“So, how’s the potty training going, Natural Mommy?”
AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHH.
“That good, huh?”
Ahem. Let me articulate a bit more clearly here:
For Olivia, underwear is the new diaper. It is to be peed in. And pooped in. That is its purpose. We go through as many pairs of pretty pink panties for her as we do diapers for her brother in a day.
AND. She has an Underwear Rash. Yep, that’s right. She has spent so much time in contact with wet, messy underwear that she has developed quite the rash. We call it “boo boos on her bottom.”
And we have long talks about how going potty in our pants gives us “boo boos on our bottom.” And boo boos hurt, don’t they?
“Yes.” (Nodding enthusiastically.)
And we don’t want boo boos to hurt us, do we?
“No.” (Shaking head enthusiastically.)
So what do we need to do? Where are the messes supposed to go?
“In the potty.” (Smiles.)
Good girl! Do you want to go potty now?
“No.” (Runs off and pees pants.)
So, with much dragging of feet, we have started the timer system all over again. I really detest having my day divided into 20 minute segments. It interrupts all kinds of productivity.
But that is not all. Oh no, that is not all.
We also took a trip to the dollar store. And we bought Potty Prizes. I picked out.. er.. WE picked out five $1 toys. Well, one was $2. But it was a Winnie the Pooh book. Winnie the POOH. I had to get it.
In order to attain a Potty Prize, Olivia has to make it from Night-Time Diaper to Night-Time Diaper without an accident.
The first day, she was disqualified because, well, she had an accident IN THE DOLLAR STORE WHILE PICKING OUT POTTY PRIZES. And then at least three more throughout the day.
Yesterday, she had two accidents. But we talked up “tomorrow.”
And it’s “tomorrow.” And… she’s on her first pair of underwear still.
This is amazing. But will it stick? I’ll let you know….
Go Olivia! GO! GO! (on the potty that is)
My friend is going through the same thing right now with her 2 year old.
I don’t have any kids (as you know) but here’s the advice I gave her. If she sits on the potty and doesn’t go still treat that as an accomplishment. Buy a potty toy, something that she thinks is really cool (maybe even something she isn’t allowed to touch that she really likes) and the ONLY time she gets to touch, play with, even LOOK at the toy is when she is sitting on the potty. Once she gets off the potty, put it away. “This is a potty toy only.” If perchance she goes on the potty, then she gets a prize, but the toy goes back into the cabinet. That way, maybe sitting on the potty is a privalige and not a chore.
Just something to look forward to:
In my experience, boys are easier to potty train than girls. I know everyone seems to say the opposite, but with Avery being a boy & being the second I’ve potty trained, its basically a piece of cake. I just don’t have the guts to actually take him out in his underwear yet….
I want you to know you are making me feel SOOO much better. I have an extremely intelligent 26 month old who has NO interest in using the potty. In fact, he gets upset when it’s “time to use the potty” and he is not phased by wet pants. In fact, one day he sat in it for apparently quite a while in his high chair and never bothered to say anything about it. But he’s smart enough to tell everyone in the store that he’s “making poop in his pants”!