The first time I was way too overconfident and sure of myself. I "scheduled" Anna's potty training for the week before Benjamin was due. Heck, I had an extra week on my hands, so why not get potty training out of the way. It would be three easy days. Bada bing, bada boom. No diapers.
*sigh*
That is when I discovered the awful truth. There are many things that I can make my kids do. Going to the bathroom is not one of them. IN the power struggle that ensued, I realized that I had absolutely no control over Anna's bowels or bladder. She won. It was epic. There was no incentive in the world that was going to get that girl to pee on demand. I gave up after a day and a half. I reasoned that I had just one week left alone with Anna before a second child butted in, and I wanted to enjoy it. And believe me, the only person shedding tears during potty training attempt #1 was me.
Then, we had Benjamin, and then we moved to a different house, and once we were in our new house for 3 days, we figured that it was an EXCELLENT time again to attempt to potty train Anna again because we had just run out of diapers. We told Anna a few days in advance "this is the end of the diapers, and when we use the last one, you are going to get potty trained!" I remember that as Richard left for work that morning, I silently mouthed the words "help me" as he exited. I know that you are supposed to focus 100% on your potty training kid during the process so you can catch them mid-pee and magically transport them to the potty so that they can finish and be proud and learn....but that just doesn't fly so well when you have an infant who also needs attention and naps and needs to be fed and played with. Every time I turned my back there was a puddle. Not one success the whole day. It seemed like Anna was actually scared of the toilet. I was the one crying that day. I told Richard that he was now in charge. Richard's approach was simple-- just hold Anna on the potty until she did her business. Thats when Anna started crying, and I had visions of Anna carrying potty training trauma with her throughout adulthood so I begged it off (much to Richard's frustration). Attempt #2 a radical failure.
A couple of months later we were ready for attempt #3. Anna is in love with the Disney store and specifcally Cinderella paraphernalia. She has been wanting a Cinderella dress for quite some time. And so we told her that when she got potty trained she could go into the Disney store and pick out anything she wanted. Anything at all. Anna was really excited about that. So Anna began starting ever conversation (both to us and to strangers) "when I get potty trained, I will get a Cinderella dress!" However, she was no closer to using the toilet. She would only sit on it if we gave her a movie on our phones and then it was only when she didn't need to go. The moment she needed to relieve herself, she would hop off the toilet and go in her room (in a diaper of course). But then something magical occurred-- a three day weekend (presidents day). Richard had work off and we would be home the whole weekend. Richard asked my permission to be in charge and since I was lacking all confidence in myself in this area, I willingly acquiesced. I concentrated on Benjamin and Richard took over. Anna cried the first two times Richard held her on the toilet, and then halfway through day 1, she got it and got over her fear of toilets. From then on out she was the master of potty training. It was like night and day. Three days later we flew down to st. george. I gave her the option of wearing a diaper on the plane and she refused. She knows how to listen to her body and she knows how to wait until there is an available restroom. It has been extraordinary. She still likes to tell me when she needs to go to the bathroom and is still very proud of herself that she knows just what to do. Attempt #3 success!!
This is a picture of Anna with her new dress at the Disney Store. We figured it was about the cost of one months worth of diapers!
1 comment:
YAY ANNA!!! Potty training is the most humbling, hardest thing I've done as a parent yet. I'm sure there are more humbling things to come, but I'm starting to try with child #2 and what you said is right - I cannot make him do it. Unfortunately he is very much NOT interested in the toilet. At all. Even when I try to tell him how much we would love to stop buying him diapers. Go figure. Way to go Anna!
Post a Comment