Potty Training

I decided I wanted to Potty Train Grace this summer before this baby came. When I looked at the plans for the summer I decided I had to do it in June before my sister came, because by the time she left in August I wouldn't want to do it and it wouldn't give enough time for Grace to master the skill before the baby came in September. So I picked the 16th of June to start. My Mom and Mother-in-law both swear by the "Pottty Training in less than a Day" method. So I borrowed the book and read and re-read it a few times. Got a potty, a baby doll that pees, training pants, and all sorts of snacks and drinks..... I was prepared! So I thought.

The initail potty training day went pretty well. Grace thought it was fun to teach the baby to pee, but had no interest in sitting on the potty as long as the book suggested. She had a few accidents that day, and I finished the day feeling like I hadn't followed the book at all and there is no way a child would be as cooperative as the book describes. But still she now understood the concept. The next day I made the mistake of having a Dr's appointment. So I had to leave her and she wasn't ready to go potty at someone elses house. We had several accidents that day, but she successfully pooped in the potty which was exciting. On the third day I almost gave up. I don't know if it was me being pregnant or what but I was getting way to emotionally involved and frustrated about potty training. Grace has a bladder of steel. So I was thinking she should be going potty at least every 2 hours since she was drinking a ton, so I would make her sit on the potty and that would turn into a fight because she didn't want to sit there and go potty and then I would get frustrated and then eventually she would go. Ben called me that day and I broke down in tears and told him I couldn't do it anymore. Then he wisely reminded me that I needed to listen to Grace and trust that she'll give me the signs or tell me if she needed to go. So that's what I decided to do. She went a long time, but eventually she had to go and we made it to the potty successfully! After that afternoon she went almost 5 days without another accident! Since then she has been doing awesome. She has only wet the bed a handful of times, and besides a few setbacks (like camping) she hasn't had many accidents. So it's been almost 2 months now, but she was mostly only going potty when I reminded her or made her because we were leaving the house. So I kept wondering when she was going to take the initiative and go on her own. Well, over the past week and a half she has started doing that. She'll say she has to go potty and run in, take her panties off, climb onto the potty, go, wipe and flush. She has even started to attempt to put her panties back on. (for some reason she cannot go potty with her pants around her ankles!) Well, on August 4th she did this and refused any help from me. She even pushed me out of the bathroom and shut the door. When she was done she proudly came out like this....

Yes, her shorts are on UNDERNEATH her Panties, and her panties are on inside out! She was so proud of herself she wouldn't let me change it until she got dressed for the day.

So I am so proud of Grace for doing so great at potty training! It was not something I enjoyed doing at all! But she has done awesome and I do have to admit it is wonderful not to have to change a diaper anymore.....even if it does require cleaning up an accident every once in a while.