Sunday, November 06, 2011

Time to Potty Train!

Just like the toddler bed, this too we have attempted before. I think we just gave up around the time when we tried getting her sleep in her toddler bed the first time. I have to say, the first time we started training she did amazingly well. We thought we were getting off too lucky. Here's the catch: After about 2-2 1/2 weeks of being pretty much fully potty trained at home, she decided she doesn't want to use the potty anymore. Accidents every day with fewer and fewer successful potty breaks. It was so discouraging. She was only around 18-19 months at the time and i just figured she was still a little too young and not fully ready. Maybe she wasn't.
For a few weeks now she has been showing signs of readiness but i continued to put it off as i was unmotivated to go through all the clean ups, reminders, and just plain old STRESS of potty training, AGAIN! We have a movie from Pull-Ups all about potty training and its great for parents as well as children. Every time after watching this dvd she would run into the washroom wanting to use the potty. She doesnt like diaper changes. And, one day out of no where, she stands in the bathroom doorway and calls out "mommy!! Pee! Potty!". I went to her quickly, asked her if she wanted to go. She nodded and i sat her on the potty. It was cute watching her "push" to get it out. After a minute she pooped! I couldn't beleive it!
Still, after this i didnt push the idea of potty training. I bought her a giant Sesame Street book thats all about Elmo and potty training. At bath time i take her diaper off and ask her to go pee, and she usually does go. So, instead of see-sawing back and forth any longer, i decided to just do it and get it done with. The weather is getting colder and the "stay-at-home" weather is coming, so what bettter of a time?
Yesterday was her first day diaper-free. She had accident after accident. Closer to the end of the day she peed in the potty a few time, then had an accident. Improvment.
The techniques we're using are simple and a little silly but they're fun! When accidents happen, we don't get mad or upset. I ask her to "stop peeing, lets go to your potty" in a nice voice. I can tell she does try to stop herself, and that muscle training is just as important as peeing in the potty itself. Sometimes she can stop and continue when we get to the potty, and sometimes she will have finished already. At one point she grabbed my hand and said "pee!", we went to the potty and she peed! This was indeed a reason to celebrate. We clapped, cheered, and mommy did a "Leah peed in the POTTY!" march, as well as some enthusiastic jumps for joy which she thought were hilarious. Afterwards, she got a sticker and half of a Halloween treat. (she gets stickers often so they are relatively boring to her) I told her that her rewards were for using the potty. At night time however, she still wears a diaper. One step at a time.

My little girl is embarking on a whole new adveture. She's already grown so fast from a baby to a toddler. Now that shes wearing "big girl" underwear and sleeping in a "big girl" bed, i can't help but think that one day soon im going to wake up and she'll actually be my "big girl".

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