Potty training: Day 1

This post is going to be lengthy- fair warning!  

Hollin turned 3 on Halloween. I had attempted potty training several times over the last year, but she just was NOT ready. The hardest party of potty training, in my opinion, is mommy being as ready as little one.  My sweet girl is very, very strong-willed. Mentally, I had to get to a place where I was ready to fight the battle!

Here is what I decided to try with her, based on her personality and will. 

• No Pull-ups or diapers, even for naps.  This is a clean break. She LOVES wearing diapers so much that if I let her know that we have a stash, she would probably not try.
• Have a toy she can hold in the bathroom (Belle) to keep her little busy hands still.
• No potty that sits on the floor. I want her using the big potty from day one to avoid a big transition.
• Know that I will be washing clothes like crazy and cleaning up a lot of messes.
• Be firm, very firm but no raising my voice. I have to make sure she knows it's ok to go pee, just on the potty!
• Let her know exactly what she will get for pees and poops as a reward.
• Lots of praise and jumping up and down when she succeeds!

For the whole week leading up to her birthday, I told her that when she turned 3, we would potty train. There was a lot of resistance but I continued talking about it every day and being firm that this was happening. Yesterday morning when I went to change her out of her night diaper and put on panties, she screamed, "No, NO!" I FIRMLY told her that there were no more diapers and if she didn't try, she would not get any special treats. The mere mention of a treat is enough to change her mind and I use that to my advantage all the way. 

Panties on, we take Harper to school (there is no such thing as the stay-at-home-for-three-days method for us.)  She peed in her panties on the way there but I fully expected that. When we got home, she strongly resisted sitting on the potty but again I threatened the treats!  She sat and nothing. Change clothes.

We were home for awhile and then I needed to run one errand. We tried potty before we left and nothing. Once we were at the store, she peed right there in the aisle, but THIS time she told me, "Mommy, I pee!" Progress!! She told me!!  I praised her for telling me and then reminded her that we wait until we are sitting on potty, to which she said, "Ok!" 

It was time for nap when we got home. I gave her milk and a new pair of panties. We tried potty before she went down, but nothing. I lay her down on a pad in her crib and go downstairs to make some phone calls. I can hear her stirring around which is not unusual. I give her some time and go up to check on her. She had peed quite a bit. Before I take her out I say, "See? When you pee in your panties, it makes you cold." I make her look at my eyes. "We pee in the potty, not our panties." I take her to the bathroom to pee and she pees a lot more!!! Yay!!  Lots of praise and new undies.

A few hours later I go to wake her up and she is dry. DRY. We sit on the potty (lots of resistance) and she pees!! Yes!!!!

Throughout the afternoon there was one more accident but three more pees in the potty. No poop.  When daddy got home, he continued working with her.  At night, we did put a diaper on her but did not call attention to it all.  

I would call day one a pretty big success!!! There were just as many accidents as potties but I am perfectly ok with that.  She realized the process and that was the goal.  

Come back tomorrow for day 2 :)