Potty Training...

Potty training is a really hard thing to accomplish with some kids. One would think that by the time you get to your 4th child you would have it down and it would just be second nature.

This is not the case, at least not with Jacob and I.

We tried for quite some time, I think I started back in August 2010. So it has been more than 4 months of trying to be nice, sweet, tender, loving, frustrated, mean, angry, concerned.

Some kids just don't want to do it when you want them to.

So, I tried buying toys for him and every time he would go poop in the toilet he would get a new toy. He didn't do anything the first two days. But on the 3rd day we had a party because I didn't have to change any stinky undies. Then I think it was 4 or 5 days of clean underwear. Then the kid just got lazy again, I still had some great new toys in the basket, and he wanted them but he struggled. Hm!

After a few days of changing stinky undies I decided that if he continued to go poop in his undies then I would take a toy away. His reply was, "alright, mom." I would even take his most favorite toy and he would still reply, "alright, mom." He got into the routine of even getting me a toy to put in the "poop basket", and it would usually be a toy that he loved playing with that very day.

I was talking with members of the church and they kept telling me that if a parent goes to the temple they could ask specific questions about their children and they will receive answers. No matter how small the question may seem.

I thought I should really put this to the test. I really felt silly asking about how to potty train a 3 year old. But knowing that Heavenly Father loves us and knowing that he knows all of my frustrations and knowing that he wants us to come to him for all things. I felt that I had enough faith to know that he will be there for me and that he could really truly answer my prayer. So the question came out, "what should I do about Jacob and potty training?" I know that prayers need to be more specific, but I really didn't know what else to say.

The next day Jacob pooped in his undies, I went into the bathroom with him and was very sad that he didn't go in the toilet. Jacob was sad too because he was saying, "sorry mama, sorry." I felt like it was just a task that needed to be done. I was sad but very neutral with the situation.

As I started to change his diaper, I felt a whisper, "put him back in diapers." I thought, "really? I should put him in diapers again? What is that going to accomplish? He goes potty really well. And I know he can go poop in the toilet, he just has to want to." But the feeling came again, "put him back in diapers. A child should not poop in underwear and he thinks he can, so put him back in diapers." So, I did right at that very moment. I took all of his underwear out of his drawer, and I told him, "Jacob, you are going to wear diapers until you are ready to poop in the toilet. Poop goes in diapers not underwear." Of course he said, "alright, mom."

Jacob has been in diapers for one week now. He gets frustrated with the diapers, and he still goes potty in the toilet. He has gone poop in the toilet 2 times so far, but it wasn't much. He also got to get a couple of new toys.

Tonight we were talking about how his baby brother is going to be coming soon and we started talking about diapers for some reason, and Jacob said, "ew, I not a baby, I a big boy, I don't need diapers."

Boy oh boy do I hope that is true.

Poop

So, I've got the last load of laundry going. My 3 year old informs me that he just pooped in his underwear. I cleaned him up. Then my 8 year old comes in and says, "Mom, I just pooped in my panties." I say, "Oh, that is nice. You need to clean it up." So, she does. She has had diarrhea today.

Now, the laundry is a very exciting thing to almost accomplish!! Yeah, 3 cheers for me! But, now I am contemplating, the gross pooped on cloths are rinsed off really well, but they are gross... I should probably wash them too.

I am thankful that my 8 year old is fully capable of cleaning herself up.

I am very sad that my 3 year old is still pooping in his underwear EVERY SINGLE DAY!! I went to the dollar store this weekend and bought about 10 different really cool toys, and Jacob knows that he will be getting a really cool toy IF he goes poopy in the toilet. BUT HE JUST WONT DO IT!!!

This is what I have tried... In the beginning he would have an accident and I would say, "it's okay we will try to do better next time." My other children when they would have an accident it was like all h*** broke loose, I was so mad and I think they just had fear in them that if they had an accident they better do better next time.

So, I went from... "it's okay we will try to do better next time."

to,

"aw, Jacob this is sooo sad, where should your poop go? Ya, you're right it should go in the toilet. Next time will you go poopy in the toilet? Thank you Jacob, you are awesome!!"

then,

I tried crying.

then,

I tried dry heaving.

then,

I tried having a very sad face.

I've tried m and m's

I've tried stickers

I've tried reading books to him while he sits on the toilet.

I've tried making him clean himself up. He did it twice... then he just would stand in the bathroom and cry.

Now I am trying the toys.

HE JUST DOESN'T CARE!!

He goes potty just fine. He rarely has any accidents at night. And when he does it is because we forgot to have him go before bedtime.

I need to get the potty chair that I have in storage and see if pooping in something that won't splash on him would be more appealing.

Or... maybe I need to send him to Grandmas for a week???

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Even constructive criticism would be nice. We will be having a baby in about 2 months and I was really excited that I would only be changing that sweet newborn smelling diapers. I am getting really discouraged that I will be changing underwear also.

On a brighter note, at least he isn't doing this in public and at least it is usually just one time a day, I guess it could be worse.