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We tried bribery, cajoling, temporary loss of privileges, big boy privileges, begging, pleading, ignoring, and just plain old blind hope that someday we would not be sending our son to kindergarten in pull-ups.
One day a few weeks ago I said that I’d make him a potty chart and if he got 10 Xs on the chart, he could pick a prize. His desired prize was to visit that pizza, birthday, rides, games and noise bastion known as Charles E. Frommage.

I don’t know why it worked, but within 2 days of instituting the poops for pizza program, Adam was done with pull-ups and was using the bathroom all by himself.
You just have to love the miracle of TiVo these kids are growing up with. We’ve been asked to pause the TV, including Mythbusters our favorite kid/adult compromise show, so that he could go to the bathroom. He does like to be left alone with his mini etch-a-sketch to pass the time. This is a step up from me sitting on the tub singing Christmas songs to help keep him focused on sitting on the toilet. He does kinda know the 12 Days of Christmas now, though. (Drummers, pipers, lords, ladies, maids, swans, geese, rings, calling birds, french hens, turtle doves, partridge).

His next reward is the Childrens’ Museum (sorry, no graphic alliteration here). The 3 rewards we set out for him are necessary to show that we keep our word, but I don’t think they’re necessary for ongoing success. I think he just did it himself all on his own schedule.

So parents of un-potty trained children take heart — sometimes they just decide to do it by themselves.