As you know we will be welcoming our second child, June 1st, so Jason and I were determined to get our very capable 2.5 year old to be potty trained before she arrives (the thought of not buying and changing diapers for 11 weeks was VERY exciting). Ansley has known all about how to go for over a year. She tells her babies all the time how they need to go on the potty, she stresses that they need to tell her first that they need to go and that only babies go in a diaper. She had all the right verbiage, so we figured it was time to really get serious. Honestly, it was time that I got serious (diapers are just easy). So that's what we did! She has had a treat stash full of babies, gum, candy, M&Ms, stickers, lip gloss, there's been a LOT of bribery that's taken place, but none of it would really work. She just simply didn't want to go on the potty even with all those prizes waiting for her! She would sit down on it for 10-20 minutes (way too long) and then immediately get up and pee in her diaper. It was so frustrating and tiring!!!! She even said one day..."mommy it's just too hard"! That's when we came up with a different plan and some of you may totally disagree with this approach, but this is what worked for us. She loves her babies and adores her Beatrice and Dawson (they are fixed in her arms most of time and EVERY nap/nighttime they are present). First, we explained every time she pottied in her diaper or pullup that we would take a baby away, BUT every time she went in the potty, she would get it back. We told her we would give her lots of chances with the babies, but that Beatrice and Dawson would be next if we went through the entire tub of babies. We did this for about a day and she lost LOTS of babies (they were piled high in my closet and she would go and longingly tell them she would see them again soon. It was hilarious!). So after running out of babies to take to my closet...it was time for the "next step"....to take Bea and Daws. She was definitely upset to say the least (we both had a good cry over that one...I hate when she doesn't have them! Seriously, I'm pretty attached too. Ha!). But it's what I felt like I had to do. And then....a breakthrough! She wanted them back sooo bad, she went potty on the potty chair! Woo hoo! She was so proud of herself and even more excited to get her favorite friends back! I was relieved and so was she! We were on the road to potty training success! After that it's like she gave up the power struggle or she literally just realized what it meant to do it. Whatever it was, it worked. And we are thrilled!
This first video is her VERY first time going on the potty (there's been other times, but I don't think she realized what she was doing) this go around. It cracks me up how she cheers herself on.
Then she starts to get the hang of it in this video. I love the looks when she realizes what's going on and then wants to show me! I was so excited that she just sat and went, I was jumping and wiggling around myself (you can tell from the crazy videoing!).
So far she has done a great job with no accidents since we started, which has been about a week. Rock on! We have a BIG girl now! And what's even funnier is that I started giving her a thin mint cookie after she successfully pottied and now I've realized what a bad idea this was....not because you probably shouldn't bribe with food or that she really shouldn't have cookies at breakfast, BUT because she is eating all my thin mints!! Can someone please hook me up with a Girl Scout...this pregnant mommy is craving some thin mints!!! Thanks.
