Potty Training A Stubborn 3-yr Old

 Warning; lots and lots of bathroom talk to follow.

Day 10...... That's how many days into this ordeal I am. I decided that, now that I am home full time, I have the time to finally potty train Anthony. See, I'd planned on doing it several times before now, but would start, and wouldn't end up having the time to commit to be able to finish the job. I'd even taken him to buy his own "big boy" underwear. That was not enough of a motivation for him I guess.

See, my dear sweet little Anthony is the shy, silent type, in public anyway. He'll hide behind me or bury his face into my leg if someone he doesn't really know tries to communicate with him. He frequently hollers "Mom!" at me just to tell me "I love you mommy," in his little mumble voice. Frequently he mumbles and talks really quite. He is also very stubborn. No, I will not blame it completely on his father's genes. Oh yes, Tony is quite stubborn, but I think I equal him with my own stubbornness. So basically one of our children was doomed to get a good helping of it in their personalities. Honestly, more than one child got it, but Anthony is blatantly so. An example. "Anthony, it's lunch time and we don't have books at the table for lunch, please give it to me." He walks past me and puts it in the window seat. Granted he solved the issue, but that wasn't what I'd asked. This is quite common with this particular child. More often than not, he will do what he wants, unless threatened with time-out or spanking, or revoking of some privilege or prize. Many times in those instances, he cries and I still have to make him comply. But he is so DANG cute, and he's my little bear. (He hates it when I call him that and corrects me every time - "I'm not little bear, I'm An-tony!!!") It's probably the only reason he hasn't been sold. I'd make good money off those green-eyes-and-thick-blond-hair looks of his, you know.

Anyway, now that you have an idea of the personality I'm up against, let me vent entertain you.

I started last Monday. Tony had asked me what I had planned on doing that week, since I don't work at a paying job anymore. I told him, "I'm not buying any more diapers for Anthony, I'm potty training him this week." Ok, now we are on week two, but anyway. I took Anthony to the store to pick out his choice of candy for rewards. He was excited. I let him put on big boy underwear. He was excited. I told him to sit on the toilet and try and go potty. Nope, not so excited now. I felt like I was fighting him over it every time I tried to get him to sit on the toilet. I don't even want to count how many messes I cleaned up and underwear put in the laundry the first day either! When I'd realize he'd peed in his underwear, I wouldn't get angry, just ask him oh so nicely where he had peed so I could clean it up. I would even explain I wasn't mad, just needed to know so I could clean up the mess. He still wouldn't tell me. One time he told me the couch. Nope, nothing on the couch. I figured it out about five min later when I stepped in a puddle on the carpet. In my socks. LOVE that feeling.

Tuesday, same thing. Wednesday was worse, because he needed to poop. Anthony has pooping issues. We still haven't figured out if it's a mental or physical issue. He's on Myralax daily, (at least the days I remember, which is most 98% of the time). He still gets blocked up now and then. I don't know if it's because he holds it in and doesn't want to poop, or just has troubles pooping. Well it gets to the point he dances around on his tip toes and whines. Sometimes this can go on for a couple days, but all we can do is wait. Enemas make it worse. Sometimes his little body tries sooo hard to poop, that the more liquid stuff stuck behind the blockage, gets squeezed out. Well, Wednesday this was the exact case. I found myself cleaning up more poop smears than the last time we had a puppy in our house. So I threw in the towel. I put him in a diaper and told him if he was gonna be a baby, not go potty in the toilet, and have to wear diapers, then he was taking a nap like a baby. Not my finest mommy moment. He was not happy. (Me neither buddy). Alex, of course chimed in, that Anthony wasn't making mommy happy was he, and it makes mommy really happy when we go potty in the toilet. Exactly, little man.

That night, I gave all the kids a bath, because I'd let them play outside in the puddles while I worked in my flower beds. (I totally over did it and my pregnant belly told me all about it the rest of the evening). After bathing, Alex had to pee, so he stood at the porcelain throne and peed, just like he has been for years. Well Anthony wanted to be like his big brother and join in, so he stood on his tip toes and peed right next to Alex. All by himself, no coaxing, nothing. I saw the whole thing. He was so excited! So was I! He came running to me, telling me all about it and asking if he had made me happy. Of course, I followed my cue and gushed all about how happy he had made me. He asked if he could put underwear on again, and I sadly told him that no, it was bed time and he had to wear a diaper to bed. As I gave him a kiss and hug good night, he pleaded with me, "Mommy, can I  please wear underwear tomorrow? I don't wanna wear a diaper." Absolutely!


Together, somehow, we had hit a major milestone. He is now super-duper excited to make me happy and go potty in the toilet. I think he also enjoys having power over Alex when it comes to the treats. Every time he gets a treat, he can let Alex and Autumn have one to, if he wants. So he makes Alex as him, e-v-e-r-y-t-i-m-e. (Alex even made the mistake of asking me, and Anthony said "No Alex, you have to ask me!") We've had a few accidents, but only maybe 3 or 4 pee ones since Thursday, and it's Wednesday again. He even asked if he could wear underwear to church when I told him we needed to put a diaper on him. He promised no peeing in his underwear at church. He kept his promise, through three hours of church too! He still hasn't pooped in the toilet. Heck, halfway through typing this I had to go clean him up from pooping in his underwear. Even though this is taking waaaay longer than anticipated, and I still get frustrated, I think we will both come out of this alive, and my little stubborn, tender hearted, three year old, potty trained.


P.S. Autumn seems to want in on the action too, yesterday she lifted the front of her dress and walked up to the toilet while Alex was peeing. It was too funny. Maybe she'll potty train waaaay early. Wouldn't that be awesome!