August 31, 2003 - Sunday
It seems like Harry has had another breakthrough of sorts with using the potty. For a long time now he has been using the potty, but, after an initial interest, has only done so when asked to go and then only after a lot of whining about "not having any" even when he clearly does. Today, his mother says he went right up and used the potty all by himself. Then, after bedtime, he got up from bed four times saying him needed to pee and/or poop. At first we were quite pleased and proud and told him so. But with each time he got up it became clear that much of it probably had to do with not wanting to go to sleep and we became more tempered in our praise. Still I think there's something else going on two for two reasons. First, he had an accident sometime during the night on Thursday and woke up with wet sheets Friday morning. That's not pleasant and neither can be the hubbub that surrounds his parents cleanly up his bed. What's more, Harry's school was closed today to prepare for the coming fall session and he had to watch me make his bed at nap time, almost certainly with the uncomfortable remembrance of why in his head. The second thing that happened recently is that right before dinner time on Friday after he had started his regular "I don't have any..." prior to "having plenty." I went up and sat with him in the bathroom and we had discussion about his needing to use the bathroom on his own without complaining. I'm not at all sure whether what I said this time meant anything or not, but I do know that it was a different type of exchange than the more frustrated tone that has emerged from his mother and me as this silly behavior has become cronic. I talked about being nasty like that makes people not want to be around and how usually Harry is such a happy and special boy that people do want to be around. And, maybe the more serious tone I used this time was more effective, or earnest, or just different enough to get through. Or, maybe he just realized that in order to avoid accidents he has to take more responsibility for using the bathroom. Or, maybe the combination sparked something. It's hard to know, but let's hope it continues.


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