Potty Training

One of the hardest things I have ever done is attempt to potty train Teagan. He is the most stubborn person I know. He showed plenty of interest and according to the many books I read, he showed all the signs of readiness. He started out really well. His pediatrician suggested sticker charts to help him earn a prize. We had our trip to Disneyland already planned and so we decided to make that his prize. He worked hard and by the time the trip rolled around, he was doing great.

We went to Disneyland and he was nearly 100% accident free. Then we got home. Once he earned his prize he didn't want to do it anymore. There was NO convincing him to pick it back up either. We struggled for months trying to get him to go potty again. He was certainly capable.

Fast forward six months and we had a short trip planned to Las Vegas. Teagan was really being stubborn and frustrating with going potty, but he did pretty well on the trip. While on the trip, Teagan had a reaction to some sunscreen we used and got a pretty bad rash on his face. Once home, the rash wasn't going away so we took him to the doctor.

The doctor treated the rash and I was also able to talk to him about Teagan's potty training. He told me not to worry, that Teagan was only 3 and would pick it up when he was ready. Then he turned to Teagan and said, "Teagan, you are a big boy now and need to go potty in the toilet." Teagan tilted his head to the side, sighed and said "oh-kaaaaay." I didn't think much of it.

We drove home and he told me he needed to go potty. I was encouraged by his enthusiasm and praised his efforts. A few hours later, he told me again. I was getting excited by his continued interest. This continued on for the rest of the day! He was going potty! I wasn't going to let myself get too excited. He would have days like this before and then still decide to quit. The next morning he woke up and told me he needed to go potty! He is still doing it! He later told me "Mama, if I don't go potty in the toilet, the doctor will give me a shot!" It then occurred to me that the last time he had been to the doctor was for an immunization. Teagan thought that agreeing to go potty was the reason this particular doctor visit didn't include a shot.

Ever since then, he has been completely potty trained. I guess he just needed the right motivation. I am so glad we are past that stage in life! Oh and one other thing I thought was funny. We got him a pair of boxer briefs in case he liked that better. They are white, knee-length shorts with spiderman on them. He put them on and immediately got so excited. "I have big boy pants just like daddy!!!" I guess I should have thought of that sooner :)

Darryl Pearson, RN

College is rough. Darryl's experience was no exception. It's been a long and difficult road, but he made it! I am so proud of what he has accomplished. Darryl has worked tirelessly toward this goal and he will make a great nurse.

When Darryl's last semester of nursing school began I was talking to my dad about how excited I was that he was nearing the end. I told him I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. He said to me something that really stood out. "You know what the light at the end of the tunnel means, right? It's either the end of the tunnel or an oncoming train!" Of coarse he was just kidding around, but as finals approached and the stress level in our home was intensified, it sure felt like we were about to be hit by a train.

It may seem selfish of me, but I feel like I worked hard toward this too. My big ambition in life is to be a stay-at-home-mom. I felt a little like I sacrificed a part of that to support my family during Darryl's schooling. I worked full time during the hardest and most stressful times in our lives so far. After being gone from my son all day, I would come home from work and just lay next to him while he was sleeping. People always say to enjoy the precious youth of your children since it's a mere fleeting moment in time. Never has the thought of that hurt me more than during the times I was away from my son. It still pains me to know I missed most of his second year of life.

Enough about me. Darryl is the real hero here. He worked the very hardest and sacrificed the most. We calculated the number of hours he spent away from home and it was nearly double the 40 hours a week I put in. Between clinicals, study groups, class time and a part time job, he still managed to get his homework done and get decent grades. I am so proud of all the hard work he put in toward a career.