potty, but nothing ever happened. She told me to not push it and just let him tell me when he was ready. She said if he's not ready and you push it then it will just be a long journey of basically trading diapers for pull-ups. Boys are stubborn and hard-headed {well, most} and want to do things when they are ready to. She was SO right! 

Talk it up...

Once they show interest start talking it up really good! How cool potty training is and what a big boy/girl they would be if they used the potty. 

Picking out a potty...

Let them decide if they want to use a little potty their size, or if they want the little ring that sits on the big potty. Mason of course didn't care one bit for a tot-sized potty. He wanted to use the big one like Daddy. 

Picking out undies...

Let them pick out their own big boy undies! They will be more inclined to wear them if they picked them out. Super heroes and Ninja Turtles are a big plus in a little boy's world!!

Avoid pull-ups...

Skip the pull-ups! I know!!! Sounds crazy. But it worked for us! I only bought one pack of pull-ups and used only two or three of them. I put one on Mason the first night. And he just peed in it instead of waking up to go potty. So I stopped using them. I had a talk with him and told him that he is wearing big boy undies and if he feels like he needs to go potty he needed to wake up to go. And that was that! To me pull-ups are basically a big boy diaper. For 2 years they have pottied in a diaper and why would a pull-up feel any different? 

Little reminders...

Tell him to go potty every 15 minutes or so, even if it's just one tiny drop. 

Praise...

A little praise goes a long way! Make a really big deal about it when he goes potty in the toilet!! Do a dance, clap, jump up and down, whatever works!!

Other little tidbits for potty training little boys...

Let them pee on trees. It's fun! And takes them to a whole other level of big boy status. But, stress the importance of only doing that at home. Ya know, so they don't do it on the playground at school.

Put a cheerio in the toilet and have them aim at it! 

Always carry extra clothes with you. It may take them a minute to remember they are in big boy undies and need to potty and it may be too late.

Something Mason's school did with the little boys...they made them sit down to potty regardless if it was going #1 or #2. That way they didn't have to think about if they needed to sit or stand each time. Saved quite a few accidents! Now of course Mason knows the difference, but potty training is overwhelming enough...every little thing helps.

Just find what works for you and go with it! And if you have a little boy get ready to clean up a lot of messes. They pee everywhere and on everything. 

What tips and advice do you have for potty training? Was it easy or hard for you?

{Potty Training}

The perks of being a boy!!

Mason started potty training on Monday, March 11th. 

And? He has pretty much conquered it!!!

That Friday before his teacher asked me to bring him undies. So, we went straight to the store to pick out some "new" ones for school. Mason was excited and picked out "Cars" undies. I packed them in his bag Monday morning and the rest is history!

They put him in undies at 8:00 am that morning and he went all day {even through nap} with no accidents. Of course when he got home he had a few accidents. He would tell us as he was going instead of before he needed to go. That only lasted a few days, though. 

He is in undies 90% of the time. He has been sleeping in our bed so best believe we throw a pull up on him at night! ha. Although, 9 times out of 10 he wakes up dry.

We are so, so proud of him!

{Update on Potty Training}

We have been working on potty training Mason lately. He does fairly well at school, but not so much at home. He has absolutely no interest in going potty at home. We've tried getting him his own little potty, using the toddler potty ring on our potty, and even just letting him use the big potty. He's not a big fan of any of them. He's only gone potty at home maybe 4 times total. We haven't been too strict with it, though. His pediatrician says to let it be his idea and when he's ready. So, I'm not that worried about it. My goal is to have him potty trained before he's three. I think we can do that :) ha!

But, a couple weekends ago I let him wear big boy undies. He was excited and did really well for maybe 2 hours and then he wet in them. He had just finished drinking a huge thing of juice and as I was saying, "Okay you just drank a lot let's go potty" he was already making a puddle on the floor! Thank God we don't have carpet!!

::Update::

Since I originally wrote this he is doing much better. He asks to go when we're at home now. He's gone #2 in the potty at school 2 times now!!!! 

{Mommy I pee pee in potty}

Those were the words that rang like music to Mama's ears!!!

During bath time a few nights ago Mason stood up and said, "Mommy I pee pee in potty". So I whipped him out and put him on his little potty. He didn't like that I sat him down on it. He stands up, faces the potty, gets in position and says "Like Daddy". 

I couldn't help but giggle!

He stood there for a few minutes and.............

NOTHING!!

He was ready to get back in the bath! 

At least we're getting closer. Nathan and I are not pushing the potty training on him, but we have introduced the idea several times. I want to start when he's ready and not force it upon him. Our pedi said it's much easier once they are ready...so that's what we're going with. For now, at least. He's only 20 months. 

What age did you start potty training?