USS Potty Training

Captain’s Log...Stardate 1227.13

Destination: Toilet training aka potty training aka using the bathroom aka I’m not buying no mo’ pull-ups (sorry Huggies)

As most of you know, my twins have Autism. Corey’s is more severe than CJ’s but that’s a blog for another day.  Last week, as I was changing Corey, I realized that I was holding him hostage from his total independence.  He knows how to get his clothes ready. He knows how to put them on and take them off. He knows how to wash his face and he’s still working on the brushing the teeth thing. He knows how to put his coat on and he has almost mastered zipping it up. He knows how to work the TV and the DVR remote. Hell, he even knows how to get whatever food item he wants, put it on a plate and warm it up in the microwave. But he does not know how to go to the bathroom. And I can’t blame Autism for it. I blame myself.

In the past, I made it known that I wanted Corey to be able to live independently. I instructed his teachers and therapists to push him to the limits. I even pushed him at home. But when it came to potty training, I always used Corey being nonverbal as my excuse for not even attempting to train him (plus it didn't help that he was still able to wear 4T-5T in pull-ups). But now he is no longer nonverbal. He says one to three word sentences and he can read.  Besides being lazy, I have no more excuses. 

I spoke with Corey’s teachers and they said that they would begin the process at school. And I vowed that over Christmas break I would pledge my devotion to training him as well. Here’s an update:

Week 1

MONDAY – Corey had diarrhea REAL bad and I was NOT going to clean up the mess that would have been created in them drawers!

TUESDAY- Christmas Eve! Another diarrhea day and another day I was NOT going to clean up that mess! Plus I wasn’t feeling good either.

WEDNESDAY - Christmas Day! No diarrhea! YAY!  But with us visiting family, I knew I wouldn’t be consistent. LOL!

THURSDAY - Day after Christmas…too tired plus I had an outing planned with some of my girlfriends.

FRIDAY - Today was the day! As soon as he woke up, I took him to the bathroom. He didn’t want to sit so he stood. Two minutes later he proceeded to pee all over me and the toilet seat because he refused to hold or allow me to hold his equipment. After cleaning the bathroom and myself, I was ready to say, “Forget it.” But that wouldn’t be fair to him.

So far we have missed EVERY opportunity but it’s all good. We’ll just continue to clean up, put on another pair of underwear and in the words of Walt Disney: "Keep Moving Forward!"