Potty Training!

Back in September we did a three day potty training trial with Ameliya.  She wasn't ready then so we put it on the back burner.  Last Tuesday I dove in head first again.  She wore long dresses and no pants/undies for the first three days and by the end of it we were getting there. 

{Tuesday - first pee in the potty!}

{Wednesday - reading Everyone Poops}

Her biggest obstacle was that she made it into a power struggle towards me - hard headed little thing.  When her Dad was home she was fine, but when it was just her and I we struggled.  It seemed she took advantage of every busy moment I had - nursing Zayden, changing a diaper, making supper, etc., to go make an accident in the playroom.  When I stayed on top of it/her we did okay.

{Thursday - fussing at me about having to sit on the potty.}

However I persevered with love and smiles.  That's a lie.  On Friday I called my mom, ready to give up, and she convinced me to push through the weekend when Mike was home to help with the other kids.  I'm glad I heeded her advice.  Daddy got tired of no pants and let her wear thick cloth training undies and plastic pants.  Saturday was great and Sunday she even made it through church in her undies!  Today she earned her Minnie Mouse panties!

  

{Sidebar - I realize that though those pictures were taken over 4-5 days she's wearing the same clothes in many pictures.  She has 4 dresses long enough to wear without bottoms and still be "modest."  Every night I washed soiled socks, baby legs, and dresses so we could start again the next day.}

There will be accidents.  She's not fully "trained" yet, however we have turned a corner and won't be turning back.  She can hold it, go pee "on command" when we sit her on the potty, and told me when she needed to go #2 today.  Well on our way!

Congratulations, Ameliya!!  Daddy and I are proud of you!

{Another sidebar - the facts - I potty trained Ameliya very differently than I did the first two.  I dislike potty chairs, however with Ameliya's personality I realized she needed to be able to "see" what she "made" when she went.  Seeing a tinkle in a toilet that already has water in it is impossible.  The potty chair method was very successful for her.  On Sunday, at church, however, she successfully used the big girl potty with a potty ring with no trouble.  Also, I bought disposable Pull-Up type pants for her for when we went to church, etc., but I realized by Sunday morning that if I put her in them for church I was sending her the message that I didn't really think she could do this.  So I bravely packed another outfit and put her in the undies/plastic pants.  She was successful!  I also did have to send Mike and the big kids on to church alone when she refused to sit on the potty and go before leaving for church.  I told her I would take her as soon as she went and she went almost as soon as they left.  She and I (and Zayden) arrived 10 minutes late to service.  This was annoying, however, it was a turning point in the behavior part of our potty training.  She realized I meant what I said.  Potty training (at least for Ameliya) is as much behavior training as it is training the body/muscles to do what you want them to do.  Did I mention she's stubborn spirited?}