Summer Fun Summary: 8 year-old trades places with his baby brother. I remember when I was eight years old my brother Kevin was two and a half, almost three years old. We shared the same bedroom. He still had a crib I had a toddler bed because I was so small I had not outgrown it. I was in the fifth grade doing sixth-grade work only because of my size. The school felt I would not be accepted with the older kids. I was socially immature I like to play with toys more than anything. I even liked playing with my baby brother with his toys, video games did not interest me at all toys were my thing. Mom was a school teacher who could teach kindergarten through eighth grade with high math and science skills; that is why I am so good at math and science. I’m still really smart at math, science and reading, doing seventh- and eighth-grade work, except my writing was my downfall. I could write only at a fifth-grade level. My classmates still called me “baby” because they were all eleven or older; I had just turned eight last week. I will be glad when school is out next week and I can play with my brother all day and not have to get made fun of all the time. The day I have waited for finally came; school was out for the summer. I woke up and I removed my wet Pull-up and put it in the Diaper Genie after wiping myself with a baby wipe. I put my Underoos on then got dressed to play. Kevin was still asleep in his crib when I went to get mom to wake him up. Kevin didn’t need to go to daycare because mom was out of school the same time I was so we could have fun together all summer long. I watched mom change Kevin’s Pull-up in his crib for the ten- thousandth time I told mom I think I could change his diaper. Mom said, “These are not diapers. They are training pants. Kevin is almost potty trained. Next time he needs changed we will see if you can help him.” I said, “Okay.” We ate breakfast. Kevin sat in his highchair while mom fed him his oatmeal. I ate Cheerios. When we finished mom said, “It’s time to change someone’s pants.” I knew what that meant, so I led Kevin to our room. I could barely pick Kevin up but he could climb onto the changing table without help. I fastened the safety strap then got my step stool next to the changing table and pulled off his pajamas, exposing his Pull-up. I gave Kevin his pacifier and a toy to keep him happy. Mom was watching me from the doorway. I unfastened the sides of the Pull-up and pulled off the damp, barely-wet pant. I held his legs up while I wiped him with a baby wipe. I let his bottom down on the table so I could wrap up the used Pull-up and put it in the Diaper Genie. I made sure Kevin was all clean with another wipe. I put Baby Lotion and baby powder on his diaper area, then pulled out a fresh diaper and started to put it on Kevin when mom said, “I told you, NOT a diaper. Use a Pull-up.” I got a Pull-up from my Pull-up bag next to my bed and slid a Pull-up on him. He was ready for his play clothes that mom had hanging on the crib rail. Mom told me to release him and watch. I unfastened the safety strap and Kevin climbed down from the changing table and grabbed his summer shorts and put them on. Then he put his tee shirt on and he smiled and said, “Let’s play.” Mom said, “If he wets his Pull-up you can change him.” We ran out to play in our backyard in the early morning sun. Since I was the size of an average five-year-old I could play on all the toys my brother could play on. Peddle cars, spring horses, slides, Big Wheel tricycles, even the bouncer walker he had, but if I got into it I needed mom to get me out, so I did not do that one. We were having fun playing in the sand when I felt the need to pee, so I ran to the house to use the potty. When I came back Kevin and I kept playing until mom brought us drinks. We sat in the sandbox drinking our trainer cups until we were finished putting the cups on the tray mom brought out and continuing to play. Then I felt the need to pee again, so in the house I went again to use the potty, returning to Kevin building something in the sand. I asked what it was. He did not know, just a big hill is all it looked like. I checked his Pull-up stars they were still there so he was still dry. Kevin smiled and said me, “big boy not baby.” Mom called us in to eat lunch she ask Kevin if he needs to potty he nodded so off they went. When they returned Kevin was wearing cloth training pants not a Pull-up. Kevin was smiling from ear to ear showing off his new underwear. Kevin climbed into his highchair and mom put his tray in place. We ate our lunch then ran to finish our play until mom called naptime. Kevin grabbed my hand and tried to get me to come in too but I did not move until mom said I better get in there too or I will get spanked. I cried as Kevin led me to our room where mom was waiting. She told me to get ready for my nap handing me a Pull-up. I slowly removed my clothes while Kevin climbed into his crib getting tucked in by mom. I hoped Kevin did not see I was going to wear a Pull-up like he did this morning as soon as mom finished with Kevin she turned around put me in my toddler bed and tucked me in too. I asked for a drink so I could get out of taking a nap but so did Kevin so mom brought us two baby bottles of apple juice. Kevin almost always took a bottle at bedtime and naptime but I have not taken a bottle in years. Mom told me it was this or nothing I lay down and started to suck the bottle. Mom was waking me two hours later she told me to change my wet Pull-up then check Kevin’s pants. I put my wet Pull-up in the Genie wiped myself with a baby wipe and got my Underoos back on and got dressed. I let the crib side down to climbed into the crib and started to check Kevin’s dry cloth underwear. I decide he still needed diapers so I pulled off his cloth underwear and diapered him I had almost finished when he woke up I taped the last tape to his diaper. I pulled up Kevin’s summer shorts and he smiled. Kevin said play and jumped out of his crib. He was so quick if the mattress was to its lowest setting and the sides up I would have to ask mom to let me out but not Kevin he was a climber. If the sides were up Kevin would just climb out me I am afraid of anything over two feet in the air. Kevin yelled back to be saying hurry play go play. We were playing for about and hour so I need to pee again so I went into the house to use the potty. When I returned we had only another hour of playtime until dinner was ready so we kept playing until mom called us for the second time. We knew we better get in the house but we were having so much fun. Mom finely walked out the door a grabbed our hands and led us to the table. This time she fastened the belt on my booster seat so I could not get up. Kevin was in his highchair when mom put our plates in front of us. She told us we have to finish before we can leave the table. I asked. What if I need to use the potty? Mom said. I would have to wait until I finished big boys can wait. I really needed to pee but now I had to hold it and didn’t know if I could. I had an idea to ask Kevin so I ask Kevin do you need to potty. Kevin said. Yes me need to potty real bad. It did not work mom just told him to finish his meal. I tried to eat as fast as I could to prevent my accident but halfway through my meal my booster set had pee dribbling from it with tears in my eyes. Mom ignored my problem until every one finished their meal. When everyone was finished she let Kevin out of his highchair and told him to go to the bathroom. Mom unfastened my seat belt lifted me up then carried me to the bathroom where Kevin was patiently waiting. Mom asked. What’s the matter Kevin? Kevin said. Me need help so mom pulled down Kevin’s summer shorts and looked at me then asked why is he wearing a diaper he needs Pull-ups or underpants not a diaper he really needs his underpants. You’re the one that needs a diaper look at you wetting your pants like a baby. I started to cry saying Kevin is the baby not me I am the big boy. Mom removed his pants and the diaper that I had put on him so he could use his potty she threw the diaper in the trash. Kevin pooped and peed in his potty he was finished in just a few minutes. He got off his potty after he wiped his bottom clean like a big boy should. Mom had an extra pair of underpants on the counter expecting Kevin to have more accidents. She had Kevin step into the fresh underwear saying what a big boy he did not have an accident in that baby diaper. Mom handed Kevin’s summer shorts back to him he quickly had them on in seconds. Mom said. Now what are we going to do with this baby I started crying it was an accident I said. Mom removed my wet clothes wiped me off with a baby wipe and had me step into a Pull-up telling me to go play with my brother. My brother had pants covering his underwear and a tee shirt. Mom said. Since my pants and tee shirt were wet all I had to wear were Pull-ups the rest of the day. Kevin did not make fun of me or anything he just wanted to play so we played until bedtime. I did not want to get mom mad again so I did what she wanted me to do. Mom made Kevin and I take a bath together for the first time in a year I was the first one to get dried off by mom so she could dress me for bed I tried to get her to let me do it but she had my Pull-ups pulling them on then my pajamas. I watched Kevin dress himself pulling up his new cloth Underoos underpants followed by his pajamas. We were dressed almost alike but Kevin had big boy under clothes I had baby underclothes. Kevin did not see the difference they were clothes to him. I knew the difference. I was wearing baby underwear and my baby brother was wearing big-boy underwear. We were taken to our room where Kevin climbed over the side of his crib and mom tucked him in giving him his bottle. Mom then turned to me and tucked me in my toddler bed. As I still had tears in my eyes, she asked me what is the matter. I said, “I want big-boy pants, too.” She said maybe, if I can stay dry like Kevin, she would get me some. That morning I woke up to Kevin pulling down my pajamas, exposing my soaked bloated Pull-up while mom stood over us. Kevin ripped open the sides and removed my soaked garment Kevin wiped me off and powdered me then pulled my fresh Pull-up up to my knees. Mom told me to raise my bottom. Kevin pulled my Pull-up in place. Mom told me to dress. Mom and Kevin left the room left the room. I lay in my bed wearing a Pull-up my baby brother put on me and thought a few minutes, if they think I am going to wear this baby thing all like a baby all day they got another think coming I tore the Pull-up off and got my Underoos, summer shorts, tee shirt, shoes and socks like the big boy I was. When I got to the kitchen mom grabbed me and strapped me into the highchair followed by the tray. I kicked, screamed and cried, “I am not a baby, I am not a baby!” Mom said until I can prove I was a big boy I would be treated like a baby I am acting like. After 30 minutes of yelling, crying and screaming I settled down enough that mom could start to feed me my oatmeal. I was just about done but I have been holding pee since I was strapped into this baby thing. I have been trying to tell mom but every time I opened my mouth food went in. Soon I was squirming, fighting, trying not to wet. I need to go potty but was wetting my pants, not being able to hold it any longer. The highchair seat had a cloth soaker pad just I case a baby had an accident or there was a spill. Finally, I was finished the oatmeal. Then she handed me a training cup of milk. I smacked it out of her hands and told her, “I am not a baby!” It hit the floor, breaking open, spilling milk on the floor. Mom said I will be sorry that I did that because now I have to drink from a bottle until she thinks I am ready for a big-boy cup. Mom handed me a bottle and told me I have to finish before I get out of the highchair. I need to poop now. I could not get out without her help so I started to suck the bottle, watching Kevin suck his bottle. I always have to poop during or after breakfast. Now it is a later than usual breakfast, if I could only get up I could go to the bathroom to use the potty. The more I sucked the more I needed to poop. The bottle was just about gone when the first little bit of poop went into my Underoos. As I finished my bottle more poop went into my underwear. It was not a lot of poop but more poop than even a three- year-old should have done. Mom came over to me and asked me, “All done?” I nodded my head. she released me, telling me she smells poop. I start crying, telling her she made me do it. I said I could not get out to go. Mom told me, “big boys can hold it until they get to the potty like Kevin does.” Mom told me to go to the bathroom and wait for her. As I walked I could feel the poop move around in my pants, knowing what a baby must feel like now. I did not have very long to wait until Kevin came in and pulled down his pants and sat on his potty in front of me smiling. Mom walked over to me told me told me to turn around. She pulled out the back of my pants, looking to see how much poop I did. Looking down, I realized I was wearing Underoos, not Pull-ups. Mom just shook her head as she started pulling down my pants. Kevin asked, “What’s wrong?” Mom told Kevin, “Your brother just went potty in his pants like a baby.” Kevin wiped his own butt and got off his potty then pulled up his own pants. Mom said, “Good boy, Kevin. Now do you want to help me change your brother’s pants?” Kevin nodded. I was crying so loud mom put one of Kevin’s pacifiers in my mouth and told me to keep it there. I had to stand there and let mom pull my pants down, revealing the fact that I not only wet my pants but I pooped them, too. Kevin giggled and said, “Look mommy, poop! Him did a poop in his pants! Me don’t poop my pants!” Kevin said, “Only babies do that, you said so, mommy!” Kevin asked, “Mommy, you said if you poop your pants you have to wear diapers all the time?” Mom said, “Yes, that is the rule. If you do poop your pants you have to wear diapers for three weeks all the time. As soon as we get his messy pants cleaned up he will have to wear a diaper.” Mom threw my Underoos in the trash, saying, “These are ruined.” It took mom and Kevin five minutes to clean the poop off my bottom as I was crying through my pacifier while they worked on my mess. Mom led me to our room putting me on the changing table, powdering me before letting Kevin tape the sides of my diaper shut. Mom put a playsuit that zipped up my back making it impossible for me to remove. Mom told Kevin, “We need to go to the store and get some baby supplies since we have a new baby now.” I wanted to cry, but still sucking my pacifier made it hard to cry. Now I see why babies have pacifiers. Kevin still likes his pacifier, too, and joined me. On our way to the store we sat in our car seats. When we arrived mom asked who is riding in the stroller. Kevin said, “not me. I am a big boy, so mom picked me up; I was the one riding. It was better that I ride than to waddle around in my diaper doing that. I thought would be embarrassed until I felt the need to pee. I told mom. She asked Kevin if he needed the potty. He said, no, he was a big boy. Mom said only when Kevin needs to go can I go. I could no longer hold my pee, wetting my diaper, followed by the last of the poop I was holding from breakfast. A few minutes later mom said, “Smells like the baby has poop again.” I just sucked harder on my pacifier knowing I could not stop it. We went to the restroom where mom changed my diaper on a changing station counter. It felt so good to get a clean, dry diaper on. It was like a different world to me. Then mom put me back in the stroller, wearing only my size 6 Huggies and a tee shirt because my pants got wet. I did not care. I was clean and dry. I was strolled around, happily sucking my pacifier without a care in the world. At that point I did not care what happened because I found I could not stop it. Mom was in charge. We were done shopping, so mom put me in Kevin’s car seat for the trip home I could never release Kevin’s seat, so I was in it until mom released me. Kevin sat in my seat that had only the harness that held him in. He could work that without help. When mom took us back home she changed my wet diaper in our room. At the same time, Kevin used the potty chair next to the changing table. After my diaper change I was put in the highchair with Kevin sitting in my old booster seat. I was fed by mom again while Kevin fed himself. I felt just like a helpless baby. I had to eat baby food, two big jars. Some of the food went on my bib, some on my face; most made it in my mouth because of my mother’s persistence. When I finished eating mom cleaned me up and said, “Naptime.” She released Kevin from his booster seat so he could walk to our bed room while mom carried me. Kevin started to climb into his crib when mom stopped him, telling to take the big boy bed, not the baby crib that is for babies. Mom put me in the crib instead. Then she gave both of us our nap bottles. As I lay there sucking and whimpering I fell asleep. I was awakened by Kevin changing my wet diaper. I let him finish because I was afraid if I made trouble mom would do something more to me. When he finished he climbed out, putting my used diaper in the Genie. I stood up, realizing the mattress was at its lowest setting and the rail was at my chest. How did Kevin climb out? I tried everything. I was afraid to climb so I tried to get the sides down so I could get out. Then I called for mom; no one came, I yelled again, this time crying a little. I fell down in my crib, crying for real big tears. Ten minutes later mom asked me, “What is wrong?” I said, “I want out to play and I can’t climb out. I am afraid I might fall.” Mom lifted me out of my crib and on to the floor, so I ran outside wearing only a size 6 Huggies to play with my brother. Playing was my only thing I could do now by myself. I could not use the potty by myself, I could not feed myself, or dress myself. My baby brother could help dress me or my mom could dress me. I started to look forward to getting potty trained in three weeks so I can get my big-boy status back. For now I will use as many diapers as I can to make mom get tired of diapers. Maybe if I use enough diapers mom will train me sooner. Besides, the less time I spend running to the bathroom to use the potty the more time I can have fun playing with my baby brother and with all the baby toys we have. I soon started to wet every twenty minutes but they did not change me every time I wet, so I tried to poop more; that would get me a diaper change. Then, at the end of three weeks I was using fourteen of more diapers a day. It was getting so easy to pee or poop my diaper without thinking. I was wetting without thinking about it; it just happens now. I was having so much fun playing with my brother for the past three weeks. I was not interrupted by needing to run to the bathroom. I just let it happen in my diaper. He did not care if I was wearing diapers like a baby. Kevin and I could have more fun playing with all the toys. He liked to play with me so much he could change my wet diapers to help me stay playing with him. He only need to potty three or four times a day. Three weeks was up and mom woke me up one morning and asked if I was ready for the potty test to see if I was ready to potty train. I said, “Okay, I am ready. This will be easy.” POTTY TRAINING RULES 1. Training pants if you wet your training pants three times in one day you go back to diapers for the rest of the day. 2. Poop in your training you are diapered for the rest of the day. 3. Five days in a row of diaper you fail potty training for another three weeks. 4. You must be clean and dry for two days to be potty trained and be a big kid. 5. Accidents after being a big kid no more than three pants wetting in one day and no pants pooping or it back to diapers for three weeks. Kevin jumped into the crib and pulled off my pajama bottom, then removed my wet, messy diaper, cleaning me up just like he has been for the last week. Mom doesn’t even watch him anymore; he is so good at it. After he finished my cleanup he started to diaper me, but mom said, “no diapers, use his Pull-ups.” Kevin said, “we are out of Pull-ups.” Mom said, “That is right. So until we go to the store and get them you can stay in diapers.” I started to cry, “How do I get potty trained with a diaper on?” Mom explained, “You have to prove you can hold it long enough to earn Pull-ups.” I need to ask to use the potty and stay dry until I get sit on my potty. Mom said I need to go a whole day with no wet or messy diapers. Then she will buy me some Pull-ups. Potty training is going to be harder than I thought. Maybe Kevin will help me. He is the big boy, an expert. Now he doesn’t even wet the bed. So I will try to get Kevin to show me how to do big-boy things. Mom told Kevin to try to help me keep my pants dry. I was eating my breakfast in my highchair, feeding my self for the first time in three weeks. My bib, tray, and hands had food all over them because I was not very careful feeding myself. I was so excited I forgot that I was not wet my diaper and was soaked. Just like the last three weeks, my diaper was soaked, failing potty training for another day. I am going to have to work on paying attention to my need to potty and not my need to play. Play is so fun and potty is not fun. Which one do I do-- play or potty? If I play I stay diapered. If I use the potty, not my diaper, I get big-boy status and lose my playtime. Mom took me to the doctor to see if there was anything wrong with me. The doctor looked at me and my past records, took a blood and urine test and told mom he would call her this afternoon to tell her the results. The nurse changed my diaper and sent me to my mom. We went home to have lunch. I, of course, ate in my highchair. Kevin ate in his booster seat. Then we took a nap, me in my crib, Kevin in his big-boy bed. Kevin changed my wet nap diaper. When he woke up but I did not wake until he shook me awake after he was through with my diaper change. Mom told me the doctor said the ultrasound told him my bladder was so small that I needed to try to hold my pee to stretch it to make it bigger. If I don’t I will be in diapers for a very long time. Now that school is back in session I am not allowed to go because of my diapers and I was doing seventh-grade work at the age of eight. So I was tutored at daycare and Kevin was starting first-grade work while I was being tutored. Tutoring only took three hours for me and one hour for Kevin. That left the rest of the day to PLAY. Since I was still wearing diapers the daycare kept me in the baby room with the one- and two-year-old boys. So my potty training was going to be delayed until next summer when Kevin can help me. It will be so fun to play with my brother and not these babies. Part 2 It has been a long nine months of going to daycare nursery while my brother goes to regular daycare with the big boys and my mom teaches school. I have to be in the baby room with one- to two-year-old babies because of my failure at using the potty every time I need to pee or poop. I can hold my pee for only a short time because of my bladder size is only about four ounces. That makes me need to pee every forty to fifty minutes. Mom had me potty trained when I was fifteen months old; she thought that was the greatest thing. Except I was so good at using the potty I never tried to hold it very long. I never stretched my bladder. Even at night I would wake up every hour and pee in my potty like a good boy. Now that I am almost nine years old I still need to potty every forty or forty-five minutes; that is why they let me wear diapers. It is much easier than changing my clothes six to ten times a day because of my accidents. I have a lot of trouble feeling my need to pee until it is too late and my pants get wet or poop comes out into them. Mom said the doctor told her I need to practice trying to hold my pee. That would help my with the poop problem, too. I keep forgetting to hold it because I like to play so much and don’t want to be interrupted. I wanted to go play with my brother and the big boys at daycare so bad because the babies would not let me play the way I wanted to play I had to play the way they wanted. The caretakers made sure I did not make trouble by putting me in the playpen alone if I got out of line and made a baby cry. The playpen was five foot square and four foot high since I could not climb very well I had to stay playing with baby toys having my own fun while sucking my pacifier. I was always getting in trouble so I could play my way and not be bothered by a baby taking a toy I was playing with. If a baby wanted a toy I had all he had to do is cry and I had to give it to him. I will be happy when school is out in two days and mom can stay home with my brother and me. The last two days at my nursery school was just like the last nine months with many diaper changes, taking my nap in a crib getting fed lunch in a highchair and all of my playtime in a playpen sucking my pacifier. The two most important things for me are Playtime and Pacifier sucking. Since I was so smart in school and could do sixth- grade work with ease mom did not care. In the last nine months all the other babies graduated to the big kid class. New babies would come in to fill the class. The last nine months all fourteen of the babies that were originally in the class when I came to fill the class have graduated to the big kid class. There are only eight babies in class now but I will not see them go to the big kid class because school is out and I can play at home with my brother. The first day of summer Kevin was almost four years old I had just turned nine but was about the same size as Kevin since he had grown so much in nine months. Kevin was much stronger than me so when he climbed into my crib, changed my wet and messy diaper and had me almost dressed for play it was no surprise to mom. Kevin was already dressed when mom came in the room to let my crib side down to let me out. I could not wait to go out and play but I had to eat my breakfast first as Kevin led me to my highchair I waddled as I walked because Kevin put an extra thick diaper on me. I was so happy because that meant I could stay outside playing longer before I need a diaper change. While mom fed me my breakfast I pooped and wet my diaper without even knowing when it happened. I was so excited I could hardly sit still sucking my bottle. I finally finished my bottle; I knew it was PLAYTIME. Mom removed me from my highchair to tell Kevin baby needs his diaper changed. I started to cry, telling mom I am not a baby, so in went my pacifier. Kevin led me to our room and had me on the changing table that mom had lowered so Kevin could change me easier. Kevin gave me a toy that kept me from wiggling so much as I sucked my pacifier and played with my toy. It took Kevin almost ten minutes to clean me and put an even thicker diaper and nursery print plastic pants on me. My new diaper was so thick I could not walk when I climbed down off the changing table and fell to my knees. I cried for mom. Mom said Kevin is in charge of my diapers if he wants you to wear a thick diaper you have to wear it. I tried to stand up holding the changing table to take a step falling again on my diapered butt. I cried as every one left the room. I sat in the room alone for ten minutes crying before I crawled outside to join Kevin playing in the back yard wearing only a tee shirt and plastic pants covering my diaper. When I got outside with Kevin he was in charge of playing I had to play his way not my way Kevin put my pacifier in my mouth to keep me quiet. I started to have fun he was good at playing we played in the sand with our or trucks and cars. Then he climbed on to his spring horse so I crawled over my spring horse after five minutes I was sitting on my spring horse, too. I was having so much fun I did not know I was wetting my diaper every twenty minutes or so. Mom kept giving us drinks in our training cups mine always had four ounces more, making me pee even more. It was lunchtime before Kevin had to go use the potty. That is when mom called us in to eat so Kevin ran to the potty while mom carried me in the kitchen to put me in my highchair. Mom told Kevin when lunch is over he had a diaper to change, he giggled as he sat down to eat. That’s funny I don’t feel wet or messy what was mom talking about not me I am not wet maybe Kevin is back in diapers too. Mom fed me chicken noodle soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into small bites while Kevin fed himself. I asked mom why I am not allowed to feed myself like Kevin. She told me when I get one hundred percent potty trained she will think about letting me feed myself. Kevin just grinned as he fed himself so neatly and without a single crumb dropped drinking from a big ked glass with out a training top. I had to suck my bottle while mom held it. When we finished lunch I had to crawl behind Kevin. He led me to the changing table in our room and changed my soaked diaper. I did not feel wet until Kevin removed my plastic pants. When the air hit my wet diaper I could feel how wet I was I could not even remember wetting so I just lay there sucking my pacifier letting Kevin change my diaper like he has been doing for the last six months. It was so normal for me to have my brother change me now that mom stopped watching the process most of the time. Mom did not care if I ever potty trained now she don’t have to deal with my diaper changes as much. Kevin diapered me in the same thickness diaper with nursery print plastic pants. Kevin put a pair of summer shorts on me that puffed out so much to even glance at me someone would know I was wearing diapers. Mom came in the room telling us we were going to the park and store she picked me up and carried me to the car while Kevin walked to the car behind us. Mom strapped me in my car seat Kevin got in his car seat and fastened his own belt. I sat in my car seat sucking my pacifier on the twenty-minute ride to the store. Mom had a double stroller. She put me in front and Kevin in back. We went straight to the baby aisle where she bought me two new pacifiers, diaper pins, baby powder, and rash cream. Kevin wanted to walk so mom let him out of the stroller to walk beside us. I said I wanted to walk, too. So she took me out and told me I need to keep up or I would be put back in the stroller. I took one step and fell so back in the stroller I went. We went to the checkout line and the ladies were saying what a cute baby I was until they asked how old I was and Kevin said he is nine. They asked if he was retarded mom said NO he graduated from sixth grade but has potty problems and needs diaper to keep him quiet we let him suck his pacifier. His thick diapers make it hard for him to walk so he rides in a stroller. I had tears in my eyes when mom was talking knowing they were thinking what a big baby I was. When we got to the park mom let Kevin change my soaked diaper before we went to play at the toddler park. Mom carried me to the fenced in toddler area and put me down to play I had to crawl because of my diapers. These stupid diapers keep getting in the way of my play. But I made it to the sand box that had a horse to ride on. I started to have so much fun playing with all the toddlers there had to be twenty and they did not care about my diapers they were like my play is more important that anything. Only five were wearing diapers like me the rest were wearing just thin summer shorts and a tee shirt. Even though I could not walk like the rest they liked playing in the sand with me. My brother climbed on all the equipment and did the swings while I stayed in the sandbox. My brother was the strongest kid there he could do the hand ring all the way a crossed using all nine rings. He could do three pull-ups. He could climb the four foot high slide and the sit down swings. Mom put me in one of the toddler safety swings where I could not get out until she got me out. I did not try to swing so she pushed me that was so fun I started to giggle with glee. Summer was going to be so much fun for me doing new things like this. Part 3 Coming home from the park I was soaked but because of my thick diapers I would have to wait until after my 2:00PM nap. Mom put me in my crib gave me my bottle turned out the light and left with Kevin leaving me all alone. The first day of my summer was not exactly like I hoped, though ii would have been that my freedom was just as limited as it was in daycare. Kevin had stopped taking naps shortly after he got potty trained. Mom woke me up changing my wet leaky diaper. She dressed me in the same thickness diaper Kevin had been putting on me, thinking it was so good of an idea. Mom carried me out, wearing only diapers and plastic pants to join Kevin and Jason from daycare. Jason was almost five years old and big for his age. When they saw me being carried by mom they asked, “Do we have to play with the baby?” Mom said, “He will be playing in the play yard over there where he will not bother you big boys.” Kevin told Jason. “He can’t even walk in those thick diapers.” It was just like at daycare where I was not allowed to play with big-kid things, just baby things. I was so used to being and playing like a baby it was normal. Mom left me in the play yard alone. I crawled all around playing with the baby toys, having so much fun pushing the trucks and cars, making sounds. I kept busy sucking my pacifier, wetting and messing my diaper and playing. I did not even know that I had wet and messed until Kevin and Jason came over to play, too. Jason said, “It smells like the baby has poopy in his diaper. Kevin says he always does.” Kevin asked Jason if he wanted to help him change my diaper. Jason said, “No, that is gross, but I will watch you.” Kevin said it was not that bad. Jason said, “Okay.” Kevin ran to the house to get the diaper-changing supplies and was back in a few minutes. Kevin spread out the changing mat and rolled me onto it. pulling off my plastic pants. Then Kevin had my diaper unpinned in seconds. Raising my bottom, he told Jason to hold my legs up while he cleans the poop off my bottom. Kevin had me cleaned in less than two minutes. Kevin put diaper cream on me then had three thick soaker diapers folded in the center of three triple-thick regular diapers under my bottom and told Jason to let my legs down. I was still sucking my pacifier, playing with the little toy truck Jason gave me while Kevin pinned my diapers on as tightly as mom. Then he told Jason to put my new plastic pants on before I wet again. Jason was strong and had my nursery print plastic pants pulled in place as quickly as mom could do. While Kevin checked to be sure my thick diaper was tucked inside the plastic to prevent any leaks, Jason asked Kevin, “How can he walk with such thick diapers on” Kevin said, “He doesn’t.” Kevin and Jason left me all alone, again telling me I was too much of a baby to play with. I just lay on the changing mat crying, waiting for mom to come get me a take me inside to play. Ten minutes later mom came out to the play yard, picked up my wet and messy diaper that Kevin and Jason changed and left on the grass next to me. She put the messy diaper and plastic pants in a plastic bag put that in my diaper bag. She picked my diaper bag up and carried me into the house. Mom put me in my playpen so I asked to play out of the playpen. Mom told me until I am potty trained I will be treated just like a baby with baby rules. I asked mom what are the baby rules? Mom said the rules are simple: “Play where you are put, play with only baby toys, NO BIG-BOY TOYS until you are out of diapers DAY AND NIGHT. You will be considered a baby and wear ONLY diapers 24/7, no pants to hide them. If you still wet the bed you wear diapers 24/7, no pants to hide your diapers and plastic pants. If you wet your pants or diaper you wear diaper only 24/7, no pants to hide your diapers and plastic pants. If you poop your pants or diaper you wear diapers and plastic pants, only 24/7 for a week with no accidents. To get out of your diaper you must ask to go potty every time, no accidents. After you are clean and dry for two weeks, you get training pants but one accident you go back to diapers. “If you are wearing anything except UNDERPANTS like if you are wearing DIAPERS or TRAINING PANTS you are a BABY and baby rules apply. The only things you can use as a BABY are everything we have that is for a baby, it is yours only. Kevin doesn’t need baby things. He is the big boy now; you are the baby.” I cried, “I want to be a big boy, I don’t need diapers.” Mom told me to prove it by staying clean and dry and don’t use my diaper of a potty. Mom told me to tell her when I got to go potty so she can take me. I told mom, “I got to go potty,” so she picked me up, carried me to the potty, removed my wet diaper and sat me on Kevin’s old potty chair and fastened the seat belt, then set the timer for five minutes. I sat there for the five minutes trying to use the potty. Nothing happened, so mom put a clean, dry diaper on me and returned me to my playpen. Fifteen minutes later mom checks my diaper and found I had wet it again but she told me I was not that wet; my diaper change could wait. Kevin and Jason came in from play outside to play with the toys inside and get out of the heat. Mom brings us drinks, mine in a bottle, and Jason giggles at me drinking my bottle, causing me to start to cry again. Mom got mad at me, telling me to stop crying like a baby. I kept crying, so mom carried me to my crib and told me if I want to cry, here is where I need to do it. I was in a full-blown cry when mom left the room turning out the light, making the room dark. I lay in my crib crying, wanting out, but no way for me to get out until someone lets me out. I was kicking and crying for ten minutes until I got worn out and stopped and started to think. Summer is not as fun as I thought it would be. My first day at home is worse than a real bad day at daycare with the babies teasing me. I want to be a big boy now. How can I get potty trained again? It is too hard and I can’t do it with these thick diapers. An hour later mom came back to let me out, asking me if I was going to behave like a good baby. I told mom I want to be a big baby and walk, not a little baby. I told mom if I had thinner diapers and be allowed out of the playpen it would help me get potty trained. Mom told me if I cause any trouble I would be back to thicker diapers in the playpen. Okay, I said I would be a good baby; I would not cause trouble. Mom changed my thick wet diaper for a new disposable one a size 6 Pampers Cruisers with Sesame Street characters on them. Boy, did my new diaper feel good, just like underpants. Mom picked me out of my crib and stood me on the floor dressed only in my new diaper. Mom told me to go play and stay out of trouble. I ran to where Kevin and Jason were playing, yelling, “I got new underpants! Look at me! I got new underpants!” Kevin and Jason started to laugh, saying, “those are diapers, not underpants.” I was so happy I did not care what they thought. I was almost a big boy now that I could walk and run around to play where I wanted. Mom told Kevin and Jason to let the baby play with them. They just said, “Do we have to? He is a baby wearing stinky diapers!” Mom said, “His diapers are clean and not stinky, that they have to try to help him get potty trained so he can be a big boy like you guys are. If you don’t help him I will diaper you, too; do you want that?” Kevin and Jason said, “NO WAY.” Mom said, “help him, or it is diapers for you.” They took me by the hand and led me to Kevin’s old potty chair, removed my diaper and told me to sit on it. I sat down. Kevin put my pacifier in my mouth and gave me a toy while Jason fastened the safety belt, holding me in place. They left me there while they went back to playing what they were doing before I came running in the room. Three minutes later I heard my potty play a nursery rhyme music I was peeing in the potty. Kevin jumped up and ran to me saying mommy baby went pee in the potty is that good. Everyone praised me for my deed but I did not even know that I had to go until the music started to play. Kevin and Jason then started to let me play with them because I had had done a big-boy thing like them. Kevin started to have fun potty training me by every half hour, putting me on the potty where I was successful only half the time. Jason would come over every other day or so when Jason was not here. Kevin was at his house and mom would help potty train me. Mom was not as good as Kevin, so I was back to wetting my diapers more. When Kevin was in charge I wet only two diapers a day, not counting my nap and night diaper that was always wet. I stopped messing my diaper after three weeks of summer and was wetting only once or twice a day. Mom was so proud of me starting to be a big boy and finally starting to hold my bathroom needs longer. Kevin was so good at potty training me by the end of the first month I could hold it a whole hour and not wet my diaper and only poop my diaper at breakfast once or twice week. My diaper usage went down from ten or twelve Pampers a day to two or three a day. The second month of summer was great. Mom and more friends started to come over to play. They range in age of three to five years old. Kevin and I were having so much fun. Kevin never forgot to take me to the potty at first every fifteen minutes the every half hour; then every hour now I could go about an hour and a half. But sometimes I did not make it and needed a diaper change. It was easy to tell when I needed a change because a diaper and tee shirt is all I was allowed to wear. When I wet my diaper it sagged and someone would say, “Look! The baby needs a diaper change!” Kevin or Jason would lead me to the changing mat on the back porch and change my wet diaper. I was still quite small for a nine-year-old, tall as a seven-year-old, but skinny, and the Pampers would fall off if they did not fasten them tightly. I was glad I did not wet but only a few times since Kevin and Jason were so good at taking me to the potty before I wet my diaper. I started to feel the need to pee at the end of the second month and would tell someone to help me go potty. I was getting potty trained with Kevin’s help but sometimes I would forget to hold it and wet my diaper, causing me to cry for a new diaper. Mom took me to the doctor for a check-up. He told mom my bladder size and muscle looks on the ultrasound like a twenty-month-old and should be able to be dry for only about an hour and a half. Mom said, “that is just about right; he wets about like that. He is getting better than the fifteen minutes he was doing last year. Keep up the good work.” Mom told the doctor, “His baby brother has helped him more that I have.” The start of the third month mom bought me some Pull-Ups and everything got easier, no more daytime diapers. I was going to be a big boy. Kevin kept potty training me by taking me to the potty every two hours. Most of the time I could hold it that long, but accidents happen and he would help me change my big boy Pull-up. The baby rules still were in affect: NO PANTS TO HIDE MY PULL-UP. I thought I was getting closer to my goal of being a big boy and get my pants back. Then I went three days without an accident and asked mom for big-boy pants. She looked at my daytime potty training chart and said, “Ten more days to go.” At the end of twelve days I asked mom again for big-boy pants and get out of the highchair. Mom said, “Look at this chart,” pointing at my bedwetting chart. “Not one dry night here! You are still a baby!” I ran out crying, “I am not a baby, I am a big boy!” I was so upset I wet my Pull-up and did not even know. Kevin saw me crying then saw my stars were gone, telling him I was wet. Mom told Kevin to put a diaper on the crybaby for not telling that he was wet. I started to cry so loud, kicking and screaming. Mom pulled off my Pull-up and started to spank my bare bottom for my bad behavior. Mom put my very thick diaper on me and dropped me in my crib, telling me I was acting like a baby, so I will be treated like a baby. She handed me my bottle and told me to take my nap. I could not climb out because of my thick diaper so I lay down and sucked my bottle, falling asleep with the need to poop trying to hold out. The next thing I knew mom was changing my diaper, telling me I have failed potty training and would try next week. “For now it is back to diapers for you.” She told Kevin not to take me to the potty. I was still a baby and babies don’t use the potty. September was next week and school started again. Kevin was allowed to go to the early kindergarten because he passed the test so high. If it weren’t for his age he could go to second grade. I was back to full-time diapers trying to get my Pull-ups back so I could go to the preschool room, not the baby room. The day kindergarten and preschool started I graduated to Pull- ups with Kevin’s help again. I am so glad Kevin was such a good brother. He helped me keep my Pull-ups all school year I would only have one accident a week and never a poopy one. But he could not help me stop wetting my bed that was my problem. Pull-ups leaked so badly at night so Kevin diapered and dressed me every night. Maybe next summer I will get to be a big boy and have fun. I only I could hold my pee longer I would stop having accidents. The other potty-trained toddlers would always tell on me when I wet my Pull-up since the same rules at home were here. If you are wearing Pull-ups you cannot hide them so they can tell when you wet them. They had a rule-- three weeks, no accidents to get big-boy clothes; three days is my record. I have a long way to go, I guess. Potty training is HARD, isn’t it?
Part 4 It was the summer I turn ten years old. I had been tutored at daycare since mom did not want me going to school getting teased and the school said I was too much of an interruption for them. I was very smart at school work, passing the ninth-grade test but failed to get potty trained well enough to get out of day time diapers. Kevin, five years old and so good at changing me, that mom never thought to check my diaper; it was now Kevin’s job. I was back to wetting every twenty minutes or so and messing after I ate a meal while sitting in my highchair. At daycare I spent all my playtime with the non-potty- trained babies where they could keep me clean and dry until I get potty trained like I should be. I like to play too much to be bothered by running to the potty. I kept playing with toys wetting and messing. Playing with toddler toys was more fun than running to the potty. To me, going to the potty was a big waste. My first day at home with Kevin taking care of me all day not a daycare worker was not fun. He did not want to be bothered with the job of changing me all the time. The first day he tried to drag me to the potty before I wet but I wanted to play he had no success. I was always wet before he took me to the potty every fifteen minutes. He was so mad at me he tried to spank me once until mom stopped him. Kevin just gave up potty training me after the first day. He figured he could change six or seven diapers a day or twenty or more trips to the potty. I had the potty ability of a fifteen month old, wetting without even knowing or even trying to hold my pee. I did not try to hold my pee like most two-year-old babies learn to do by the time they do turn two years old. Kevin just treated me like I was his baby brother while he played with his friends that came over to play. The big boys did not want me to play with them because I was just a baby. I still wore stinky diapers that either smelled like baby powder, pee, or poop. They did not want to smell the baby smells that followed me around. Mom made me play in the baby play yard set up in the corner of our back yard. It had my big spring horse and tricycle. I could ride and play in my own private sandbox. I could play happily by myself unless one of Kevin’s friends had baby brothers with them, which was just about every day. Only diapered kids played in my play yard. No potty-trained kids were allowed because it had a latch that could only be opened from the outside. If a potty trained kid was in the play yard he had to get someone to let him out to use the potty. The play yard had a six-foot- high nylon fence that could not be climbed by any kid. I have not been trying to hold my pee I or poop for the last two years; I was too interested in my play. I forgot all about using the potty, wetting my diaper like a baby. That is why mom kept me wearing diapers. I did not care I could have fun with my toys and not be bothered by potty rules. Potty training is just too much of a hassle for me. I have worn diapers for the past two years. All signs of my potty training have slipped away. Even if I try as hard as I cannot to wet my diaper I still wet. I can only hold my pee for about 30 minutes max if I drink the right amount of fluids. Even the babies I played with could hold their pee longer than me. My poop always slipped out as I ate my meals because I could not eat and hold poop at the same time. Holding poop took a lot of concentration that being fed took away and poop would slip into my waiting diaper. Kevin’s four-year-old friend Billy said my brother is not even two years old and he doesn’t poop in his diaper and he asks for the potty. Billy asked Kevin, “How old is your baby brother?” Kevin said, “He is ten-years-old.” Billy said I was the biggest baby he had seen. I just sat there sucking my pacifier while they talked. I was playing with Timmy Billy’s brother. Timmy was wearing only Pull-Ups because he was being potty trained and until you are out of all kinds of diapers you play in the play yard with me. I cried as they talked about babies and how easy it is to use the potty to be a big boy. Timmy said, “me need to pee,” so Kevin let Timmy out of the play yard and led him to the potty chair on the back porch where he peed in the potty like a big boy while his mom watched. For a big reward, Timmy got big-boy underpants and shorts he was then allowed to play with the big boys. They walked over to me and asked me why I poop and pee my diaper using the potty is easy I tried to talk but sucking my pacifier and talking made me hard to understand so Kevin removed my pacifier. I told them I want to play. Holding my pee is so hard, so pee just comes out into my diaper. I can not stop it, it just happens. They told me if I can not hold my pee then I do need my diapers like a real baby should. I started to whimper so Kevin put my pacifier back into my mouth quieting me. By the second week of summer it was as if I was back in daycare, only being allowed to do baby things, no big-boy things like I planned to do. I wanted to learn how to ride a two-wheeler like Kevin but I was told only big boys can do that, not diaper babies like me. I wanted to slide on the big sliding board like Kevin, but no babies are allowed. Kevin told me I was the baby of the house and I had to do what he tells me to do. When we went to the amusement park I was one inch too short for the big rides so my admission price was infant price since I was still wearing diapers. The operators of some of the little kid rides said no diapered kids are allowed so I could ride only baby rides while Kevin was allowed on almost all the big rides; only two rides would not allow him to ride. Having my diaper changed in the diaper changing booth with other kids with their mothers made me cry, sucking my pacifier. There was one boy about seven wearing diapers too his mom asked my mom how old I was. When mom told her I was ten she told the boy, “See? If you don’t learn to use the potty you will wear diapers forever.” That caused him to cry, getting his pacifier. I was already sucking my pacifier thinking, “Wow, I am not the only big baby. There are other big babies like me.” Mom had me changed into my super thick cloth diapers and plastic pants in minutes. I knew my clothes would not fit over my plastic pants to hide but what could I do about it? so I just cried a little more. On the third week of summer vacation mom had to take over teaching summer school sending me to daycare with Kevin. Summer daycare was different than regular daycare. All diapered kids stayed in the baby nursery. All big kids went to different places like the Zoo, Beach, Park, and other fun places. The babies were only allowed to go to the beach wearing only diapers, nothing to hide their baby attire. There were five of us diapered kids. I was the only one always sucking a pacifier; it kept me relaxed. No one even looked twice at me. I was just another baby until a brown spot appeared on the back of my diaper and every one started to point at me saying, “Poopy diaper!” My dirty diaper was quickly changed on the changing mat and things went back to normal with me running and playing in the sand and water with the other kids. Lunch time came and I was fed my lunch with my bib around my neck so I would not need much of a cleanup after lunch. Of course I had a diaper change before my nap. After my public outing wearing only a T-shirt and diapers to play on the beach I was accepted by the other big kids wearing my diapers like a baby. They still teased me if I pooped in my diaper but if I just wet it they did not care. When I got back to the daycare I was allowed to play with the older kids but all I wore there were my diapers, no T-shirt. My teasing stopped in two days and my dream came true. I was allowed to play with the big-kid toys like the tall slide and the bicycle. I learned to ride in less than a day. That impressed the other kids at how fast I could learn to do things. At the end of this summer vacation I was finally a big kid, allowed to do anything the other kids could do. Everyone talked to me like I was a big kidm not a baby. The only clothes I had to wear were baby-style because my diapers were so thick. I looked like a big toddler since I grew some and size 6 diapers did not fit me any longer. I had to wear only cloth pinless diapers covered by puffy plastic pants. Kevin would dress me every morning before he went to school and I went to daycare. At day care the three- and four-year-olds always teased me but I got used to it and they finally stopped when they found out I knew how to play, too. We started to have fun when I was not being tutored or taking my nap. I took a nap in a crib because only potty trained kids were allowed to have a mat to take a nap on. Same rule for eating-- only potty trained kids were allowed to eat at the table. I had to eat sitting in a highchair with a bib. At least I was allowed to feed myself most of the time. It was going to be a long time to wait for another summer until then I have to stay with the younger kids that treated me like I was one of them. I thought I was a big kid during last summer but now I am just a toddler doing tenth-grade school work and nursery play. There were no toys for kids older than three, so I had fun playing with play school and Fisher-Price toys. I thought after two months of playing with all the baby toys there were no better way to have fun forgetting about the bicycle, tall slide and other big kid toys. Even when I had timeout sitting in the playpen I had fun because I knew summer was coming.