The Potty Chronicles: Day 1
"Have a kid, they said.
It'll be fun, they said."
This is what Brian said to me Monday night when we were discussing my day with Allie. Because. *Sigh....
I decided to try potty training her.
I know, right? I had heard from several moms that 18-20 months old was a good time and that girls catch on quickly. She was showing signs of being ready like helping me go to the bathroom (like handing me the TP and flushing) and had no problems sitting on her toilet. (I went with this simple Baby Bjorn potty chair.)
So Monday, I decided it was time. I was armed with M&M's, movies, books, toys, Lysol wipes and brand new big girl underwear. We were ready to be trapped in the house for 3 days of potty training boot camp.
This is my story.
Day 1
Allie woke up with her usual full diaper (#1 and #2). We put a pair of big girl underwear on her stuffed bear. Bear "went pee on the toilet" and received a treat. "Do you want to wear big girl underwear???" I enthusiastically asked. "Yeah!!!" came the emphatic reply.
After an hour of watching her like a hawk, I decided to load her up with some chocolate milk to get things going. And as I'm watching her drink her milk, I watch her pants soak up with pee.
It's okay. Rookie mistake. Should've known better. Clean it up. Thankful for rosin paper covering our laminate floors right now. I sit her down and try to repeat over and over "Pee goes in the toilet." but now she's screaming and crying because she's wet and I'm holding her so she doesn't run off and drip more pee everywhere.
I put her in the shower (since our bathtub is out of commission right now) and text Brian.
Morale is low.
It hasn't even been 2 hours and I'm already 0-1.
I have a meltdown. (Let's blame this one on pregnancy hormones.)
I eat 2 M&M's. I'm a grown up. I can have potty treats whenever. That's how these things work.
Allie goes down for a nap wearing her diaper because I don't even want to attempt sleep time bladder control.
2 hours later, she wakes up with a dry diaper. I immediately sit her on the toilet and pop in a movie.
She pees in the toilet.
I applaud, cheer, clap, throw confetti, and chest bump her. We wipe, wash hands, and she gets 5 M&M's because I couldn't be happier. She just looks happy to be eating candy.
Fast forward a few more hours and she is ready to pee again. Standing next to our bed. I quickly plop her on the toilet so half of it gets in the toilet. I cheer and applaud and point out she got some pee in the toilet. But this time she only gets 1 M&M and of course, requires another shower.
I put her in a diaper again for nap #2, which she decides not to take. Not only that, but she decides to poop in her diaper and then take it off in her crib. When discovered, its time for yet another shower, bleach, a load of laundry and another meltdown from mother and child. She goes down for her nap wearing a diaper (AND shorts this time) and then proceeds to spend the rest of the evening wearing diapers.
Things are not looking good.
To be continued...
It'll be fun, they said."
This is what Brian said to me Monday night when we were discussing my day with Allie. Because. *Sigh....
I decided to try potty training her.
I know, right? I had heard from several moms that 18-20 months old was a good time and that girls catch on quickly. She was showing signs of being ready like helping me go to the bathroom (like handing me the TP and flushing) and had no problems sitting on her toilet. (I went with this simple Baby Bjorn potty chair.)
So Monday, I decided it was time. I was armed with M&M's, movies, books, toys, Lysol wipes and brand new big girl underwear. We were ready to be trapped in the house for 3 days of potty training boot camp.
This is my story.
Day 1
Allie woke up with her usual full diaper (#1 and #2). We put a pair of big girl underwear on her stuffed bear. Bear "went pee on the toilet" and received a treat. "Do you want to wear big girl underwear???" I enthusiastically asked. "Yeah!!!" came the emphatic reply.
After an hour of watching her like a hawk, I decided to load her up with some chocolate milk to get things going. And as I'm watching her drink her milk, I watch her pants soak up with pee.
It's okay. Rookie mistake. Should've known better. Clean it up. Thankful for rosin paper covering our laminate floors right now. I sit her down and try to repeat over and over "Pee goes in the toilet." but now she's screaming and crying because she's wet and I'm holding her so she doesn't run off and drip more pee everywhere.
I put her in the shower (since our bathtub is out of commission right now) and text Brian.
Morale is low.
It hasn't even been 2 hours and I'm already 0-1.
I have a meltdown. (Let's blame this one on pregnancy hormones.)
I eat 2 M&M's. I'm a grown up. I can have potty treats whenever. That's how these things work.
Allie goes down for a nap wearing her diaper because I don't even want to attempt sleep time bladder control.
2 hours later, she wakes up with a dry diaper. I immediately sit her on the toilet and pop in a movie.
She pees in the toilet.
I applaud, cheer, clap, throw confetti, and chest bump her. We wipe, wash hands, and she gets 5 M&M's because I couldn't be happier. She just looks happy to be eating candy.
Fast forward a few more hours and she is ready to pee again. Standing next to our bed. I quickly plop her on the toilet so half of it gets in the toilet. I cheer and applaud and point out she got some pee in the toilet. But this time she only gets 1 M&M and of course, requires another shower.
I put her in a diaper again for nap #2, which she decides not to take. Not only that, but she decides to poop in her diaper and then take it off in her crib. When discovered, its time for yet another shower, bleach, a load of laundry and another meltdown from mother and child. She goes down for her nap wearing a diaper (AND shorts this time) and then proceeds to spend the rest of the evening wearing diapers.
Things are not looking good.
To be continued...
