I was following all the conventional wisdom not to rush it...no pressure...let her do it in her own time. But I was beginning to think "her own time" would never come; I could see myself packing diapers into her kindergarten backpack and her summer camp trunk. The kiddo has been showing almost all the signs of readiness for many months now. Knowing when she has to go? Check. Wanting a wet/dirty diaper changed immediately? Check. A fascination with toilet humor? Big check. The only thing lacking was the actual desire to consistently use the potty chair.
The promise of jellybeans in exchange for sitting on the potty brought success for a while - but then Nadia figured that she could get them anytime simple by asking a certain someone (eyes darting towards Daddy....). The sticker chart with Chuck E Cheese as the promised reward was equally successful....until, well, she just decided to stop caring about filling those squares with stickers. Pull-ups were treated the same as diapers, and she had little interest in the solid color panties. I didn't want to make it into a battle by forcing the issue, so I left it up to her...and that meant we were going nowhere fast.
And then we bought princess panties.
And just like that, she's potty trained.
She's been in panties full time since last Thursday (including in public), and there's been a grand total of one accident.
She wakes up in the morning and carefully selects the Princess of the Day - will it be Ariel? Or Cinderella? - and that pair lasts until bedtime. I had been setting the timer to remind her to use the potty chair, and then I started just asking her from time to time, and yesterday she let me know all on her own whenever she needed to go. No jellybeans needed.
Wow.
I am so proud of my big girl!
Now, we are still having one little issue: she's never pooped in the toilet. She's been saving it for nap or bedtime diaper so it hasn't been a big problem, but if anyone has words of wisdom about how to overcome this hurdle, I'm all ears!
And for anyone else out there struggling with potty training and a resistant child...now I'm one more person encouraging you to just be patient. It will happen. And in the end, it'll be easier than you ever imagined.
22 comments:
So that's it, hmm? Wow. Amazing. I am certain Henry will never have any interest in potty training, but then, I do have one potty trained child, so I guess it will happen.
Congrats, mama!
My daughter was the same way. One day we just decided no more diapers and she started only wearing panties. Voila. It was that easy. We didn't have the poop problem though. She always went on the toilet. My son is a whole different story. I think he will wear diapers forever. No signs of readiness there.
ahhh, the power of the princess undies! bean was suddenly potty trained in a few short days when she realized she could wear mermaid undies. (and she was about the same age as nadia is now i think)
sorry i can't help you with the poo. bean pooped on the potty more frequently than peed in the beginning. i've heard a lot of people have this problem though. and i'm interested in the advice you get because i'll have to train sprout eventually!
Congrats hun...i just knew she would love the princess undies and it would be her uprising into toddler diaper free days...YAY Nadia!!!!! With the poop problems i dont really know. We had the same problem but i cant for the life of me remember how we broke it. I just remember one day Phabian jumping out of the Tub and saying i have to poop. He popped down on the potty and pooped. From their on it was all ok. Kids can be so weird. I have heard of people telling their kids that they have to poop in the potty because it feeds the fish (it was an article in Parents Mag). I guess if you kid really like animals that might work. Good luck hun and i hopr it contiues to go smooth.
That's what always happens here. Nothing I do makes a difference until one day they decide they're done. Unfortunately they're usually almost 4 when this happens. I *wish* one of them would potty train at 2!
Wow, that was an encouraging post, Christina. Thanks. And the comments are encouraging too.
Lucy is 2.5, and she pees in her toilet about 3 times a day, usually only when we ask her to. She doesn't initiate it. We're also talking up the poop in the potty a TON right now. We have a major prize on the line for that one. She always says, "Thomas train prize?" And I say, "What do you have to do to get that prize?" And she says, "Go poopy in potty." So she knows. She just hasn't done it yet. I do have fleeting fears every now & then that she'll never do it. But I have to take heart and know that she will.
Thanks for the patience tip.
And sticker charts still work for us, though I notice that when our enthusiasm goes down about it, so does hers. So I have to stay energized about it. We use the sticker chart for everything: finishing meals, sharing with her brother, helping clean up, obeying, etc.
kirstyn was the same way! except she didn't do as well with the arial or nemo panties because "they don't care if they get wet" agh!
K did the same with the pooping. i got special big girl princess story books that she was only allowed to read while sitting on the potty! she still leaves those books in the bathroom for pooping time!
'Princess and the Pee'....LMAO!! That's too cute.
Mia has NO interest. Does want fresh diaper ASAP after the pee or poo.
The panties may work, if she only knew who the princesses were. Not interested in them either :)
Congrats Big Girl Nadia...so, who's it today? Ariel, Aurora, Snow White?
woo hoo for your little princess. :)
Sugar had trouble with the poop for about 3 weeks. It is my advice that you push the fiber and make it difficult for her to hold it. KWIM?
and then don't bother her about it. Let her decide. I stressed over it, but it only took a few weeks, and Sugar just did it. :)
No advice here! But I wanted to say I have the same problem. It took her forever to be interested in potty training, but once she did, it was a done deal. However, she will NOT poop. She comes and asks for a diaper so she can go poopy.
Anyway, I need some help too! Although I guess eventually she will figure it all out.
Hooray, Nadia!! I told you - when Nadia decides, then it will be so! I didn't realize you didn't have princess panties before though - oh those DEFINITELY help! We always used to tell Addie that Ariel didn't want to be wet...so we had to make it to the potty!
I could have written the beginning of this post - up to the Princess panties. We got Cars and Sponge Bob underwear. Nope. No regular success yet, at least we're pulling out of the regression he was in.
Let's see, going on for a year almost. Mmm-hmm.
At least sleeping in a rail-less is going fairly well.
Way to go Momma - I am jealous. Wish it had been that easy for me! ; )
Seriously, what a big girl.
Sorry no advice on the #2 here... that was the hardest thing I've had to do in my life. Hope it goes easy for you!
isn't that wonderful?! That's like what Adam did!!
Isn't it a FREE feeling?
Way to go, Nadia! :)
I'm just going to post about this very thing today. Except on the exasperated side. M has been in underpants full time since Sat. No problems AT ALL. She asks to go, we go. Then today. THREE accidents. Two of them immediately after being offered the toilet. I'm completely aggrevated. I KNOW I should be calmer, but I know she can do it. I don't want this to become a battle of the wills because she really does want to wear panties. ARGH!!!!
I am starting the potty training process with Francesco and I have those plain old, solid colored trianing pant. They are so not getting used, I am off to get some superhero undies. Great tip!
Oh the Pooh! Ella has been potty trained for 6 months or so now....but she too would rather poop in a diaper. Actually, I find her standing there with her butt cheeks squeezed together when she has to go. Eyes watering and all. She does not want to let it out! We've had some success here and there, but did nothing but put her on the toilet. So I have no tricks to share. I just know I am so sick of cleaning poopy undies! Ella has the princess ones too. I just went and bought more because I am so sick of cleaning poopy undies that sometimes I just throw them away! How to make a human poop in the toilet is beyond me. We read the book "Everyone Poops"...and she still doesnt want to do it right. I could go on and on.....We are so totally enthralled in this battle right now. When I am done with the "Poopy Fairy"....I will send her your way! ;)
Well that's that then. I'm going out first thing in the morning and buying Bryce some Princess Panties! LOL!!!
Seriously though, wonderful news. I've been working with Bryce this week and it's like talking to a brick wall. I'm being pushed to push him, and this just reinforces my thinking that it's not going to happen until he's darn good and ready!
wow what a big step. Go Nadia!
YAY Nadia!! So exciting...I'm dreaming of the day when Caden is potty trained...but, not even going to start until he's two...No advice from me since I've never done it! but, I'm quite sure it will happen soon!
Who knew princess panties would do the trick? I'll have to keep that in mind for my this little one needs to start her training. :)
Way to go, Nadia! Whoohoo!
Ah yes, it IS all about the panties. I don't care for characters myself, but the kids sure love their panties with their favorites on it. It's definitely a struggle to find what works, but when it does...it's overnight. :)
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