SUCCESS!!

Lots to write about, but I wanted to share the best first.

I have been meaning to post on this subject for a week or so, but never found the time. The subject is potty training and my intense frustration with it. We have been working with Austin off and on for about 2 years. We never really got much of anywhere, even though we had some sporadic luck about 6 months ago. At Christmas I put my foot down and we started bribing with anything and everything. I talked to the his pediatrician and she just said he will when he's ready. All along I kept envisioning my boy starting kindergarten in a pull up. It took about 2 weeks but we got him pee trained. He was only occasionally having accidents.

At the twins 3 year check up in early Feb their pediatrician asked how potty training was going with the twins. I tersely replied that I'd work on the twins once I got my 4 year old trained. She didn't seem impressed that my older son still wasn't trained.

The BM was a much bigger issue. He won't tell us he has to go, he keeps telling me he's scared, we trying reasoning with him and talking it through. We told him it was 'his job'. We told him no more sleep overs at Nana and Big Papa's. We even brought his favorite special ed teacher in on the bribery. She is offering ice cream sundaes at HER house. He only gets to go to HER house when he does something extra special. I even told him I would willingly put a pull up or diaper on him just to poop, but he would NEVER tell us, just sneak off into a corner and go in his underwear. It is so much more difficult to clean up. Finally last week I had a near breakdown regarding the pooping. As I was trying to clean him up a bunch of poop fell on the bathroom floor. The horrible mother that I am gave him paper towels and made him pick up the poop and clean the floor himself!! He was NOT happy. He started to hold it so as not to upset me. I felt I had failed.

Then on Sunday...a breakthrough. We had people over for the Daytona 500. My kids were in rare form...I think someone slipped them some sugar. Chaos was reigning. Time outs were being handled out frequently. I think we pushed my neighbors baby planning back a few years.

Jeff and I knew our pizza would be arriving shortly so we were trying to clean the kitchen and clear space. The next thing I knew I looked over to see Austin going pee. Then I heard Ben say he wanted to go too. Well I am NOT going to nix that. So Ben climbs onto the big potty and Austin says he wants to sit on the potty chair. I went back to the kitchen. I knew they were playing in there by the volume level, but I was busy and let it go. A few minutes later I walked over to check on them and Austin was yelling at me to leave him alone. I had a feeling things were 'going' well. I told Jeff so. I gave it another minute and went to check on him again. And he was all excited and said he went poop. I screamed and cheered and Ben screamed and cheered and we got him cleaned up and our friends all screamed and cheered. He was so excited and so proud and he said 'Mommy I'm not scared anymore'. We called Grandma Sandey, and Nana and even Miss Nancy. They all screamed and cheered for him. I am so excited and Austin keeps asking if we are proud of him (which we are)...now I just have to pay up. I owe him an awful lot of gifts. He seems to remember EVERYTHING I have ever offered as a bribe :) I might just go broke, but if we truly have had a breakthrough, it'll be well worth every penny.