Please be warned - this post is not for those easily grossed out with potty talk.
About two weekends ago, Charlotte wanted to use her potty a lot. She was keeping her diapers pretty dry. So, I figured we could just roll with the momentum and get going on this potty training thing. Why not go ahead and do it? I was going to be in the house with her a lot more now.
So, I told her that when she used the potty she could have 2 M&M's for #1 and 4 M&M's for #2. She was reluctant to go #2 on the potty. After a couple of days - and bags of M&M's - I told her that we would make a special trip to the store and pick out big girl underwear if she would go #2 on the potty. After a couple more days of constant reminders about big girl underwear, she finally went #2 on the potty. I jumped up and down, kissed and hugged her, told her I was SO PROUD, and shelled out 4 whole M&M's into her little palm. Then we got in the car and drove to Kohl's to pick out big girl underwear. We were on our way to victory!
The next day she had 4 accidents - two of them #2. Potty training has it's highs and lows - and A LOT of laundry.
She knows how to work it to get more M&M's - it only took her about 2 hours to figure it out. Some days she goes #1 no less than 5 times in an hour just to get more M&M's. She will sit there and squeeze out a drop and proclaim, "I WANT A TREAT - I PEE PEED IN POTTY!" Not sure how we are going to phase out the treat situation, but I'm not worrying about it now. I have been able to trick her into just 3 M&M's for #2 instead of 4.
I didn't know how gross potty training was going to be. I knew there would be accidents - but when there is an accident with #2 involved and you stick your finger in it when pulling down her pants to clean it up - gagging ensues. It is NOTHING like changing a diaper. The whole wiping portion is pretty gross too - I'll be pretty happy when she can master that part of the process.
Then there is the whole public toilet dilemma. She won't let me hold her above the potty, she insists on propping herself up. I can actually see the nasty public toilet germs crawling all over her hands. I can't get her to the sink to wash her hands fast enough.
As gross as it is, the experience is pretty funny. Whenever she goes #2 she always has to point out a "big one" and a "wittle one". The other day after she was done going #2 and I wiped her, she looked in the potty and said, "ROOOOAAAARRRRR!" I asked her what she was doing and she replied, "I scaring it". Whatever that was about I don't know. Then today she went #2, I wiped her, she turned and looked at it and said, "It has chocolate in it!". At the rate she is eating M&M's, there may have been some undigested chocolate in it.
She tried to pull a fast one on me a couple of days ago. She sat on her potty and some gas came out. She exclaimed, "I POOTED! TREAT?" I said that there were no M&M's given out for pooting. If that were the case she'd go through a bag every couple of hours.
All in all she is doing pretty well and I'm really proud of her. We keep diapers on for naps and bedtime, but she is in underwear most of the day. She is still having some accidents - but they have been #1. She seems to actually prefer to go #2 in the potty now and not in her diaper. I'm trying to stop asking her if she needs to go, but letting her take the lead. I think we are on the right track and I feel like it is pretty successful so far - but for us it isn't going to be a 3 day training - I'm just taking it easy and not putting any pressure on her - it is her decision. I'm definitely accepting any advice from all you moms that have been through this!!
4 comments:
Oh this made me laugh out loud!! A little trick I learned with Matthew...throw out the underwear that has the #2 accidents in it!! Seriously, it grossed me out so much I would toss the underwear and throw him in the bathtub.
Public toilets? Still totally gross me out with Kathryn. I used to practically wrap the whole toilet in toilet paper and seat covers before I'd let her sit down on one.
We did marshmallows with Kathryn and chocolate chips with Matthew. Just wait til you have a second one that you are potty training and giving treats to -- Charlotte will want treats all over again :)
It sounds like you (& Charolotte!) are doing a great job :)
Oh my goodness - I too laughed out loud! I love that she was scaring it, and that she thought it had chocolate in it! Hilarious!
With Zachary, we started with treats for anything, but once he got the hang of #1, we went with stickers on a chart, and when he went a whole week with stickers, he'd get a treat, and we saved the every-time treats for #2s.
You can also buy a portable potty seat that you can stick in your bag when you go places (might want to put it in a baggie first...), so that she can sit on it & prop herself up & it's a little less frightening for you. We had one that we used with Zachary before he got the hang of peeing standing up (or for #2 in public...)
But, sounds like you are doing a good job! I definitely think low-pressure is the way to go. We had a time-pressure to get Zachary trained, so it was pretty stressful, and we're hoping that we can do Liam the way you're doing Charlotte - no pressure & on his timetable.
Good luck!!
Absolutely no advice from me!!!!!!
Sounds like you got it. It is so worth it when you do not have to travel with diapers and sippies. You will love it!
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