Potty Training

We've been potty training George.  I'm not even sure how long now.  Maybe like 10 or so weeks now.  I'm not sure we will ever exit the potty training stage.  I've been dreading potty training for about as long as I can remember.  Like even maybe when I was pregnant.  I mean - how are you supposed to do it where they actually learn.  How do you explain to someone the sensation you get before you have to go potty.

Anyway - I knew it was getting to be time but I'm still not sure what I'm doing.  It's also hard because when he has accidents at daycare I don't have a clue what happened.  Like - was he distracted by playing and forgot to ask, was he on his way to the bathroom and just didn't make it, was he standing at the toilet and simply missed and got it on his undies, or did he sneak off in the corner and do his business in his pants on purpose?  All of these situations illicit a different response from me - does he just need encouragement and a pat on the back or do we need to talk about consequences and how it takes less time to pause while playing than to wet his undies.

I try to ask him at home what happened on days he has accidents.  It goes something like this.  "George you had an accident.  Can you tell me what happened"  "I peed in my undies"  "I know.  Why did you do that?"  "Because I just did.  I just peed a little"  "Why?  Did you forget to tell Diana or what happened"  "I just peed in my undies but its okay mom"  Ugh he never gives a straight answer to what happened...I realize that is because he is under 2 but it is one thing that frustrates me.

Anyway - on a positive note he has been doing pretty well going potty on his own.  He really, REALLY likes to do it on his own.  Sometimes he spends 5 minutes telling us to "stay there, I need to go potty".  Neither of us are moving mind you.  We did a sticker chart with him and he did very well with it.  It had 18 days and he could earn a sticker for having no accidents all day.  It took him maybe 25 or so days to earn all his stickers which was pretty good.  He picked out a skid steer CAT tractor "just like papa's" and "like Logan and Schaffer have".  George always plays with this tractor at his cousins house and was thrilled to earn it.  Every day we put a sticker on I would say "you are one sticker closer to earning that tractor"  he would giggle - he loved saying that.

I know the first part of my post might sound like I'm frustrated and I am a bit.  Since his sticker chart ended he has been having a lot more accidents.  He had at least three last week - including a poop one and had two accidents on Monday of this week.  I think we will have to start up another sticker chart to see if that gets us back on track.