Mike and I decided that it was time that we really buckle down and work with Courtney on Potty Training. I had mixed feelings about this. 1) I was being told most kids don't potty train until closer to 3. 2) I was reading that the closer to 3, the more stubborn they are. After downloading and reading Lora Jensen's 3 Day potty training book (www.3daypottytraining.com), she recommends the sooner the better (anytime after 22 months).
So with the 3 day labor day weekend approaching, we stocked up on Minnie Mouse and My Little Pony panties, juice, salty snacks and treats and got to it.
Day 1: hahahahahahahahahahahaha! By 9am, only one accident. This method says to throw out diapers and only use panties. So that is what we did (truthfully, the diapers are in a bag on the washing machine). I thought, "one accident every few hours?", not so bad. And then...there was pee. Lots and lots and LOTS of pee. We did have a few successes in the potty but by the end of day one I had washed 17 pairs of underwear. OH MY GOD! We put Courtney to bed in panties as recommended by the method (they say we should night train at the same time as day train).
Day 2: Courtney woke up wet. Not sure how long she had slept in pee. Ewwww! We had lots of successes on day 2, and just a handful of accidents. She had yet to tell me she had to go potty. The method doesn't recommend setting a timer and taking them to the potty but waiting for them to show that they actually need to go pee and then taking them. For Courtney on day 2, that sign was either holding herself of just popping a squat and peeing on my floor. Day 2 wasn't so bad and I thought it was getting better. She went to bed in panties.
Day 3: Woke up wet again. What was I thinking? The kid fought me anytime she showed she needed to go. She'd hold herself, I'd say "You need to go potty. Let's go potty." She'd scream as I put her on the potty, run away and a minute later pee on the floor. I called Mike ready to pull my hair out. She wasn't getting it. The method said it would "click" and usually on day 3. Well day three was about to put me in an institution. I debated about throwing in the towel. Was I pushing her too early? Was she not ready? Should I just throw a diaper on her and call it a day? (See why the ebook said to actually throw out the diapers?) Mike wanted to stick with it and I didn't want all we had worked on to go to waste (I saw we but really Mike was gone the whole weekend). I could do this. She could do this. That night I put her to bed in a pull-up (against the ebooks recommendation). She wasn't waking up at night when she peed and I wasn't able to actually wake her up before I went to bed to get her to pee on the potty either. So I decided we'd work on night training later.
Day 4: Mike had the day off so we kept Courtney home from daycare. We took her to the potty right when she woke up and she didn't go. So we put her panties on her and every 20 minutes or so reminded her to tell us if she needed to go potty and that she should keep her panties dry. A half an hour later she walks up to me holding herself and says "I need to go potty." I think I heard the angels sing "Halleluah." That day she had only two accidents (one pee and one poop). And the major test. We went to Costco IN UNDIES. And she stayed dry the whole time. (I took her to the potty when we got there and before we left but she didn't go). Two minutes before we got home she said she needed to go. She held it and used the potty right when we got home. It was a miracle.
Courtney is now back at daycare. The first day she had a good 6 accidents but her childcare provider's reassured me that it was normal since she is playing with her friends and forgets she needs to tell someone she needs to go. I felt horrible that she was peeing all over someone elses house. Yesterday (day 6), only two accidents at daycare (one pee and a tiny bit of poop before she made it to the potty). I was relieved. No accidents at home.
At this point there is no turning back. Why put her in diapers now? We just need to keep on truckin. We'll be working on using public potties (waiting on my travel potty to arrive) and also going on demand (like before bed or before we leave the house). But I'm really proud of her progress so far. And seriously, there is nothing cuter then her little butt in a pair of Minnie Mouse undies.
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