Pottastrophy

We have been given a lot of potty training advice, but no one warned me this could happen....

We've been making slow progress toward Oliver using the potty.  He understands the process (food digestion), he tells us sometimes when he is about to go potty, he asks to have his diaper changed (or tells us he does not want to change his diaper and wants to walk around in his dirty diaper), and on a few occasions we have gotten him to sit on the potty (usually with his clothes on).  But, his common phrase is "I am not ready, wait until I'm a little bigger."  So we don't push.

The Montessori preschool we are hoping he gets into for the fall requires that the kids are potty trained or you lose your spot.  So we decided to try to up the incentive.  A couple weeks ago we bought a bunch of matchbox and train cars and wrapped them up, "potty presents."  We have been offering these potty presents in exchange for sitting on the potty for at least two weeks.  No interest.

Last night, he had a dirty diaper.  Before putting him in the bath, I put the poop on the potty and set him on the big toilet (with a kids seat).  He did great.  Even peed a little so he got a potty present.  I asked him again this morning about the potty, but he did not want to sit on it.

So tonight (note Joe is working) before bath, Oliver said he wanted to use the potty.  We have little trainer potties in both bathroom.  So I asked if he wanted to use the big potty or the little potty.  I am giving you the exact quote, I swear...

"Daddy is a big guy and uses the big potty.  I am a little guy, I want to use the little guy potty."

Ok, so he sits on the little potty.  Does great, makes a thimble worth of pee.  Gets a potty present.  Huge celebration, he is happy, I am happy.  He takes his bath.

After bath, he wants to use the potty again and get another potty present.  I tell him that he only gets the potty present if he goes pee or poop in the potty.  This child proceeds to sit on the potty...and sit...and sit...asks me to read him books...he gets up to adjust his bum...read more books...put on shirt and socks...get up and stretch...read more books...at least 30-45 minutes go by.

 We tried running water, drinking water, putting his hand in warm water, and I even got on the big potty next to him and peed, but the poor kid could not pee.  He was so committed to the potty present and by this point moving past bed time that he soon started to cry and would not get off the potty.  I gave him the potty present to get him to leave the potty and put the rest of his PJs on.

Shortly after getting him into bed, he lost it.  Screaming about wanting to use the potty, wanting to poop in the potty, wanting to take his diaper off. For another 30-45 minutes he was hysterical about using the potty again.  Eventually, he cried himself to sleep.

What a disaster.  I don't know if he will wake up wanting to spend the day on the potty or if he will never want to use it again because he is traumatized for life.