Learning To Use The Potty (private for Carrie96 and me)

[Omo90210]

Carter ran back to the play room to join James.

[Carrie96]

Sharon continued to make Carter try to potty every thirty minutes, hoping he would get annoyed and tell her he didn't need to be reminded when to go.


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[Omo90210]

On the third mandated trip to the potty, Carter was finally able to pee-pee.

[Carrie96]

Soon before Sharon expected Anna to arrive to pick up Carter, she took the boys outside to play. She was going stir crazy.


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[Omo90210]

Paul came home earlier than usual, changed clothes, and got two beers out of the refrigerator when he realized Sharon and the boys were outside.

[Carrie96]

"They've played together very well," Sharon answered. She took a few sips of beer before continuing. "Carter didn't use the toilet once this morning, so I've been taking him regularly this afternoon, hoping he'll get tired of going so often and start going by himself again. And James wet during his nap, but he hasn't had any other accidents. He has a lot of accident-free days now, but I'm also usually reminding him to pay attention to whether he needs to go several times a day. I didn't remind him once today, though. I think he's been careful not to have an accident with Carter here....Speaking of which, it's about time for Carter to take another potty trip." She set her beer down and called for Carter to come to her.

[Omo90210]

"Don't hafta goooo," Carter whined, knowing exactly what Sharon wanted.

[Carrie96]

"James also hasn't pee-peed in his pants today, except for during his nap," Sharon explained. "Next time you're here, if you can show me that you'll go potty by yourself and not wet your pants, then I won't make you go so much." She led Carter to the bathroom and waited.


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[Omo90210]

Excited to go back outside, Carter quickly went potty without much fuss.

[Carrie96]

"What?" Sharon murmured. She was oblivious to the boys, since Paul was watching them for the time being.


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[Omo90210]

"I think it's safe to say that James's streak is over," Paul answered.

[Carrie96]

Sharon jumped up. "Come on, sweetie, let's go potty," she urged.


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[Omo90210]

James moved toward her as quickly as he could, gripping the front of his shorts the whole way, but a final wave of desperation hit him before he'd reached the deck.

[Carrie96]

"Come on, let's try to make it--oh, honey." Sharon knelt beside James when she saw the wet stain spread through his fingers and across his crotch. "Honey, you did so good today. You kept your pants dry for most of the day, with a friend to distract you and without Mommy reminding you to go potty! It was just an accident. Let's go change."

[Omo90210]

James waited for his pee-pee to finish pushing its way out,

[Carrie96]

Sharon quickly got James cleaned up, rinsed out his wet clothes, and helped him step into dry training pants and shorts. "There we go, sweet boy. All better. Do you still have to pee-pee a little bit, or did it all come out?"

[Omo90210]

It's all gone," James mumbled.

[Carrie96]

Anna arrived to pick up Carter soon after Sharon and James got back outside. "How was he?"

"He wet his pants twice this morning, and his pull-up was wet when he woke up from his nap. I think he's honestly holding it until he can't anymore, he just won't go to the toilet when he knows he has to go. I didn't fuss at him at all, but I did clean him up and change him a little more slowly than normal, hoping he would see that it was faster to stop playing and go potty than to wet his pants."

Anna rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. What about this afternoon?"

"I started making him try to potty every thirty minutes. He had to either sit for five minutes or pee-pee before he could get up. He didn't like it, but I told him that I wouldn't make him do that next time he came over if he could prove to me that he would go potty by himself before he wet his pants. I think he's starting to see that using the potty is more convenient than the consequences of having an accident."


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[Omo90210]

James and Carter continued playing, oblivious to the fact that Anna had arrived.

[Carrie96]

"Thanks, Sharon," Anna replied. "I'll keep that up tonight and tomorrow. I think it did both of us some good to have a break from each other. I know he's not having accidents to make me angry, but he can also control it, for the most part, so it's hard to stay patient. I did miss him by this afternoon, though."

Sharon nodded. "I know. It's so much easier to be patient with other people's children. James is still too young to have a good grasp on the potty thing, but it's hard for me to stay patient sometimes, too. Why don't you let me have another day with Carter tomorrow? Maybe we can make a little more progress, and I got so much work done with him here to entertain James. I won't have so much to do tomorrow and can relax a little bit."

"Let you?! He is all yours! I'll reciprocate with James sometime next week."

"Sounds good."


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[Omo90210]

Carter looked up and realized Anna had arrived.

[Carrie96]

Anna leaned down and picked Carter up. "Hey, my big boy! Were you good today for Miss Sharon?"


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[Omo90210]

Carter nodded uncertainly.

[Carrie96]

"He was great," Sharon said, patting his back. "He was so good, we want him to come back and play with James again tomorrow, if he wants to!"


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[Omo90210]

Carter and James both nodded excitedly.

Paul went inside and gathered Carter's things while they were talking.