Oh, the joys of potty training

I missed the right window with Ivo. He seemed to be ready a year and a half ago, only just two years old: staying dry for long periods, telling me when his diaper needed changing, not wanting to poo unless in bed. Because I was on bedrest with our youngest at the time I just couldn't do it. There was no way I could rush him to the potty every time he'd ask for it. So I decided not to tell him the thing existed. He completely lost interest by the time our youngest was born fifteen months ago.

After numerous tries on my end starting last summer (a couple of weeks at a time, going back to diapers every time they proved not to be ready yet), having them sit on the potty with their diaper on, going cold turkey (naked in summer, clothes on in winter) and even full on bribery (stickers, toys, chocolate, ANYTHING), I was ready to just give up.

They suddenly decided they didn't want to wear diapers anymore (while awake) about three months ago. Just like that. It went great with anything liquid: Ivo managed to poop on the potty/toilet every other time, but Robin just didn't know how to let go of her poop sitting down. Weeks and weeks of washing out dirty underwear several times a day ensued. At one time I was so so so sick of it that I was on the phone with my mom, crying "They will NEVER get this! I will be washing out their pooped-in underwear until they go to college!! Oh wait. They probably won't even GO to college... I will be washing out their poopy stuff until I DIE!!"

Of course my daughter was in the bathroom with me right at that very moment. And there she went. Pooped on the toilet successfully for the very first time. For Grandma. Of course. Sigh...

About two weeks later they both decided they didn't want to wear a diaper at night, either. Or during long car rides. Oh oh... Shit!

But it appears they themselves knew they were ready before I did. I have had to change the bedding only three times in two and a half months. Twice in the first week, once after they had a very busy few days. There have been quite a few daytime accidents, but those were mostly 'not quite getting to the toilet in time' (Ivo with peeing, Robin with pooing). No real accidents in the past two weeks.

I had a box of m&m's in the fridge in the beginning: they could have one after every successful pee/poo. We hadn't touched it in weeks, they just stopped asking for it one day and I didn't remind them.

Just Yesterday I said to them "You know what? It's time for a celebration! You are both big kids now, we don't need those anymore. Let's go eat them ALL!!"

They dug into it like there was no tomorrow! Chocolate was EVERYWHERE! And after it was all gone they were so proud of themselves. "We are BIG kids now, aren't we, mommy?"

My kids are growing up. Sometimes it seems to take forever for them to get there. But mostly it just happens so fast I see them walking in front of me, chatting away at each other, and just don't know what hit me...