Series of Milestones with Flair

Isaac never ceases to amaze us…or send us into hysterics. He is 20 months old and full of personality. Over the next several days, I intend to document some of his abnormally normal milestones. We'll begin with:

1 PPPooping for buttons. That’s right. We’ve had a kid’s potty in our bathroom since Isaac was about 15 months old. We’ve always been pretty blunt with him about what the toilet is for, letting him see what the dogs are doing outside, reading books about going potty and pooping, etc. Despite our asking him if he wanted to try sitting on the potty now and again, he did not show interest, and we did not push it. We did, however, empty his poopy diapers into the toilet, showing him that is where poop belongs. One day in November, he simply said “potty.” He sat down, peed, and when he finished we celebrated. The next day Julie was watching him and he told her “poop.” He then proceeded to poop on the potty. The next few days, praising him was enough to keep him going, but he soon lost interest. He’s always enjoyed carrying small items in his hands. I know I sound like a horrible parent when I tell you about the choking hazards we allow him to tote around, but he never puts his little treasures in his mouth. If he finds a marble, button, mini-bouncy ball, etc, he will carry them around ALL DAY LONG, nap with them in his hand, and multi-task with them. He can carry those things with a two finger hold, while eating, chasing the dogs, playing, etc. Anyway, back to the story. We started to pique Isaac’s interest in going on the potty again by filling a tin full of buttons. Each time he poops or pees, he is rewarded with his choice of a button. It’s the best thing ever for everyone involved. He’d prefer a button over costly toys or sugar, and we get to save money and not fill his gullet with candy! WIN WIN! He is a little obsessive about his buttons, though. If he does happen to lose one, he will call out the color of the button over and over until we find it. More on colors next time...