The time had come. Willow seemed ready and eager to use the potty and give up diapers for good. As parents, we were as well. We were prepared for much frustration and many accidents. But we knew it would all be worth it in the end to be diaper-free. It was Saturday morning and time for "Potty Training Boot Camp" to begin.
Let me start off by saying that it was an incredible help to have a friend potty training her daughter at the same time (my stupendous friend Kate). It was great to be able to call or e-mail each other with how we were doing, and to be able to trade tips and suggestions. We also posted quite a bit to FaceBook about the whole experience as it was happening.
We started the morning off in pullups, like she had been wearing since the Tuesday before...
The method we chose was the one that was outlined in both Pottywise for Toddlers: A Developmental Readiness Approach to Potty Training
and Toilet Training in Less Than a Day
. That method is to use a doll to teach your toddler to stay dry by using the potty. The concept is that he/she can "learn by doing" in this manner.So, we used the Raggedy Ann doll. I gave the doll a "sip" of Willow's drink (the book suggests you give the doll her own drink) and soon after that I said "Willow, I think that dolly has to use the potty". So, I asked dolly to check if she was dry (of course she was) and we went to the potty. I said "Yay dolly for staying dry!!" I asked her to show the doll how to use the potty. I told her the first step is to pull the pants down. Then we sit on the potty (I made a noise like dolly was peeing). After she was "done" I said "Yay dolly for using the potty to stay dry!!" Then we wiped with toilet paper (or paper towels as Willow like to call it). We then pull up our pants and flush the toilet. Then, lastly, we wash our hands.
I told dolly that she got a special treat for using the potty to stay dry. See, you want to reward your child for staying dry, not for using the potty. The ultimate goal is to stay dry (and clean) and the method by which you accomplish that is to use the potty. So, rewarding the act of staying dry is kind of like rewarding your kid for eating their dinner by using a fork. The ultimate goal is to eat the food. The way they do that is with the fork. Now, since the doll couldn't eat the treat, I asked Willow to. Then for the first part of the morning, we would periodically sit Willow on the potty (about once an hour) after asking if she was dry. If she had an accident, that was okay. She just didn't get a treat for using the potty to stay dry.
It was soon apparent that Willow needed more motivation and Kate already had Abby in real cotton underwear, so I went to Target and bought about 20 pairs. Willow was super excited to put on real underpants. Soon after she had them on, she had her first accident. No big deal. We cleaned it up and sat her on the potty. There is a specific method by which you should treat accidents.
The main thing is to stay calm and not get angry. They are still, after all, learning how to use the potty. But, they have to realize that there are consequences for accidents. So when she had an accident, we told her pee goes on the potty. We made her walk in her wet pants to the bathroom and sit on the potty (she obviously didn't have to pee and that's okay). She then had to carry the soiled pants and underpants up the stairs and put them in the hamper. We then changed her. She ended up having a total of two accidents on both Saturday and Sunday.
We put her in a pullup for naps and for overnight. That will continue until she can demonstrate dryness for at least a week. She can do it, because she has over the past two weeks many times, just not too consistently.
So all in all, "Potty Training Boot Camp" seemed to go quite well. Tune in tomorrow to see how she fared after the weekend. (HINT: I stayed home with her Monday to make sure she had it down)
Previously: Potty Training 101, The Beginning
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