Potty Week

When it comes to child rearing I've referred to a lot of books but have never taken anyone's advice 100%. However, I came across a book called Potty Training in One Week and thought to myself, if this is true, then that's awesome, and if it's not true, I'm only out a week. So I took the chance and followed the book's advice 100%. Step One: commit to undies and only using diapers for sleep times. Yikes! The first day was not easy. It required putting Nadya on the potty every 15 minutes! "No child goes that much" I thought to myself before we started. However, I found that 15 minutes wasn't frequent enough and that she had an accident about every 12 minutes. So I made the adjustment and put her on every 10 minutes if she didn't go the previous time, and waited 20 minutes if she did. By the end of the day I had a bathtub full of wet clothes and was exhausted just thinking about doing it again the following day.

Yet day #2 came along and I observed that although she wasn't telling me when she had to go, she was going much longer stretches between accidents or holding it until I put her on the potty. And so it continued for the next few days.

On day #5 (Friday) I waited until Matt was home to watch Eli and ventured to the grocery store with Nadya. My fear was (is) what to do with Eli if I need to go into the bathroom with Nadya to change her clothes or help her go potty (just set him on the floor?). So Matt stayed with him and the girls went out alone. I took her to the potty as soon as we got there and to my amazement she used her first public potty without any problems! So the entire trip was a dry success. However, she still had never told me she needed to go to the bathroom so I started to wonder how to make that happen. "The book" said by this time I shouldn't be making her go potty anymore because it's important for children to learn to tell you rather than them always relying on you to tell them. So I occasionally asked, but didn't put her on the potty anymore with the exception of preparing to leave the house for the grocery store and when we got there. The bathtub was filling up with wet clothes again and I thought about quitting the 7 day journey early. That night once the kids were in bed I took time to think about what Nadya might respond well to as an incentive for going potty and telling me she needs to go. The stickers were exciting at the beginning of the week but because she caught on so quickly and was getting so many stickers a day, by Friday it lost its appeal and I found myself putting stickers on the chart without her...lame. My new idea was to continue giving her a sticker every time she went, and when she got 4 stickers she could have M&Ms which she loves and rarely ever gets, so truly a treat. I also told her that if she would go poo in the potty (which she had never done yet) she could have ice cream. Another favorite that is definitely a special treat.

Saturday morning came along and I announced my ideas to Nadya. As soon as I told her about the ice cream she asked to go potty and did her first poo. So at 8:00am she had a small bowl of ice cream. A deal's a deal! In case you're wondering if she'll get ice cream every time, no:-) But she had a real fear about pooing in the potty as I think many kids do so she was rewarded for being brave.

And throughout the day she began telling me when she needed to go (still a couple accidents) and got M&Ms twice.

Today was day #7. This morning I really thought we'd get out of the house for church without any accidents, but when we said we need to go potty because its time to go to church she was so excited that she had an honest accident. However, I'm happy to announce that was the only accident she had all day! Her special treat was upgrading from her little potty to a special Dora potty seat so she can now go on the big potty by herself. She loves it and I'm hoping this will keep her motivated for days #8-?? until she's got the potty training fully down...which I realize will still be a little while.

So potty training in 7 days is possible! I'm thankful for the book, for a smart little girl, and for M&M's that are keeping her motivated, at least for the moment.