It’s convenient that potty training includes the word “train.” That’s certainly been the theme for our experience with Caleb.
He’ll be three years old (what?!) in a few months, and it was about darn time to potty train the kid. This summer, Caleb showed major interest and initiative to start using the toilet, but I had a very young baby on my hands and other big things going on, so we didn’t get serious about training him until this fall. The tried and true M&Ms method worked for a while: when he used the “potty seat” he got to have a couple little candies. That probably would have worked ad infinitum, but I saw a book of Thomas the Train stickers in the $1 section at Target and my wheels started turning, so to speak.
I never thought I’d be proud of knowing all 8 trains at a glance.
I scrawled a train track on a piece of construction paper and taped it to the bathroom door. Caleb understood that each use of the potty seat would get him a sticker, and filling up the track with stickers would get him a new train for his beloved set. He was stoked.
Chart #1. Spoiler alert: he has filled four charts to date!
Bonus incentive: Thomas underpants. Thanks Grandma!! (We have since added a pack of Cars underpants. It’s really amusing when we put a pair on him and he asks, “Who’s on my bottom? Oh it’s Mater. Mater’s on my bottom.”)
He learned this from his Uncle Ben.
He earned a few trains this way – thanks for the cheap trains, Ikea – at a rate of about a train a week. I figured he was good to go and didn’t make a new chart after the first three. Suddenly, he started having accidents. I was angry at first, interpreting this as defiance or laziness. Then I remembered that this is a very new skill and he’s two years old, so it was alright if he couldn’t will himself to remembering without a reward over his head. New train track up, this time with MANY spaces to fill and the promise of a train book!
He has been a total champion, working toward filling up the new track, and I think we’re going on 5 days accident-free. He finished the track today, so off we went to the mall to choose a book!
I know Caleb doesn’t look happy, but he was. Whether he liked it or not.
Boy Scouts of America is offering me an honorary badge for preparedness: 1 double stroller, 2 children, 2 jackets, 2 blankets, snacks, water, 1 purse with diaper bag essentials, 1 pacifier in case of baby nap attack, and (not pictured) a partridge in a pear tree.
Caleb’s excitedly looking at the mall Christmas decorations – sparkly lights everywhere! – and the kid in the back is just chillin.
An outing to the mall is quite the adventure. A 20-lb double stroller with 50+ lbs of children and gear is unwieldy, so it’s a great workout for this mama to walk the 0.8 miles each way. I also may or may not have confronted an unsafe driver in the mall parking lot, who apologized profusely for nearly mowing us down with his tow truck.
This little dinosaur was glad to be along for the ride. He’s a champ at going along with whatever adventures may come!
We picked out his book, shared a McDonald’s ice cream, and came back home.
Sleepy, proud of his new book, and diaper-free!!
Choo choo!