Priceless

Twenty-five pairs of big boy undies: $24

Pull-ups for nap time that pass as "nighttime undies": $8.99

Assortment of sweet and salty snacks as rewards for going potty: $25

Forty juice boxes, to promote lots of potty visits: $28

Saying goodbye to diapers two weeks before your 2nd birthday: Priceless

I'm going to tackle potty training Ben during this long weekend using the same 3-day method that I used with Tommy. Why so soon?  Because he is so ready for this step.  He goes pee in the potty any time I put him on, he swipes Tommy's underwear from his drawer and tries to put them on, imploring, "Wear undies?", and he has the physical ability to hold his urine for long periods of time (up to 2-3 hours).  He stays dry for naps, but not overnight (which I've realized is not a sign of readiness, despite what many sources say.) 


After reading this book, I started working with him at 18 months on going to the potty at regular intervals throughout the day, such as when he wakes up in the morning, before and after meals, before and after nap, before we leave the house, and before bedtime.  He's very good at going pee at those times and sometimes holds it between those times, but not reliably. He needs work on recognizing when needs to pee and holding it before he gets to the toilet, which is where the 3-day method comes in.  It's a crash course for kids in learning to recognize the urge in time to go to the potty.  


This time around, I'm actually looking forward to the training.  I learned a lot from my experience with Tommy and bought watered-down versions of juice boxes (Trader Joe's sells 1/2 water, 1/2 juice boxes) and mostly salty snacks, as well as some fiber snacks that will hopefully promote solid movements during the training, so we don't end up with another child who refuses to go #2 in the potty for seven months after being potty trained.  


I'm also looking forward to having three whole days alone with Benji, who normally doesn't have the benefit of my undivided attention.  It's going to be (mostly) fun to have nothing to do besides staying by Ben's side and play games all day.  Besides the supplies listed above, I'll also be stocking up on favorite shows & books from the library as well as digging out some forgotten toys from our closets.


Mark and Tommy will be having fun daddy-son dates each day of training.  I'm not sure what they have planned yet, but I know Mark is looking forward to spending one-on-one time with his son.