The following are my potty training diaries from our cold turkey attempt at potty training exactly two weeks ago:
Potty Training Day 1
Shelby started showing an interest in peeing and pooping at 15 months, at which point I purchased a potty and a few potty training books for her. I decided not to push her, but just let her use the potty whenever she wanted. Within a month or so, she was in a pretty solid routine of using the potty before her nap and before bed, and she would, on rare occasion, specifically ask to use the potty at different times of the day. I had considered potty training at various times in the fall, but it always seemed that I couldn't free up enough days on the calendar, and then I was too tired from first trimester pregnancy, and then we had the added stress/excitement of my mom moving in and the holidays in November and December. I decided to potty train this week only because it happened to be an especially open week with no scheduling conflicts that was far enough removed from the excitement of the holidays.
I decided to wait until after breakfast to introduce potty training to Shelby. So, after breakfast, we went upstairs to the bathroom, took off her diaper, grabbed one of her babies (I at first grabbed a baby baby doll, but then grabbed a more mature baby doll with pigtails who seemed to better fit the bill), and led her and baby to the potty. I set baby on the potty and said to Shelby, “Baby is going pee-pee on the potty. Yeah, baby!” And we both applauded baby's efforts. Then, I took one Reese's Pieces out of the bag and explained, “Since baby pee-peed on the potty, she gets a candy!” Then baby “ate” the candy. I then gave Shelby the candy and said, “Every time Shelby pee-pees today, she will also get a candy!” Shelby played with the candy in her hand until I explained that it goes in her mouth. After eating her first candy ever, her eyes grew really round and she furiously pointed toward the box yelling, “More, more!” I explained that she would have to go pee-pee on the potty for more, and this resulted in a first rate meltdown. So then I thought maybe I should show her again how this game works. So I put baby back on the potty and rewarded baby with a candy, but then didn't give the candy to Shelby. Shelby immediately plopped herself down on the potty, and I was delighted that she was getting it so quickly. But then she jumped back off the potty without peeing and pointed at the box yelling, “More, more!” I explained to her that she couldn't have more unless she peed in the potty, and this resulted in a heaped mass of toddler kicking and screaming on the bathroom floor.
This was an appropriate start to our day. For the remainder of the morning, Shelby refused to sit on the potty at all. We had started the day with Shelby just in cotton undies, but after her second accident on the carpeting in her room, I decided pants and socks were the way to go so they would at least absorb most of the pee before it hit the carpet! I think we went through at least 8 pairs of undies in the morning! After about an hour of this business, I sent Dave out on an emergency mission to Barnes & Noble to buy an Elmo potty training book. Shelby already has three potty training books, but she was refusing to look at any of them, angrily smacking them away or grabbing them from my hand and then tossing them across the room (or at least 2-3 feet away – her best effort to toss across the room). In addition, he downloaded a potty training Sesame Street special.
Our morning of potty training completely exhausted both of us, and after her nap, I just decided to lay off of it a bit. She opted for undies over a diaper, and had several more accidents and refused to use the potty, but I just stopped offering the potty as well.
Potty Training Day 2-2.5
Well, I will let it suffice to say that days 2 and 2.5 of hardcore potty training were a failure! A couple of hours into the day on day 3, I found Shelby lying on her bedroom floor attempting to put on a diaper. I decided to throw in the towel. I think that Shelby is the sort of kid who wants to make her own decisions and she seemed angry when I would tell her to use the potty. After reading a bit of Diaper-Free Before 3 (which would be more aptly titled Diaper Free By Two) by Jill M. Lekovic, M.D., I think we are better suited to a longer term, old-fashioned approach to potty training, so I've ordered some old fashioned waterproof covers and we will see how things go. I think this approach will also better fit our lifestyle since Shelby and I are both the type who enjoy getting out of the house and socializing and since we do a good number of classes and playgroups.
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