9.26.2009

*potty training week uno

A little synopsis so I'll remember if anyone ever asks or for when the next one comes along. ..because I am asking everyone I know what I should be doing! So Vera has seemed ready since late July when - if she was running around diaperless - she would recognize when she had to go and would make a beeline for the potty yelling pooooottttyy!!! I think it helped to have had a 'potty book' to have in the back of her mind. The one we had was a garage sale leftover. It doesn't have a cover, but I think the title is "Once upon a potty" - it's pretty funny. One of her first memorized book lines came from this book: "He sat and sat and sat and sat..." We also have "My Potty Book for Girls" which is good and a little less ... explicit about body parts and such :)


So she had seemed so ready, but then didn't want to have anything to do with it right before I'd decided to go for it. I was a little frustrated because I wanted to get the process going, so one day a couple weeks ago I threw out, hey Vera you want a treat? That worked of course and she would go for a treat [Annie's fruit bunny snacks] pretty often. I think I made a bit of a mistake here and should have done stickers or something non-food. Anyway, so last Saturday I decided to stop using diapers except for nap/bed. I didn't do it very structured, just every hour or so would ask if she needed to go [or if she wanted a treat] and especially right before we went somewhere. The first 2 days went awesome, hardly an accident and she even went in 2 public restrooms. Then I think she started getting bored/annoyed with it and I started getting a little stressed about that and then she rebelled against that and then.. etc. So the middle of the week wasn't good and she peed her pants like every time. [sidenote: she has not gone #2 yet - always in her diaper at nap. how do I fix this??] Everyone has said you really have to be calm about it and so the last couple days I did so and voila! she's going on the potty again. That would be my advice so far: be calm and encouraging and don't ask every 5 minutes if they have to go and don't make them do it. and obviously all kids are different, but this is Vera's Potty Story so far.

don't smile!


*sorry for the boring post!

3 comments:

Jenny said...

Go girls go! I know you are doing great! Vera is such a big girl and I think this will just give her even more confidence in herself. Woo hoo for no more diapers!

momandpop said...

Please tell verawinterscater that Lola and Pop Pop are "so PROUD of her" and next time she goes #2 on the potty, we want to buy her a milkshake!! Her OWN milkshake!!

xxx

Unknown said...

it seemed like we would plato with these good and bad days for months. it was so inconsistent! But then one day..... it all just clicked and now no accidents even at nap time! She can do it! Give her some time to come into her own realization of it !