Potty Training Update!!

Yay!! She pooped in the potty!! Just had to share. She had to call everyone I would let her at 9:00 at night and let them know that she "made it brown." I'm pretty excited, too, so I probably let stay up later than she should have calling people.

Potty Training Update

I knew that I shouldn't post about how good Zoey was doing on her potty training. The next day she didn't go in the potty once. By the end of the day I was so frustrated I was ready to scream and just put her back into a diaper. But I had told myself that I would stick it out until Saturday and see how she was doing then, so I had to re-evaluate and find something new to try. I thought she could do it because she had done so well on Monday. I finally decided that I was not above bribery. I started with stickers. I made a chart and every time she was dry for an hour, she would get a sticker. And every time she went potty, she would get another sticker. We hung the charts on the wall and explained what was going on. She was excited and would stay dry, but wouldn't go to the bathroom. So, I decided to up the prize. We added candy. Nathan got some peanut butter M&M's and we started the "potty candy jar." She started going potty, but it didn't seem to bother her much if she had an accident. Then I decided that if I had to clean up the accident, I got her candy she would have received if she'd gone in the potty. She didn't like that very much. On Thursday, she did great all day. She didn't go potty a whole lot, but she would if I showed her the potty candy and reminded her, but she did stay dry until dinner time. That's always the hardest time. She had a few accidents, but rallied before bed and went in the potty again. Friday I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to always have to remind her to stay dry, but I didn't want her to keep having accidents, either. I was up in my bedroom and Owen's bedroom is down a few steps from mine. They were playing in Owen's bedroom and I heard Zoey say, "Bubba, I go pee pee a potty!" I thought I'd missed my chance, but I saw her running down the hall. She went in and went all by herself. I was so proud of her. She did great all day yesterday. Today has been a little more of a struggle. She's gone a little bit, but has had a few accidents. The first one was when we were outside checking the animals and I think she's just not used to being outside and having to remember to go potty. I'm hoping today's not a total setback. It's the day I decided to go for and now I know she can do it. Here's hoping she keeps being good.

Potty Training

I woke up this morning, got Jo out the door to school and was helping Zoey get ready when I realized that these next two weeks will be the only time for a long time that I will be able to stay home. So, spur of the moment, I decided to try and potty train Zoey. I know, crazy me. I keep putting it off because at the beginning of the summer, I thought I could do it and it lasted a day. She kept saying that she needed to go potty and then would just play on the potty. Within 5 minutes of telling me she was done, she would have an accident. After 12 pairs of training pants, I got frustrated and gave up. I didn't want to do it again, so I didn't. She has shown more signs of being ready lately and keeps talking about how big girls go pee pee in the potty. I've been talking it up for a while, too. When I put panties on her this morning, she was SO proud. She had to call everyone and tell them. She's even proud that they are "Bubba's baseball panties" (boys training pants we used for Owen). We do have cute little Dora panties in the drawer for her for when she can keep them dry. But training pants just absorb so much more during that initial training period. These pants are also HUGE on her since her and Owen are at different ends of the spectrum when it comes to body type.

Right off, she started telling me that she had to go potty and actually going on the potty. She did have two accidents today, but she felt really bad and wanted to get her wet panties off right away. She really did a great job. I'm so proud of her. I have potty trained two other kids and so I'm not naive enough to think that it will always be this easy, but I'm just grateful that she's actually trying to pick up on it this time. When Jo came home from school, and again when Nathan came home from work, she had to take them into the bathroom and show them her new "trick." It's fun for me to see that she's proud of herself, too.

She was so cute whenever she would go potty. She would chant herself a little pep talk. Telling herself to get the stool, pull down her panties, sit on the potty, etc. It was hilarious.

Thank goodness for Koolaid to help her have to go a lot so she realized quickly what it felt like. And thanks for all those who supported her and were so proud of her today. Thanks for the song, Shauna! She loved it!!