Potty training trials.... and errors

As most of you know we're working on potty training Owen. It is a work in progress for sure. I had a funny conversation with one of my mom friends today. She left me a voicemail to call her because she had a few questions about potty training. After a few rounds of phone tag, I got a hold of her. She promptly answered, "Never mind, I already gave up." Haha! Well potty training isn't for the faint hearted, that's for sure!

Her son sat on the potty for 10 minutes and no success. 3 minutes after he got down.... well, success! She promptly slapped a diaper on him in resignation. I completely understand her feelings of defeat because I've been there..... loads of times. And am still fighting the good fight.

We've tried all sorts of routes... pictures on a piece of toilet paper to serve as targets, Cheerios to serve as targets (1st time was a huge failure as Owen tried to get the Cheerios OUT of the toilet... :/), a Potty Poster where he gets stickers for going potty, and of course the excitement of wearing big boy "underpants". (That's quoted for you to imagine Owen saying it in a deep funny voice.) Potty stickers have been a pretty good incentive. He has started applying them to other things... like that I earned a potty sticker or can he have a "brush my teeth" sticker. He's so smart!

Lessons Owen is teaching me through this adventure of potty training....

• Definitely no big boy underpants while eating and drinking.
• If he tells me that he needs to get changed, he doesn't need to sit on the potty. The deed is done.
• Potty stickers can be for anything. Why not? Positive reinforcement and association is what I'm trying to teach. Why not for brushing your teeth too?
• And mostly, that until HE WANTS to do it, there's no forcing him. 

Here's hoping once Owen has it down pat, Riley will be a synch.... HA!