So How’s potty training going?

I’ve been asked that question a lot. 

So I am letting you all know that it has gone better than I imagined it would because I was skeptical- potty training in a day, c’mon, really??

We haven’t had an accident since July 9th!

Mind you, she doesn’t stay dry at night but all day long she tells me when she’s got to go and can go all by herself! Everything makes into the potty, everytime! She doesn’t even pee in the bathtub anymore, she asks to get out and then goes in her potty.

Since I started potty training I have seen an amazing surge in independence and obedience in her.

She can pull up and out on her pants.

She can walk in public places and sticks with me (all while constantly saying, “stay hurr!”over and over again as if to remind herself, too cute!) 

She feeds herself with a fork.

She’s even become less of a picky eater.

She wants to drink out of a cup.

She helps with things around the house (small things with me by her side).

She makes choices (what she wants for breakfast/lunch, what she wants to wear, etc…)

She started holding my hand now (she never obeyed when I told her to hold my hand, never) so I no longer have to carry her across parking lots to get in the shopping carts. (Do you know how hard it is to carry 2 kids across a parking lot? Plus your purse and TWO shopping cart covers?!? You have no idea!)

All of this started after potty training.  And I think it is because the method is based on practice and praise.  There is no yelling or disciplining.  There is a huge emphasis on praise, constantly. And the kids just relishes in it.

I have gotten a lot of people still asking me about the book I used.  I will post the link at the end of this post, but I will warn you: if you have tried other methods of potty training it will take longer (not much, though), you have to be extremely patient and you have to set aside an entire day, or two, and completely devote it potty training.  I tried to do this method based on what my sister in law told me she did, because at the time, I couldn’t find the book anywhere.  On day 2 of potty training my mother in law found it (behind a bunch of books at Barnes & Noble) and brought it to me.  It answered all of my questions and helped fill in all of the holes of things I wasn’t doing  or not doing right. I wasn’t able to start until after her nap that day and then it went half way into the next day.  In essence, potty training took 2 1/2 days because I started doing it without following the book exactly, once I did, it took a total of 4 hours!

Waa-la! Potty trained! On day 3, we had no accidents.  On day 4 we had 4 accidents (I thought I ruined her forever, I don”t know why that happened) and then 2 accidents on the 4th of July at family’s house (amid many successes, I think she just had to get used to pottying away from home, since that was her first experience.  No accidents away from home since!). Then she had one last accident on July 9th (she just forgot, I guess) and that was it! 

When she’s 2 1/2 and gets in her big girl bed, I will start potty training at night (which requires me to set an alarm twice a night and wake her up to go for a week and then once a night for 2 weeks).  For now, she wears Pull- Ups to bed.  Absolutely no diapers!

And gone is her last trace of baby she had left… :(

I can’t wait for this time next year when I potty train Ryan! Then I’ll be diaper free!!

Wanna potty train you kid using this method? Go here. If your child is 20 + months  then they are {probably} ready! The questions is, mom, are you? :)