Potty Training

After a little research, I had decided to try the 3 Day Potty Training. This seemed like a good approach because our daughter knows how to use the potty, and will use it to do #1 and #2. So a down-and-dirty, all-or-nothing plan seemed like the best choice. I knew it couldn't possibly be as easy as three days (could it?), but I thought it might work.

For those who are unfamiliar with the 3 Day strategy, you basically let the kid go naked, and follow her around and as soon as she starts to dribble, take her to the toilet. DH was less than enthusiastic about the idea of pee-pee potentially getting all over the house. Since I was still on maternity leave when I began this endeavor, I decided to do a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. My parents came over on Friday to help me with the baby so I could focus on our toddler. She was pretty excited about it. I made her a chart, and we put little stickers on it whenever she went to the potty, and if she was successful, she got a big sticker (hallelujah!).I kept her in the kitchen on the linoleum for the most part, though, so we only had one accident on the carpet which was minimal. She only had one other accident - in the kitchen (whew!) - and I felt like she was really getting the hang of it. I was positive that with more work over the weekend with my husband being home, she'd be diaper-free by Monday. She even didn't want to wear a diaper for nap time, and stayed dry! (Ta-da!)

And then at the end of the day, she was asking for a diaper for bedtime. That was ok; I figured she'd had a long day, plus I was planning to keep her in Pull-Ups overnight anyway. So Saturday morning, we got up and I asked her if she was ready for another day of being a big girl without a diaper, and she said... No, I want to wear a diaper today. (Brakes screeching.) My vision of a trip to the store without buying diapers started to slip away. But what can you do? She'd made so much progress the day before, I wasn't about to ruin it by pressuring her. So I let it go and asked again Sunday. Nope. (Balloon deflating.) I decided to wait another day and propose a different plan. What if we use up the rest of the diapers we have and don't buy anymore at the store? She was ok with that. (Yes!) Unfortunately, we ran out of diapers at the same time that I had the stomach flu, and had to let other people care for her and more diapers were purchased. (sigh)

Now I'm back to work and it's difficult because her care providers aren't keen on the naked baby plan. Putting underwear on her doesn't work yet, because she thinks they are like a diaper and just urinates in them. So we have random times without a diaper. Part of the problem is that I missed my window of opportunity. She was really ready to start potty training about 9 months ago. But between moving in with my in-laws while we were househunting and being pregnant, I just wasn't up to the challenge (slacker!). Now she can physically do it, but would sometimes rather wear a diaper so she doesn't have to stop playing to go to the bathroom. It's an issue of convenience. Just need to figure out a way to make it more enticing, and I think we'll be set. Surely there's a way...