Potty training update

I am here with a Potty training update! I started potty training kayden shortly after he turned 2. He was going through less diapers and i thought it was a great time, and we could also save some money. We decided to go the pull up route. Worst decission i ever made. Kayden never 100% got the concept down. What i mean by that is, some days he would go through 1 pull up and other days it was never ending.

It wasn't untill the beginning of July that i hit my breaking point. I couldn't change another pull up. Kayden knew to pee in the toilet but he was scared to poop. Luckily it was a long weekend and curtis decided we were going to switch over to underwear. We were both home and would be able to help each other out. I will admit i felt overwhelmed. We had about 5 pairs of underwear for kayden, and he wet each one. I felt like i was washing underwear out all day. But atleast he understood the concept of using the toilet. He didnt like how pee, and most importantly poo felt in his underwear. The first 2 days were tough but he slowly got better. There were less and less accidents everyday.

The day before we started we let him pick out a treat at the store, kayden chose skittles. Whenever he used the toilet successfully he got a freeze or skittles. He was so excited to run over and pick out a sweet treat. Keep in mind, kayden doesn't eat a lot of junk so this extra amount was the best thing that could've happened to him.

He slowly realized if he used the toilet there would be a treat for him. He got the peeing down fast. It was the pooping that proved to be a struggle. He knew what it felt like to have poop in his pants, but he was also scared to poop in the toilet! It got to the point where he would hold his poop for 3 days straight. I could tell he was bloated and uncomfortable. He did this for about a week. One day he pooped 2 days in a row!. The first time he pooped he screamed and cried. I tried telling him it was okay and everyone poops in the toilet. His dad even sang a whole song and celebrated. As a reward we took him to McDonald's ( his favorite spot). I explained to him he is getting McDonald's because he pooped in the toilet. I honestly thought he got the concept down. But another 3 days went by till he did it again. I honestly feel Kayden beleived the discomfort wasnt worth it anymore. He stopped crying and started being happy whenever he pooped. He loved flushing the toilet and pulling the toilet paper. I told him he could only do so when he pooped.

Ever since he has gotten a handle of things he has become more independent. He wants to do everything himself now. It is bitter sweet to see him grow up. 2 weeks ago he needed me for everything and now he doesnt need me at all.

If i have learned anything about potty training, its there is no one way to do it. Every child is different, which makes them learn differently. Its all about learning what works and what doesn't. I have been trying to potty train Kayden since September. I couldn't understand what i was doing wrong, and i believed pull ups were similar to underwear. In fact pulls ups feel like diapers to toddlers. When they have an accident, they don't feel the same discomfort/any discomfort which could potentially hold back their training.

Its been 3 weeks and i haven't had an accident in two and a half weeks. I am so proud of kayden, but i also know accidents can still happen. Now on the weekend, we let kayden pick a place to eat at. He usually wants McDonald's or tim Hortons so its never anything expensive. This allows kayden to have a reward and have an incentive for staying dry.

Our next step is night time potty training. Kayden does wear a diaper at night and when he takes a nap. He has expressed that he doesn't want to wear it anymore and he consistently wakes up dry. That will be another challenge for us, and i cant wait to update all of you on it!