Potty Fairies Don't Exist

At least this time around.  Apologies in advance.  Feel free to skip this post if potty talk doesn't interest you.  When Nate was potty training, we tried to play a game, "aim for the Cheerio". (Yes, we were silly enough to have floating cheerios in our toilet bowl). Then we tried the M&M thing. A candy bribe for each time there was a success.  Neither game must have been enough incentive though.  One M&M for each time he produced? He was over it.  But then the Potty Fairy showed up on the scene. At almost 4.5 years old, he was fully potty trained.  The Potty Fairy was similar to a Tooth Fairy.  Instead of money Nate got a small prize, like a match box car or a board book.  Mostly whatever I could find from the dollar store since it was such a long process;)

Fun letter to Nate from one of the Potty Fairies....

We weren't sure whether LJ would have either the strength to hold himself up long enough or the muscle awareness/control to work on potty training.  (Let alone whether we needed to enlist the Potty Fairy).  Bring it on cerebral palsy!  I have it on good word the Potty Fairy would have gladly delivered treats as success demanded.  However, he did it!!  He is using a plain, regular ole potty seat with handles on it.  When he feels he needs to be taken, he uses his left hand to sign potty.  The sign is the letter "p" shaken from side to side.  We help him get on and off the seat and he waves us out of the bathroom to take care of business.  And the thing that gave him enough desire to use the potty?  This beautifully crafted stamp chart.  1 for Pee.  2 for Poo. (Thank you Anna!)  No glitter glue, no candy, no bells, no whistles.  Just the desire to be like his peers at school and his big brother.

LJ is potty trained for the most part!  We've had a few accidents here and there, but its usually if we haven't planned our outings well enough.  He still wears a pull-up at night, but I am just so proud of him.  He's been coming home dry from school for the past month now.  His teacher and Bop are now working together to engineer something for the bathroom at school to prop him up while at the same time using his only functional hand to pull up his pants independently.  There's a grab bar already, but the problem is LJ only can use one hand.  No small task when his tone frequently causes him to lose his balance and he can't stand on his own.  If anyone knows of something like this that already exists, it would be great to not have to re-invent the wheel.

I'm so ecstatic not to be lugging a million pull-ups along with me every time we go out.  Potty fairies, potty charts, and big-boy pants....we are now a diaper-free household.