Potty Training Diaries {Wrap-up}

It's official and has been for awhile now--Micah is potty trained! Well daytime at least. He has naps down fairly well, but I don't trust him enough to not put a pull-up on him and night is pretty good too, but I don't get right up with him in the morning and well...let's face it he can't hold it forever...so not his fault...mine.

As a side bar I would like to note that DAYTIME training and NIGHTTIME training ARE two different things. Leighton is 4 and still not nighttime trained. She still wears a pull-up at night and it is wet 3-4x/week. There is a chemical in the brain that needs to be releasing to help slow down their system. This can take up to the age of 9! Also, she is a HEAVY heavy sleeper. This is an issue that isn't discussed often enough, yet one night at dinner 4 out of 8 moms had kids over the age of 4 still night-time wetting. 50%! That is crazy. The mom who brought it up felt ashamed for her daughter until she heard us say "US TOO!" So if your kid has daytime down, but still wetting at night...please take heart it is normal and there isn't too much you can do about it.

Back to the post....

I often laugh when I get on pinterest and see all these "How to potty train your kid" pins and how "fun" you can make it...um, maybe I am missing something, but it.is.NOT.fun. It won't ever be fun, just do it. Stop making excuses and waiting for all the signs, just do it. Micah didn't asked to be potty trained at 18 months I made the choice for him, considering I am his mother and know what is best for him. :) It was a headache and at times I found myself wondering why bother right now...but then I would gently remind myself that in 1 year from now {or most likely LESS} he would be golden. And I was right.

Look how much he has changed!!! Oh.my.word!

He was pee-pee trained in a matter of days, and had the complete hang of it a matter of months. Now #2s well that was a whole other mess...literally. He started off well, and then I don't know what happened, well I sort of do, but totally not going to blog share that...if you really want to know I will tell you privately, but I know it most likely is NOT a situation that most face...ANYWAY, he never really pooped his pants on me, he would just simply wait until nap, bed or nursery times to do so. He was always in a pull-up, so little mess to deal with.

I tried everything--bribing him, forcing him to sit on the potty, ignoring it, making up funny stories about it, and flat out discipline-- you name it I probably tried it. Nothing was effective; so I went back with ignoring it and realized that he is not even 2 yet and is potty trained except for some 1x/day bowel movement...get over it. This phase will come. 

Enter the flu in February. He is now just over 2. The flu brings with it the loose variety. His stomach was wrenching and painful...I could almost feel his pain. I looked at him and said "baby, if you go sit on the potty and let it out you will feel so much better! Wanna try?!"

"YES"

He did and he went and from that point on, give or take a few accidents since then, he has been spot on. We now can check that box off the PT list and shout HOORAY! My favorite phrase right now is "MOMMY! I went POOP!" You know you are mom when... HA!

Here he is using the iPad to "relax." Whatever it takes, and it works nearly every time.

You know to each their own on potty training, but I just love the fact that I have 2 kids and only did 3 years of diapering. 3 years! There are few things in this mommy world I feel truly capable and smart in and this is one of them, I am like the potty whisperer.

I love the freedom no diapers gives...like no more diaper bags!

Although we do carry around a bag for our travel potty seat. With a boy it is hard to balance him and help him aim, so for me when I was told about this I bought one immediately. {it folds up nice and small-ish}

Now the only advice I need is how to get rid of that boy pee smell and keep it in the potty. Everyone says I should have potty trained him backwards...well, thanks for that tip too late...HA!

Here he is sans potty seat...my worst nightmare. I just finally figured out how to attached the pee pee guard and now this! Sigh..."I no need potty seat, I big boy."

What I have Learned {Potty Training Diaries}

I was going to title this Boys vs. Girls, but really I am not so certain it is true except in a few instances like using his boy parts as a hose on me. That is soley all boy. :) Or now that he has discovered said part, he has to constantly make sure it's still there. :)

Micah really has been overall way easier to potty train than Leighton. {And he is that "dreaded boy" to boot. Because everyone just assured me boys were WAY harder.} Now, was he "easier" than Leighton because of  "A" how he learned or because "B" he is the 2nd go around? Dunno. Probably a combo of A and B.

With Leighton I was a major, up-tight freak case about it. Constantly wondering "why isn't she getting this...faster?"
"NOOOO! Don't....tinkle...on my...carpet." {voice trailing off} Awesome {insert defeatist attitude}

I felt like we needed to achieve perfection before I could announce to the world my awesome early potty train skills. HA!

I kept us bottled up at home never being more than a mere 3ft from the potty chair that followed us every where.

I drug her to the potty all.the.time. I fought with her to please just go.

Sounds like a really fun picture right?!

Yeah, it wasn't. So you can imagine my dread when it came time to do this again, with a boy, with a strong willed, feisty boy. When can I start this?! HA!

 

 It's funny because as you know with kid #2 and so on you just loosen up way more. Now I already consider myself a pretty laid back parent, unless you want to mess with my routine/structure then looks will kill, sort of. :)
And that is just what I did. I just took a way laid back approach. When I tried at 17.5 months with MW I was falling into all my same habits and it was going no where, but when I just let up control and rolled with the pee down his leg, it actually became "easy."

He didn't like the potty chair on the floor he wanted to be like "Lei Lei" and go in a real potty. Fantastic, less clean up. Roll with it.

Pee your pants at lunch. No biggie. "Feels yucky doesn't it buddy?" "ucky" "Next, time tell mommy potty potty potty." Puts on new underpants.

Have to catch tinkle in my hand to get him to stop going and rush him to the potty. Just laugh.

Get hosed because he doesn't want your assistance to "push it down." Whatever, wipe up the floor and change shirts.

Watch him think how funny it is that he has a sprinkler going and needs to stick his hand in it. Just hand him the toilet paper to "pat pat pat."

Oh now you like the potty chair on the floor and want to go poop in that instead? Ok bring on the potty chair.

Has to bring a zillion books and toys into the bathroom in order relax and go...apparently this starts early. HA!

And is he 100% yet? Nope. 50-60%? Yep. I call him potty "trained." He definitely knows what is going on, what he needs to do. He recognizes the signs and is exhibiting more than adequate motor control. Aim, not so much, but motor control yes. Now we are just moving into potty practice. He gets better with each passing week and that is all I can ask for.

Still working on telling others, right now only mommy does, and occasionally daddy or Meg. He never tells the nursery workers, that or they don't understand him or believe him-- is probably more like it. And he does stay dry a lot while we are out, but that is definitely another thing to conquer--although going in public isn't my favorite thing to do. Now I get two kids to take and keep from touching...::shudders.::

So there you have it. Early potty training for boys. It can be done. :) There may be a regression or two or 6, in Leighton's case, but I am prepare to keep the same attitude and just keep moving forward.

Below are a few things that I have had to do different with MW:

1. Need potty seat in public due to peeing on me with out it. I don't have enough hands to balance him and help him aim. :) Not a problem I experienced with Lo.

2. Just getting the tinkle in the potty is a challenge, he doesn't want assistance in aiming, nor does he want to do it since he thinks it is a sprinkler to play in. OY!

3. Toys, lots and lots of toys to hold while going.

4. Really have to encourage him to take his big business to the potty. He is just so frighten?! by it. He will say "oop" for hours, HOURS before he will finally go. And 8/10 if the potty chair is out he will just wonder over there and eventually go.

5. MW doesn't like to be over praised. All that jumping, shouting Hooray, and dancing made him nervous. He likes a simple quiet "YAY" followed by the pee pee song. Maybe someday I will sing it for you. ;)

 6. do not fear the outdoors. I don't feel the need to be locked inside next to a potty all day. That is what pull-ups are for. If he does well great, if not, it will come.

7. Underwear? What's that? Yeah, um he pretty much goes commando 80% of the day. I try to keep underwear on him, but then as soon as they are on he starts his "oop oop" thing and since he can't pull them down to go I leave them off so he can just go when he is ready. So call before you come over would ya? Thanks.

 

riding bare back. ;)

I am sure I will have more riveting anecdotes about this, but for now this is it. I am just pleased as punch that he is doing so well. My perspective on it definitely helping. If you have questions or want to know something ask.

Potty Training Diaries {MW Style}

You may remember once upon a time I journaled about Leighton's potty training experience cataloged under "Potty Training Diaries"  While that is an experience I didn't want to have to repeat, here we are 2 years to date repeating it. HA! I guess Micah deserves to be potty trained too. ;) 

I am a believer in early potty training and I write about it because I think so many moms get "told" that it can't be done or made to feel like you are crazy. {Especially when it comes to our boys, so many are told boys just are too "slow" to get it before 3 or 4--NOT TRUE!!!}

Is it easy to do. No, it isn't. There is no sugar coating it. But if you are willing to do it then try it. There is no failure in trying and guess what if it works then hip hooray for you, if it doesn't or you want to give up, that is ok too. But if you want results, and this goes for anything in life, then you have to WORK for it and you have to give it your all. So below is just some "boring" journal entries I wrote regarding this in progress process. We are no where near done...so more to come. I know I like to feel like I am not alone, so I just laid it all out there.

{July 1st 2012:}
Today we embarked on the task I love to hate--potty training. At around 15m I got out your potty chair and started talking about where we go potty. You took right to it. However today is the day we started the physical act. I wasn't planning on it starting today, I was actually going to wait until the 5th, when I could give you my undivided attention and really delve in. But today was a good starter day. I am going about it thus far completely differently than with your sister, mostly because I figured out what worked well and what really hindered the process. :) {aka mommy's attitude/patience level for said potty training} I encouraged you to sit on the potty a lot by bribing you with chocolate chips. I think bribes are great. With Lo I was so against, but it works, it works well. So I say bring on the chocolate!

You stayed dry for hours. I just kept hoping you would pee so I could praise or re-direct you, but you just didn't...saved it for naps and the 1 hour we were at church. :( Then we headed to Target (where you stayed dry the entire time we were out!) and got all the gear, underpants, covers, pull-ups (something else I was against with Lo), juice and of course the beloved MMs. After we put you in cotton underpants you had one accident because I was side tracked making dinner. Blast you dinner!

Overall, I am happy with how today went. No real success or failure, but you really understood me and what we were trying to do. I like to start slow. With early potty training I see this as a marathon and not a sprint. I can't wait to start loading you up on juice and really start!

{Day 7 July 7th 2012:}
By the end of today I decided to quit, throw in the towel, admit defeat, embrace my failure, and eat humble pie.
Now to insert my "excuses." He wasn't even 18m when I started. Lo was 18.5m---should that matter?! No. He had a bladder like a tanker and watching him all day was boring, I felt like I couldn't give him my undivided attention and thirdly I just plain wasn't in the mood to do it. That's the thing about potty training at any age, momma has to be in the mood to deal with it. Momma has to have her patient hat on and fueled up, diapers can be easier in the interim...but man when they are potty trained the freedom that gives!

{Day 1 Take Two: August 12th 2012}:
Again I had no plans of starting potty training today. I knew I needed to buck up and start up again, but I just didn't want to. However, today I noticed you were staying dry for hours since you got up, that's when I decided "diapers boo, underpants whoo!" {catch phrase curiosity of B in Real Life}. I took your dry diaper off, put you in your training underpants (the thick cotton underwear) and said "we go pee pee in the potty. If you wet them I guess you will figure it out sooner or later." Of course he wet them a bit later. "Oh well, there is next time."

My mindset at this point was you can pretty much potty train yourself, you will get tired of peeing your undies and figure out that you need to A. hold it and B. take it to the potty. We went to daddy's softball game at church---and kept your cotton underpants dry. I wasn't looking back now. This attitude was mainly for me and less for him, with Leighton I got so internally worked up every time she peed on the floor, it nearly drove me mad. By letting go of that it kept me calm and able to keep moving forward.

{Week One}: So this is whole potty train yourself thing is working. HA! You decided by day 3 that you didn't like being wet, but you hadn't clicked on getting to the potty in time. You would pee and then run to the bathroom! Progress the connection is formed. Every time you had an accident I took you to the potty and sat you down and explained what to do. Nonchalantly said "next time buddy you will make it." Then off you went.
Day 4 I got you to go #2 in the potty! That is when you starting saying "pooooop" followed by this little grunt. That has now become your "potty" word no matter if it is #1 or #2. However the whole #2 incident seemed to really scare you. You did NOT like seeing that.
Day 5 Today we had a play date and you did the same thing told me about your need to go big, but you refused to sit on her little potty chair. I mean freak out! I wasn't going to push it at someone else's house, plus I don't want to clogged up the pipes and freak you out over it...you will get it. No biggie.

We ended the week with no actually successes. HA! But I just didn't care. I could see it clicking, so I pushed on. Again with early potty training especially, this is a marathon not a sprint. I just kept telling myself:

1. This is the same age as Lo was when she learned. So you can too. Plus, you are more verbal than she was, so that has to count for something.

2. I am not really trying that hard with you. I am just sort of letting you lead the way. {With MW's personality that is ALWAYS the best recourse...he does NOT like to be told what to do at all, it has to be his idea, so I merely made it seem like it was his idea. :)}

3. I have nothing "better" to do, per-say. I am at home all day so I can work with him on it. Plus I am saving a TON in diaper money.

{Week Two}: This week is when it got real and when I wanted to throw the towel in again. He actually was having successes this week. {YAY! Micah Bear. Pee pee in the potty!} Probably due to the fact that I was finally working with him on it. HA! One day he was all over it, going to the potty, telling me, staying dry. Yay! He is going to do this. The next day it was as if we had never even started potty training. You would just stand there and start peeing. GRRRRR! There were so many moments that I just wanted to say forget it. But ultimately reason would win out. I have to keep my eyes on the prize.

Most of you are thinking she is so nuts, just wait until he is 2 or 3 and this would be SO much easier. I don't know that to be true. With MW's personality it would probably be more of a battle because he would be asserting his will more, plus I think of how much money I am wasting on diapers for the next 1.5-2 years and that bugs me, and finally I know plenty of parents who waited or are still waiting and it didn't/isn't getting easier...bottom line is, I will never know which way would have been "easier" but at least I know he will be golden by that age in the potty training department and I won't have to deal with that amongst other "terrible 3" tendencies. HA!

{Day 14 Aug 25 2012}: So proud of my boy. We just went shopping all morning (ie 3 hours) and he kept his pull-up dry the entire time except the last 10 minutes on the car ride home. He said "potty" I begged him to hold it tight, but he obviously couldn't make it. Not too bad. He even went potty in one of the stores we were in!!! Right after telling me he had to go! Woot Woot! He is getting it and doing really well this past week. He is down to just a few accidents per day. Of course he seems to pee a lot during nap, but that will come. Night time and day time are two different things in my book, especially at this age. Shoot Lo is just now 2 years post potty training, finally, almost, night time trained.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below is a link for some tips on potty training I found...probably via pinterest. I agree with every thing she wrote, EXCEPT the reward thing. She thinks verbal encouragement is enough. Depending on your kid maybe it is. But with Lo I tried everything and in the end chocolate chips or MMS were the ticket. MW doesn't seem to care too much either way right now...but don't fear if you have to "bribe" them to go, they won't be asking for MMS every time the go forever...just like anything, you will wean them off that.

Potty Training Stress Free

I have a post coming next or soon about the differences I noticed between boy vs. girl potty training, personality types and what worked for MW vs Lo. I'll just say this...little boys learn early how funny it is to hose you. HA!

The Potty Training Diaries

Remember when I did a series on potty training?
Clearly, it has had an impact on Leighton.
She is now in the process of potty training Baby Chele Chele {yes, she named her doll after me, sweet right?!}


I found this the other day and died laughing.
Then I would hear "Yay! Baby Chele Chele pee-pee, poo-poo in the potty! MM!" As she was ecstatically dancing around and cheering.

Prior to this she would be riding in the car shouting "potty potty potty!"
I always respond with "you better hold it tight until we get..." and then I make a fist motion. After this latest dialogue she announces that it is baby Chele Chele that needs to potty. Then she turns to baby Chele Chele and says "hold tight baby Chele Chele" and makes the fist motion. HA!

Now she puts her baby on the potty and sings the "ABCs" with her to "relax" her to go, just like I do with her. And of course sometimes baby Chele Chele needs a book or magazine to help her go too.

I guess my potty training methods work so well you can even train your doll. Of course, baby Chele Chele only gets raisins as a reward for going in the big dolly potty.

Oh Leighton, there is never a dull day when you are around.

The Potty Training Diaries {Scrapbook Edition}

Here are Lo's Potty Training Diaries Scrapbook pages.
{From the only kit I have yet to purchase in all my digi scrapbooking endeavors.}


Potty training has by far been the most frustrating, yet rewarding things I have ever done as a parent.
In some ways we are still "training" because I don't consider her 100% yet. We still have at least a handful of accidents a month. I am learning that she is very sensitive to what is going on around her and if she senses upheaval or major change/stress, she regresses some for a day or two and then we are back in the saddle. So to say I am a little worried about brother coming would be an understatement. Although, after our last regression {i.e. her room renovation} in late November I sensed a huge shift in her thinking about potty training and how she approached it. I wish I could explain it, but I can't and since then we have been pretty much spot on. She is in complete control and command of when she deems she needs to "go." The only thing I am good for is getting her on and off the potty and the occasional wipe job.

Now we have really struggled with putting our poops in the potty, since the last regression. I really couldn't understand it. It was like she knew she had to go, but would put it off or not relax enough on the potty to go, thus an accident. It was so frustrating. For Christmas we got her Big Girl Minnie Mouse panties (not the "training" cloth panties that she had been wearing) and I told her "Minnie does NOT want to be pooped or peed on! It will make her so sad!" And that was it, she starting pooping in the potty from then on out. Now have we had an accident or two, sure, but not like before and this mommy is so thankful! Sort of ticked I didn't think of it sooner, it was my cousin who suggested it.

Over all we are there and I guess have been for awhile, I mean we have been potty "training" for nearly 4/5 months. Some of you may say I should have waited and there would be less accidents or that she is still too young and that is why she still messes up some days. You couldn't be more wrong. I know she gets it. Life is full of accidents and practice makes perfect. I would much rather deal with a few accidents here and there and be 97% potty trained than changing a bunch of diapers all day. Some people just don't give their kids enough credit.

Well, I hope those of you potty training get something from all these posts. {Click on Potty Training Diaries to see "old" posts on the subject}. It will definitely be interesting to see how brother does when it is his turn in 18ish months! ;)

The Potty Training Diaries {the things I learned}

Things I have come to realize during potty training. {in no particular order}

1. Your child can no longer be in onesies. This quickly diminshed our wardrobe. Thankfully, we are entering fall and she gets a "new" one anyway. Also, I am grateful to my mom who turned some of her onesies into shirts! Which she is doing a lot of because 1.Generally speaking they start making t-shirts at around 2T and 2. I have a small child who will not be anywhere near that size until she is probably 3!

2. Hide the toilet paper. :) Lo loves nothing more than to just pull it all out and if I am not watching put it all in the potty!

3. I have never needed more patience then when I began this process. Recognizing the little steps and celebrating those are all your focus can be on, not the bigger picture.

4. If people tell you they potty trained their child in one day or that is all it takes that is a lie. While I believe it only takes the one day for it to "click," it still takes several weeks of practice to get it completely right. Just remember how long it took them to get walking really well down.

5. That daycare settings can really set you back, especially if your child doesn't talk much. When Lo started leaving the Church nursery, the Y kid zone, Moppets dry I knew we had reached a milestone. Mostly, because she does not tell the workers she needs to go and they don't "pay attention" to her signs. I mean that in a nice way, they have lots of kids to look after and I understand how a 1.5 year is out of the norm to think about taking potty.

6. There are phases of potty training you go through. At first you beat your head against the wall "teaching" them what to do. It feels as if they will never master it. Then they do.

Then you reach a phase where they learn you jump a mile high when they say they need to "go." Even if they don't, they are just trying to get out of the doctor's office, or nap time. Stinker.

Then you go through a phase where they need to check out every bathroom of every establishment you frequent. Awesome. It isn't like it is cold and flu season or anything!

Then you reach the phase where you trust your child and don't have to constantly hound them about going potty!

But then come regression. Expect it, it will make you beat your head against the wall less.

7. Plan on potty training to be a marathon, not a sprint. One day they will get there!

Random Thoughts on Motherhood.

click on the icon to join the randomness.

Some of my random thoughts on motherhood.

1. Why do we moms not tell each other the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Why do we fudge it? Is it so we look like a super, awesome, got it all together mom? Because I will be the first to say I am not. I love being real with moms when they ask me questions. I leave nothing out and tell it like it is (at least our run in with whatever it is in question).

For instance potty training. Most of you know I am in the throws of potty training with Lo. (We are on week 6 in case you were wondering). Things were going super great after week two. And after the superb week 4 we had {1 accident all week} I was nearly ready to announce my child was {daytime} potty trained!

Then week 5 hit. This child was having 3-4 accidents each day! I did not expect regression...what have I done wrong? And she is too little to "ask" like all the websites suggest. So we bucked up and kept going. Now we are doing better again. Back to 1-2 accidents per day.

My point. Is that I was feeling like other kids (even at 18/19 months) were getting the potty training thing and mine wasn't. Truth. They probably aren't doing any better than my daughter, they just aren't telling me the whole truth. Shoot I am even learning those who wait to potty train when their kids are 2-3 have these same troubles, but no one wants to admit "defeat."

I promised I would be honest about potty training for those of you interested in my experience. So there you have it. Some of you may {still} think I am crazy for potty training so "early," but I don't mind running a marathon with her, it takes practice and time no matter what age you start.

2. I am a little freaked out about having TWO kids. I just can't wrap my mind around it. Thankfully I still have like 4 months to, but I still don't think that will be enough time. How on earth am I going to do this?!

3. I am not sure anything has tested my faith more and trust in God than having my babies. I had to trust God with my fertility issues, and now I have to trust God with our son. I am not sure what this new life will bring us, but I know we will be able to handle it no matter what it is.

We had our specialist appt last Thursday. It went well and I will blog about it more in depth soon. I promise. But it has left me with questions and causing me to put all my fears in God's ever capable hands.

I guess I will leave it there on my random motherhood thoughts, although I have many more! HA! Happy Monday Everyone!

The Potty Training Diaries

Dear Diary,
Today marks 3 weeks (and a few days) of potty training. And I can't believe how well she is doing. Just as with any new skill you watch your child master every new day and week brings more mastery, so I guess I shouldn't be amazed. I admit that possibly her age (18 months) has not brought about the quickest of progress of say a 2+ year old, but I can't complain, we are saving tons in diapers for sure.

We are still slightly struggling with outings. I think it is time for me to invest in pull-ups, so when we go to the store it is easier to keep her potty trained then trying to take on and off a diaper at the potty. However, most outings as long as they are quick (ie 1ish hours) she will stay dry.

Recounts of the week:
This weekend we went to the State Fair and I just expected us to have a diaper day and not even attempt to use the potty, however she surprised us all by staying dry and then informing us she needed to go. I couldn't find a potty and the crowds were so thick even once I located it I didn't think we would make it. However, my mom scooped her up and we began shoving through the crowds saying "toddler needs to potty, excuse us..." Can you believe we made it?! She potty the whole day at the fair whenever she needed to go!! This was a turning point for me and I was so proud of her!

She even did really good for her Grandma Rachel when she came over to babysit while I was at work. I was nervous about how she would do...I didn't want Grandma Rachel to have too many messes to clean up, but she did really great, with minimal accidents.

Obviously, I am learning she does the best with me. I don't know if it is because I am the only one who truly understands her or she just wants me to be the one to help her?!

Finally, the other day, I had left her upstairs for a few minutes while I was downstairs doing laundry. I hear a crash and run upstairs to see what she knocked over. I found her with wet panties. However, when I took her to her potty to change her and tell her to potty on the potty I looked down and there was tinkle all around her potty. Bless her heart she went to the potty, but she didn't know how to pull down her panties to go, so she just tinkled through them. I couldn't be "upset" about that, she tried and I was very proud.

This week we are working on that skill. :)

I love seeing the progress and the light switch on from being ok with being dirty or wet to desiring to be clean and dry!

Overall, I am glad I didn't listen to the naysayers out there and went ahead and potty trained her. With kids it is all about expectations, if you expect the best they will give you the best. She will most definitely be 100% potty trained by the time baby Q gets here in 5 months!

The Potty Training Diaries {Monday-Wednesday}

Dear Diary,

Monday, Aug 30th 2010

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Why o' why is this so hard?! I wish I had a magic wand and could magically transform Leighton into a potty trained pro. I think, I would even give up my long-time held desire to orb, if this tiny little wish could be granted.

Saturday she was doing so good and it really seemed like she was "getting it", but of course it was all new again to her, so she was an eager beaver. Now, two days later she could care less and gets quite annoyed. My new goal is teaching her the difference between wet and dry, so we are playing lots of "games" that talk about wet and dry. When I congratulate her on "dry panties" she gets excited, but then she starts applauding herself when she pees in her panties. Verdict: she doesn't get why I am excited about dry panties vs. wet.
::insert heavy sigh::

We have had 2 successful potties this AM. They are small victories and I am trying to focus on that. This is just so beyond frustrating for me. I have so little patience, so really this is probably more a lesson for me than her.

Right now I am just trying to figure out how to unlock her currency, find what motivates her...candy doesn't seem to work, and I think she is too young to understand a reward system, so I am out of ideas right now.
::Repeat: "we will get this, we will get this, we will get this."::

Tuesday, Aug 31st, 2010

Today has been a much better day. And to think I was going to just throw in the towel! Yesterday was such a debacle and I was starting to feel like she just wasn't going to ever "get it" (well at least anytime soon). However, my cousin, who has been potty training her son this past week too, encouraged me. Encouragement for both you and your toddler is key to success. This is as much work (if not more-so) for you as it is for them. So fellow mommies out there attempting this whether it be today or 6 months from now, if you need a pep talk I will give you one!

Anyway, I decided to try the timer method this morning. It sort of works like Pavlov's dogs. When the timer goes off in 20 minutes you sit on the potty and go, or at least attempt to go {you then gradually increase the time daily}. By the 4th time the timer went off, she was "terrified." She hugged me tight like I was going to torture her to sit on the potty...it was weird. I think it just freaked her out that a beep beep noise told her she had to go. Out the window that idea went. Now what?!

I then decided to just let go and remind her every so often about the potty and encouraged her to sit every so often. I looked for signs that she had to go. She would then start to go on the floor and I would yell "STOP your potty," which she did...this is a huge sign of motor control. Then she would finish on the potty and I would dance around like an idiot praising her.

Finally, she started to recognize the signs and go on her own to the potty, sit down and go! We have turned the corner. As predicted all along, my stubborn as a mule daughter would decide when she was ready and when she decides something she is all over it. That is why I think I just finally stopped "forcing" her. Once she knew I had honestly let go of the control {you can't fake her out}, she took charge!

We are far from perfect and tomorrow, shoot even this PM may be a different story, but this was super encouraging to me today to keep this momentum going...she will get it. Maybe not in a day or 3 days, but surely in a month to 6 weeks I can confidently come back here and say "WE ARE POTTY TRAINED!"

Wed. Sept. 1st, 2010

I have one word: SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today has just been another incredible day. I feel so stupid for being, so overly excited about her being potty trained. You have never seen someone so happy to see poo-poo and tinkle in the potty! We have had ZERO accidents this morning. She actually tinkled a tiny bit in her panties while sitting in my lap and then jumped up, stopped her potty and went to the potty chair! Other than that we have a perfect record so far, even two, well, number twos... I am just so proud of my girl. I can't believe we started this on Saturday day and 3/4 days later we are starting to get the hang of it.
Now, while this is huge progress and success, we still have miles to go. We haven't ventured more than 5-10 feet from the potty chair in 4 days. I still put her in a diaper for lunch since it is right before nap and she will pee in it and say nothing about it. She doesn't seem to care (and never has for that matter) how wet or dirty her diaper is. Until that begins happening we still have some work to do. Not to mention venturing out and staying dry while sleeping. I know we will get there, but for now I am extremely happy!

Biggest take home message: Each child is different. You have to learn to pick your battles and potty training isn't one of them. Let them decide to do it. I don't think it means you can't try and keep trying once you are ready to train, but stay positive, most toddlers are all about control! :) There are a zillion different methods and opinions out there, just keep trying them until you find the key that unlocks your toddler and gets you success! Good luck!

I will probably have plenty more to add about our journey, until I can officially say we are 100% potty trained and ready to take on the world sans diaper!

And again I am no expert by even a modest definition, but if you have questions for me about what I did/doing I will gladly answer them or give you my best "advice/opinion."

The Potty Training Diaries

Dear Diary,
We are now embarking on the (hopefully rewarding-- yes, it will be...someday...) uber challenging task of potty training. ::heavy sigh:: While I knew this would be challenging and require patience I do not currently (or probably ever) possess, I honestly had no idea how challenging it was/is going to be. It is kind of like before you have your first baby and everyone around you tells you how much your life is about to change...and you are like "I get it, I know my life will be different, just shut up already..." (or maybe that was just me?!) Anyways, then your baby comes and you then realize how right they were, you were oblivious. That is potty training.

Sporting our "Big Girl" Panties

Around 16 months I started talking to Lo about going potty in the big girl potty, since let's be honest I haven't gotten to potty by myself for over a year. She took right to it. She was so excited about using a big girl potty. She was very interested. So a few weeks a month later I finally bought a big girl potty chair. She was in 7th heaven. She loved that thing and played with it, AND most importantly wanted to sit on it. We toyed around with potty training to see and I felt like she was ready.

At 17 months we finally had some time at home and started this daunting process. My patience was not good, nor helpful to this process. She knew what to do. She would hold her potty for 2+ hours, but the second we would put her in big girl panties she would pee! grrr. After about 4 days of her being "stubborn" about it, I gave up. I know my daughter. She ::cough. like her daddy:: refuses to do anything that isn't her idea or choice. It doesn't matter how right mommy is or how smart they are they just "do what they want." The MOST frustrating quality they each possess!!


Now here we are at 18 months. I got a bunch of good tips and ideas on potty training from some awesome moms and it seems to be working. I also got a good helping of grace and mercy from God flowing through me too!

Today is Saturday. I told her she was a Big Girl and diapers are for babies. I put big girl panties on her and praised her every 5 minutes if her panties were dry. If she wet in them (which she did 4x) she has to go to the potty and practice pulling them up and down 10x (actually mommy does this part). After a few accidents she went to the potty a few times!!!! She was so excited to get M&Ms for going Big Girl!!!

I am so proud of her. I am hoping we can get this thing done in the next few days! And definitely before baby Q arrives. I only want to diaper one bottom! I know she can do it and I really think we may have turned the corner. ::fingers crossed::

I know this was long, but hopefully, we mommies can help each other with these "tasks." I will gladly take any tips or advice I can get. I plan to keep updating this to help future potty trainers and trainees out there. :)