A Recent Dialogue

For the last few weeks Gabriel has been mastering the art of potty training. At a little over 2 1/2 (32 months) he is now fully potty trained! YIPEE! Yes, this is a huge milestone for us. With the exception of night time pull-ups and the extra cloth diapers (some that are in storage in the garage, and others are waiting to be mailed to a friend)... The Steele family is diaper free!

Gabriel gets a "M&M party" after a bowel movement. A party consisting of everyone present clapping and cheering for him and we all get several M&M's. If you think taking about potty training and bowel movements is grotesque; you either haven't had small children or you haven't changed a very dirty diaper recently to realize what a huge deal this is!

A recent dialogue in our house:

"Mommy... Let me out of bed! I have to go to the bathroom! I have to poop!"- Gabriel

"Okay, Gabriel." After setting him on the potty, "Here you go sweetheart."- Me

"Mommy... I'm going to get a party!"- Gabriel

"Really?"- Me

"Yes, I have to poo!"- Gabriel

After he is done... he tells me about his big poop and then washes his hands. Then we have a "M&M party".

James then suggests, "Mommy, he would have pooped earlier! You should make him a chart."

"A chart? A reward-incentive chart?"- Me

"Yes, Mommy. A chart. Where he gets stamps each time after he poops. He probably wouldn't wait until bedtime to poop then," James. (James for the record is the king of reward incentive charts... He loves them. I'm not sure what I am going to do if they stop working.)

"Okay, that's a great idea. But I think Gabriel needs instant reward incentives at his age." - Me

"Well, we should make him a chart too. Once he gets enough stamps he can earn a train. Maybe two trains... One for him and one for me." - James

I'm chuckling at this point. Then I ask James, "Why do you get a Train also for his hypothetical potty training rewards chart?"

"Because I helped teach him how to use the potty! And I'd really like another train!"-James

The boys share a room in our house. Gabriel who is now snuggling up in his crib and settled now pipes up and says, "I don't want a train. I want M&M's and a BIG FISH!"

I'm laughing still. And James says, "Okay a train for me, and a big fish and M&M's for him (pointing from his bed across the room to Gabriel's crib)."

"I think those are great ideas James and Gabriel. Let's stick to the M&M's for now, and save the Train and BIG FISH for our next reward incentive when we are working on our next feat!"- Erica

"Okay, mommy." James replies.

I kiss them both and as I'm closing their door I say, "Buenas Noches." Then I proceed downstairs still smiling. Then I hear a loud, but small sweet voice (Gabriel) say, "I want a BIG FISH mommy!"