Potty Training Memoirs

Oh boy am I glad thats over!
I hate potty training!
Seriously my least favorite thing i've done as a parent so far :)

So my first attempt was the day after Alyeska turned two years old. My son Elias was 1 1/2 months old. I think it would have been wonderful if she was ready. See I felt she was ready because she already had the vocabulary and she was very interested in the toilet and was curious when I went to the potty. My thinking was yes I will potty train while my son is sleeping all the time and while its cold outside and we can't do too much outdoors with such a young baby anyways. I read lots of potty books to her a few weeks prior and we have a baby doll that pees starting day 1. We tried the 3 day method. Accidents beyond accidents which I expected. She had many successes, she actually peed the first time I put her on the potty. She even pooped on day 2 I think.  She was so motivated and determined. She would sit there reading books for over a half hour. She had lots and lots of accidents.  Day 4 things weren't getting better. I did this while my husband was out of town. I don't know what I was thinking. Day 4,  I cried to him on the phone thinking I failed as a potty trainer.  I wanted to surprise him when he got home. After getting advice from "experienced potty trainers" they said she was not yet physically ready. She was not able to will herself to pee yet but usually peed if we sat there for a loooong time or just had good timing. That my friends is called pee catching. We were good at pee catching, which was confusing and made me think she was ready, and I needed to practice more. Sometimes she would sit on the toilet after like 6 books she would get up and have an accident on the floor right by the potty. Day 4 I was exhausted from changing sheets, cleaning rugs, floors 24 hours living and breathing POTTY.  I was ready for her to be in diapers until age 4.

We took a break from the potty completely unless she asked to sit on it.  I waited 3 months for her to go longer periods without wetting her diaper. Finally a few days after the 4th of July I wanted to try again. I guess I forgot my tears and the messes all over the house and the double laundry.  I decided to be waaay more laid back on my second attempt and put diapers on her at nap, bedtime and public outings. It felt good to take it easy and go out whenever I wanted not letting potty training hold us back from enjoying the summer or just be able to relax at nap/bedtime. I decided that i would not feel like a failure this time. I could tell right from the beginning she was a lot more ready. She was also able to pull up and down her pants on her own easily. Everyday was a little better. Finally after casually potty training for about 3 weeks I felt she wasn't getting any better and I knew that the diapers were holding her back. I decided I would get pull ups because I really was sorta scared to go out in public and her wet herself and worse wet someone else's carpet or the store floor. I tried pull ups for about 3 or 4 days for that reason. We tried and she always chose to pee in the pull up instead of the potty so I knew I had to ditch diapers and pull ups altogether. It only took a few days and it clicked that her only option was to use the potty now that I knew she was physically ready. Yes she did have a few accidents in public but I went to places that didn't matter too much and brought her little potty along. She will be happy to know when she older that she went potty in her potty chair in parks and parking lots for all passerbys to see LOL. We woke her up at 5 am to use the potty in the morning for a few mornings but now she can make it until she wakes up. She has been accident free day and night for the past 4 days! YAY!!!

My mom had it right when she said that you are also training yourself. Isn't that the truth. I know my daughter will have her accidents once in a while and it would be smart to bring extra clothes just in case. I know our outings will have to revolve around her little bladder but hallelujah potty training is over! No more sticker charts and candy bribes, changing clothes 5 times a day and all the other wonderful things training brings :)


I hate potty training. Maybe next kid i'll know the signs a bit better and he'll be one of those kids trained  in a few days.... or maybe next kid Ill read this blog post and laugh at how easy my first kid  was compared to the second kid. I hope not.  I hate potty training.