All Aboard the Potty Train! {But the Caboose Doesn't Work}

Everyone told me that potty training would be a trying time.  That has turned out to be the understatement of the year!  I was a little concerned when Big Brother's teachers told us that he was ready to jump from diapers to underwear.  I thought Pull Ups were the next logical step.  His teachers said that Pull Ups, for the most part, just confuse kids.  They are very diaper-like and his teachers said it causes a lot of frustration.  Best to just jump right into underwear.  So, we went to the store and picked out some Lightening McQueen "Big Boy" underwear (those of you who have read my earlier posts could have probably guessed that!).  We decided that we would reward each successful potty trip with candy.  I know it looked weird that we had a huge candy jar in our bathroom!  After a while, I decided to stop rewarding with candy and start rewarding with stickers on a "potty chart".  When he fills the chart, we go to the store and he picks out a toy.  I found it was more successful to reward the habit of going to the bathroom rather that each individual act.  The first time he filled his chart, we took the chart to the toy store and went up and down the aisles, looking for his prize.  He finally picked one out and when we got to the register, I had him hand the chart to the sales clerk so that, in essence, he was "paying" for his toy with his potty chart (obviously, I took back the chart and paid with real money!).

For the most part, he has done pretty well when it comes to peeing...the only problem is that he doesn't tell us when he has to go.  We have to put him on the potty every 30 minutes or so, even if he tells us that he doesn't have to go.  Most of the time, he will have to go.  If he's playing or watching a movie....forget it!  It's an all out battle to get him to go sit on the potty!  The main issue we are having is when it comes to poop...he refuses to do it in the potty.  He tells us after the fact that he "has poop" and then it is a huge mess.  I don't want to yell at him or get mad at him because I don't want him to be afraid to tell us when he has an accident but I am at a loss of how to get him to poop in the potty.  If you were to ask him, "Where does poop go?" he would tell you, "In the potty!"  Knowing and doing seem to be two totally different things, though!

Out of shear frustration, I put him on the potty around the time I thought he should have to poop.  I gave him my iPad to play with and we waited.  And waited.  And waited.  At one point, he tooted, looked at me and yelled, "Mommy, I pooped!", but alas, not a turd in sight!  I told him he had done a good job, but that he should try to squeeze some more out.  After a total of about an hour and a half, I called an end to "Operation For Crying Out Loud, Poop Already!" and we got off the pot (because you either have to 'do it' or get off...)

 So, for now, we wait knowing that if we feed him, poop will come...