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Try to see it my way


We have decided to undertake the potty training beast, the beast being the task of potty training, though our preschooler could actually be the beast. After all, don't beasts use the woods instead of the restroom? D would be fine with that. I went to Target and bought a variety of underwear, 2 packs of the extra thick Gerber training pants, 2 packs of the waterproof training pant covers, and 1 pack of the 2-in-1 waterproof training pants with covers already on. Then we went to the party store and bought a pack of pirate treasure chest favor boxes, a pack of gold coins, a treasure chest coin bank, and 4 bags of chocolate gold coins. The coins we call "gold dubloons," of course. His favorite show right now is Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Here's the plan: we are going to give him, for now, a chocolate gold dubloon from the treasure chest coin bank (I haven't assembled the party favor boxes yet, but the coin bank is sturdier) everytime he uses to potty. We are focusing only on potty training for the day at this point in time, as advised by my mother. Because we will be visiting family soon and I wanted to try this out before I descend upon their house with a preschooler in crinkly underwear, I came home and put D in a pair of the thick underwear with the 2-in-1 waterproof training pants with cover over top, just as extra precaution. They seemed much more absorbent than the waterproof covers. Before I put them on, I walked him in to the bathroom and showed him the treasure chest with the chocolate gold dubloons, then put it up on a high shelf that he cannot reach, explained he will get one once he uses the potty, and put the underwear on him, just like Daddy wears. He kept repeating he will get a gold dubloon when he uses the potty, just like Daddy. I smiled, happy that he was understanding the concept. We walk out of the bathroom and he runs over to the kitchen table and pushes a truck on the bench. I put away his clothes, he waddles after me. I grow suspicious. "D," I ask, "are you wet?"


"Yup! Do I get a gold dubloon?" he's all smiles.


"No, D. No, you do not." Again we walk in the bathroom and I show him the treasure chest, change his pants, which absorbed EVERYTHING, and set him up with a cup of water and a Barney movie. I tell W that I'm running to Target to buy more training pants and take off. I cannot believe that the first five minutes of big boy underwear and he's already wet himself. However, I did learn that the underwear will not leak if you catch it quick enough, so I wanted to buy more while I knew they had some. A woman walked up to the training pants as I was clearing out the row of the 3 packs with a pattern on them and the last pack of all white training pants, as well as the last pack of 2-in-1 training pants, and 2 more waterproof covers (there were a lot more of those). She looks at my basket and asks, "Are you buying all of those?"


"Yes, ma'am," and then I walked away. This. Is. Happening. One day D WILL be potty trained. I called my momma while I was out and told her about the accident. She laughed and assured me that D will be potty trained sooner or later; he isn't going to end up in college wearing training pants. Are you sure, Momma? I don't know if that would bother him. He seems quite content with the diaper system.


So pray for us. I don't think I'm going to dedicate the weekend to it, the 3 in 3 system. I think we will try it out for a few hours a day until we get to my parents' house and can put more time and energy into it. But I keep having these concerns, what happens when he says he has to go NOW while I am feeding his twin brothers? What about the drive home from my parents' house? What happens if it doesn't happen at my parents' house, even with their hardwood and tile floors, and fenced in backyard (we live in a carpeted apartment)? I just know that I am getting very close to being done with three children in diapers.
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