WARNING: The following is a pretty detailed account of our potty training weekend and is, of course, TMI. If you're not interested, I won't be offended if you skip this blog entry entirely. :) You've been warned.
A friend forwarded me the 3 Day Potty Training E-book (thanks, Ashley!) I read through it and really felt like it meshed well with our parenting ways, so a few months ago we set aside the weekend of Nov 19th-21st since the author claims 22 months is an optimal age. Jason even got Friday off to give me backup.
Friday
Madison helped us "throw away" (okay, bag up and hide) all of her diapers and we explained to her what is going on. She tossed the diaper that was on her and we put on the Yo Gabba Gabba underwear she picked out from Target.
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
We then proceeded to remind her to let us know when she had to go potty. Over and over. I'll spare all the logistic details that are in the eBook (shoot me an email if you want it), but we pretty much followed it exactly. She had a pee accident at 11 and then a few very small pee accidents as well as many false alarms where she would say, "Pee", we'd run her to the potty, and then nothing.
At 1:30, she started to pee a tiny bit in her undies, then said "Pee" and stopped. We rushed her to the potty and she went!! Her reward was a Hershey Kiss and WOW did she go crazy over that! We also put a sticker on her potty chart. A half hour later, another small pee accident. I figure when she was wearing diapers, she went super often just because it didn't make a difference.
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
Based on input/advice from friends and family, we decided to go with Pull-Ups for nap and nightime. So at nap she pooped in her Pull-Up right as she woke up. That evening she peed in the potty and had completely dry undies!!
Saturday
Started with a pee accident around 11AM again. None of it made it into the potty. At 1:30PM : Peed in potty w/ dry undies! 4:00P Woke with mildly wet Pull-Up. 6:30P : Full pee accident. 8:30P : Peed in potty w/ dry undies.
We were facing a 50% success rate, but it was already obvious that she was waiting to pee until she actually needed to instead of the multiple tiny accidents from Friday. I was actually feeling slightly discouraged and wondering what I had gotten myself into... There were also a LOT of false alarms now that she knew she would get a chocolate if she peed. There were even a couple tantrums when I wouldn't give her the chocolate after an unsuccessful try or accident.
Sunday
Mads woke with a full Pull-Up and didn't pee again until 2:10P, but did it in the potty!! She peed once more in the potty later that day and was accident free!
That night, Jason and I decided to go ahead and keep her in the underwear since she did well on Sunday. Two big concerns: 1) OMG what if she has an accident in public?! Like at her gymnastics class?! 2) Um... She still hasn't pooped in the potty! My weird kid is a rare pooper and it's been since Friday and she did that in the Pull-Up.
The hardest part for all of us about this weekend (by far!) was being cooped up in the house for 3 solid days. We are really an on-the-go family and all of us get grumpy and develop cabin fever quite quickly.
Monday
We started out the morning at a friend's house and Maddie happily peed in the potty there when I offered it before leaving for a class. Accident free for the rest of the day. Then right before bedtime, she said "Pee" and ran off to the potty. She went pee and poo! SCORE! I feel so silly for being so excited about someone else pooping, but there it is... I am so proud of my little girl who has handled this all like a pro.
I know accidents are bound to happen, but I also know I'm glad we went for it and Maddie is really happy about her new "Big Girl" status!
Random "Staying Entertained" Photos from the Weekend
This is a fraction of the stuff we did to try to keep the cabin fever at bay.
Put those naughty stuffed animals in Time Out.
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
Ride the Mama
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
Make Weird Food
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
Crafting!
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
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| From 2010 - 11 - November |
Dragging her father around the house.
