It is official: Isaiah is potty trained!!! As of about a month now, he has been doing his peeing and pooping on the toilet! Was it easy? No way! Was all the hard work worth it? Yes!
What did it finally take? It took persistence on my part. It took his yielding to my persistence and having the desire to do the final work necessary.
I was tired of him knowing what he was doing and yet choosing not to take the responsibility of doing it on the toilet. Even with offering rewards and incentives, it still wasn't enough to encourage him the whole way. He needed to take ownership of his choices and realize it was HIS CHOICE. Yes, it helped to explain the benefits: no more cleanings, no more diapers, underwear, flushing the toilet, washing his hands at the sink, using the bathroom, etc.
The final climb before taking flight: two days of long time-outs, while sitting in his wet and dirty clothes.
What I will say for future potty training and to others who have been there or going to be there: EACH CHILD IS DIFFERENT. Each child will need something different to encourage them along in the process. Each child will respond differently to discipline - choose wisely for your mode of discipline. Don't be afraid to be strict. Don't be afraid to get excited - even overly excited in conveying your support. PATIENCE and GRACE are needed in loads. IT IS A PROCESS.
The bigger picture: The potty training process is so much more than simply peeing and pooping in a different place and without assistance. It is about learning discipline and hard work and growth. It is about learning that growth comes with gains and losses. It is about learning not to give up, but to endure. It is about having the victory over a very hard task - even when the task seems too difficult and impossible. Has Isaiah learned these things? Yes, I believe and trust that he has. THOSE ADDITIONS TO HIS CHARACTER will stay with him the rest of his life - benefiting him in so many more ways than potty training.
Hallelujah, we have overcome. Hallelujah, Isaiah has grown and developed. He is now onto the next level of learning.
"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." Proverbs 14:23
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