Yeah for Owen!

You give your preschooler a lot of praise.  Maybe a goodly chunk of it is not really deserved.  But Owen fully deserves a crown and a kingdom in my book for his pottying.  He is full time diaperless during the day, and I can't remember the last accident.  We've had more than a handful of successful outings, and he's even tolerating using non-familiar facilities while we're out and about.  This has been a really good lesson for me.  I always think that the strictest, toughest option must be the best.  (Growing up I always felt a little guilty every time I saw an Amish person because I felt so licentious next to them and figured they were living a more disciplined life and therefore were superior in some way...not that I thought they were 'right', but I still always had these feelings.)  But in the case of potty-training we surprisingly went the let-nature-take-its-course route.  We did a little bit of talking about it and encouraging the idea, but no ultimatums or pushing him when he was resisting.  It totally paid off!  If I had decided to lay down an ultimatum with Owen we would not be having as much success right now, I can 100% confirm that.  Gentle, positive, patient waiting for him to get on board was the way to go this time around.  I wish I could believe sleep would have been the same way and I should have chilled out more and he would have slept better on his own.  But on that one I think the tough road was necessary.  I mean, waiting for potty training means you change a few more diapers...big deal.  Waiting for improved sleep means everyone is in pain, and not getting enough sleep is unhealthy (I can attest to this...since Asher's sick and we have been answering him when he cries at night, we are ALL in pain right now.  4am wake up call this morning!).

Since I started this post a couple days ago...

Owen is hilarious today!  I bought him a potty seat insert for the grown-up toilet.  Because I'm getting tired of emptying the little potty.  I wrapped it up like a present and gave it to him at breakfast.  Bingo!  He loves it, and I think we're already done with the other one.  This afternoon he comes up to me and says, 'Mommy can I go pees and poops?'  Why yes Owen, you may!   Do you need some help?  'NO Mommy.  Mommy, go be BUSY!'  He disappears, shuts the door to the bathroom and 10 minutes later I wonder what's going on.  I go in and he is going to the bathroom.  He wants me OUT!  Now, he runs out of the bathroom about every 5 minutes with his pants around one ankle and says, 'Mommy, I can use dat potty all by myself!  Mommy, I'm a BIG boy' and runs back and sits some more.  Right now, he has been in there for about 10 minutes and it's rather aromatic in the vicinity (sorry, TMI...but this is a significant detail because he has been constipating himself for months because of not wanting to use a potty and having difficulty with the diaper for reasons I won't explain.)

When it clicks, it clicks.

He could wrangle just about any treat out of me right now...if only he knew ;)