It's Potty Time!

Jillian has been ready to potty train for several months now, she's just been waiting on me. Despite my desire for a diaper free life (for a bit anyway), I avoided this task for awhile. Truthfully, it was just not something I felt I could tackle during the first trimester of my pregnancy when I was sick all the time and had zero energy to battle Jillian's iron clad will, and the multiple messes I was sure to clean up. After Christmas, I avoided it still because I knew we were headed to Florida soon and that travel could cause a regression (because I would not have been brave enough to travel without diapers). So, finally, after being sick for nearly a month since our return I bit the bullet this last week and began the process. It is true I know a good deal about potty training from my professional experience, but if I have learned anything since becoming a parent, it is that none of that knowledge works with or applies to my own child. So, enter the 3-Day Potty Training Method, an e book I bought by recommendation of several friends. I blocked off last Wed-Fri on our calendar for what I called "potty training boot camp", and read the book Tuesday night in last minute preparation. We already had the undies (Dora and Elmo themed, Jillian's choice of course), a couple of potties, and M&Ms for rewards, so we were set. I prayed for patience, as this method required us to be home for three straight days and in close proximity to each other (yes, I am a stay at home mom, but Jillian and I spend a healthy dose of apart time most days). After music on Wednesday, instead of our usual RAC outing, we came straight home. I then informed Jillian that she was a big girl now, and that we no longer needed diapers. We had a ceremonial throwing away of the diapers (I admit, I only let her throw away 2, I hid the rest....just in case), and I let her put on her underwear of choice, along with only a shirt (a warm one!) and socks to begin the process. She decided and insisted on a couple of additional accessories....


The premise of this program is that the parent is to catch the child in the act of having accidents, and rush them to the potty. I began to worry after the first three accidents, which occurred in rapid succession, and were met with absolute refusal to sit on the potty. I didn't want this to turn into a battle of wills, where I would fight to get her to sit and she held out, despite the unpleasant consequence of doing so. I'm not quite sure what clicked, but after about 2 hours, she made it to the potty and had success! She soaked up the praise and excitement, and loved the 3 mini-M&Ms she received as reward. Since that first moment 2 hours in, she hasn't had any peeing accidents during wakeful hours! She has successfully made 2 trips to Target, one trip to Hy-Vee, and a 2.5 hour stint at the RAC kids club while staying dry. Though the program recommends doing nap and night training along with daytime training, I decided we'd keep her in pull-ups (worn over her underwear so that she still feels the wetness of an accident next to her skin) for nap and bedtime. I had a couple of reasons for doing this. First, she is a heavy sleeper and always wakes up soaked in the morning. Second, she still insists on sleeping in her chair. I can handle changing sheets and cleaning up accidents on the water proof crib mattress that resides in her toddler bed, but didn't think the state of our nice fully upholstered glider would fare as well in this situation. Despite that safeguard, she has woke from her nap dry exclaiming, "I have to go potty!" 3 out of the last 5 naps, and has significantly reduced the amount of wetness upon waking in the morning (where she also exclaims, "I have to go potty!"). She is very proud of her underwear, and told the guy bagging our groceries yesterday that, "I have Mickey Mouse panties on. I go pee pee in the potty!" I have gotten a lot of joy out of seeing the look of pride on her face as she sits on the potty and realizes that she is going. I captured about a 50% smile one day on camera, but you can still see the pride in her eyes.


And now it's time to talk about poop. Discontinue reading now if you don't want any details! This has been the problem child of our training, as it so often is. Jillian always hides in the living room when she is going, and since she was old enough to pull to stand or stand alone she has always stood to do the job. I attribute this to the fact that she is typically more on the constipated side and it might be more comfortable for her to stand. I knew this would not be easy. On day 1, I could see the process beginning, and as I tried to rush her to sit on the potty, I was met with a severe emotional reaction and refusal to sit. I backed off, but requested she stand with me in an uncarpeted area, so she did. The second day, the same scene occurred, but I got her to at least stand inside the bathroom to go. The third day was my fault---we had friends over for lunch, and Jillian did her job as the girls were playing in the living room (moms in dining room chatting). Thinking back, she did come to me about 5 minutes before that requesting a pull-up, but I just told her she was a big girl and didn't need them. The accident occurred, and I had missed an opportunity to progress further. I finally decided to e mail the help desk of this potty training service, since I ultimately had paid for it through purchase of the book. They responded with a couple of suggestions that I implemented today.

1. The "Magic" Poop Stick. Yes, really. I was to decorate a stick (I just purchased a cute little wand at Target) and present it to Jillian as something to hold while sitting to poop that would help her get the job done and not be scared. She was excited when I presented it to her, and eagerly held it while on the potty.


2. Decoration of the potty chair. Jillian selected some stickers (Toy Story theme, as you will see) at Target this morning and was allowed to decorate her potty to make it a very special, safe place to sit. And she did.


Matt and I had also discussed that we would take her to pick out a toy when she went poop in the potty. I knew she would love an Angelina Ballerina doll that she saw at Target last week, and Matt suggested that I just buy it and leave it on top of the fridge for Jillian to see as incentive. I did just that this morning, and she talked about getting that doll all day, expressing understanding that she knew she had to poop in the potty to open the box and play with it. I still had doubts. It was a long day, filled with nasty 2 year old behaviors and general crankiness. God must have smiled down upon the situation at just the right time, because Jillian DID poop in the potty this evening! She sat with encouragement from me, held onto that wand for dear life, and talked about getting Angelina Ballerina as she sat and I cheered. Yipee! She was so, so proud of herself and I literally cried with joy at the big progress she made. I have never seen her so excited to get and play with any toy in her whole life. We made a couple of phone calls so she could share the news and built her up with tons of praise. She loves this little doll, and twirled around like a ballerina with it all evening, exclaiming "I wuv Angewina!"

Just before bed, she remembered that her original poop reward was to be a sucker (this was before the huge resistance that required some upping of the ante). We of course couldn't deny it. As she sat on the couch with us, enjoying her sucker, playing with Angelina, and listening to her favorite kid CD, she said (while waving her hands in the air), "I'm having a party, this is so gweat!!". Yes, Jillian, it IS so great.