Potty-training 101

I think that I probably should have signed up for the higher level potty training class because let's just say I had no idea.  We have tried to potty train a couple of times now and life seemed to get in the way in some way or another.  Right after Kiley turned 2, we tried for a couple of days, but I think that she was just not ready.  I was basically training myself just to take her to the bathroom when I would remember--sometimes she would go, sometimes not.  But, after a few days, I realized that maybe it was better just to hold off instead of taking her to the bathroom a million times only to have her have an accident as we are walking out of the bathroom.

The second time we tried it was right when we were moving and I really thought we had it, and we probably did, but like I said life got in the way, I got frustrated and weI gave up.  It was too much going on at once.  Then we had a big set-back when Kiley no longer wanted anything to do with the potty.  Wouldn't wear underwear anymore, didn't want the pull-ups, and wouldn't even sit on the potty.  So we took another break.

Then over winter break, I decided it was time to try again.  So, Saturday morning we got up, really excited after having talked about saying bye bye to diapers the night before.  Yep, a major meltdown occurred just even putting on the underwear.  Oh the tears, I tell you.  I wanted to give up right then and there, but Kevin, the voice of reason, somehow convinced her to put the underwear on--and by somehow I mean that he had to put underwear over Ella's diapers to make it look like everyone now had to wear underwear.  So day 1, we actually got the underwear on--didn't actually sit on the potty, but we made progress.  At the end of the day, I talked up  putting on the undies again the next day.  I was excited, Kiley was excited, I was all like, "Alright, we got this, day 1 down of the 3 day potty training." Um, yeah right, three days, I don't think so.

The next morning, same meltdown putting on the undies.  And when I say meltdown, I don't just mean by Kiley.  I myself had my own potty-training meltdown telling Kevin I just didn't know what I was doing and she was never going to be able to go to three-year-old pre-school.  Yes, I was being totally dramatic which was not making things worse.  This potty-training stuff is hard!!!  So, eventually we got the undies on again, but again the refusal of actually using the potty.

Day after day, getting the undies on got a little easier, but we still weren't making progress on actually going.  To give you an idea, there were so major tears on day three of not dropping the kids off to swim if you know what I mean.  We needed help!  So who did we turn to--oh that's right, we turned to Elmo.  Kevin found some Elmo goes potty app for the Ipad. By Friday morning after playing with the app for a while, no joke, something clicked.  Well, and maybe finally figuring out that she would get a gummy bear if she used the potty, but finally something clicked--not on day three like I had read, but on day 6 so not bad.

No joke, we haven't, knock on wood, had an accident since then and she actually tells me when she has to go.  So my only words of advice is have patience and try to avoid your own meltdowns.  If it weren't for my more patient and level-headed husband, Kiley would probably be back in diapers and I would be back to reading more books on potty-training and how easy it is in three days.  Reality--not easy and takes longer than three days!