Asher: Potty Trained!

Asher modeling his measure tape, which our contractor gave him

Hurray!  After almost a year of agonizing and tantrums in front of the potty, Asher is potty trained!

In Maine, we warned Asher that when we got home, his diapers were going.  He didn't argue or seem upset about it.  My mom took a collection of 60 lollipops from her friend Barbara (it was a gift that said, "Turning 60 sucks!") and we showed Asher the picture and told him the lollipops were waiting for him.

On December 28, we changed him out of his nighttime diaper and put him into underwear. We didn't have many weekend plans, so figured we'd stay close to him in case of accidents.

That Saturday he had one accident, and held his pee for hours.  He peed in the shower in the morning, and finally, at night, on the potty.  He seemed to have a lot of trouble letting go and allowing himself to pee, but he was great at holding it.

Sometime late that week, it just seemed to click.  Wednesday night (January 1st) he had several accidents, and Thursday the 2nd, he had one accident at school, and since then, nothing.

We were rewarding every pee with a lollipop, but then he caught on to how to get himself to pee, and started peeing about 6 times a day.  So we had to scale back rewards to a jelly bean or a chocolate chip for a pee and a lollipop or bigger piece of candy for a poop.

He's stayed dry through all his naps, even ones of 3 or 4 hours.  A couple of nights he was also dry, but not every night- and I don't expect him to stay dry each and every night at this point anyway.

After a week in underwear at school, his teacher threw a "Potty Party" to celebrate everyone in the class being potty trained and wearing underwear to school.  As an overachiever myself, I would never have guessed that my child would be the last in his class to do anything- but better late than never! I am also looking forward to saving all that money on diapers.

In the end, I am shocked by how easy this was.  I anticipated such drama and unhappiness for all of us!  I've made sure to give him as many hugs and kisses as I can, so that he knows he's still my "baby."  He is very proud of himself, too-- as he should be!