Now that I'm off work for the months of June and July we are going full speed ahead with potty training efforts (today marked the first day of our serious attempt to leave diapers behind). Priya has shown almost all of the signs of readiness and has had some success, but it's been difficult for us to be consistent with her in the midst of our varying schedules.
We've been trying pull-ups but they haven't been effective thus far because she can't feel that she's wet, just like in a diaper. We've tried padded cloth panties that absorb the wetness but they haven't seemed to phase her either. So today was "Operation Cold Turkey" day. I put her in cotton panties (with Elmo on them which was a huge hit) with absolutely no absorbency. We tried the potty a few times in the morning but no real success. We had fun though! Every time she sat on the potty we read a book called Everyone Poops. Priya's pediatrician recommended it just before I left for my Washington DC/Pennsylvania trip and it's been a huge hit with her. It helps to take the pressure off by focusing on the fact that everyone poops - animals, birds, fish, big people and little people - and doesn't just focus on the steps to using a potty. She has been asking for it again and again and has been reading it to her stuffed animals as well.
Around 10:30am I asked her if she wanted to try again and she said no. I stepped into the laundry room for a minute to transfer a load of laundry and heard Priya crying, "Mommy, I peed!" She was so upset and was crying pretty hard. Ironically, this was what I had been waiting for! She is so picky about her shirt having even drops of water on it that I knew if she'd just feel what it was like to really be wet she would hate it! I reassured her that it was ok and all part of the process of learning to use the potty like a big girl. I gave her a quick bath and she was back to her happy, playful self again.
We tried 2 more times before nap time and didn't have any success. I eventually put her in a pair of pull-ups (calling them panties) and asked her to call for me if she needed to use the potty and that I'd come right away to help her. About 5 minutes later I heard her crying (and assumed that she'd gone in her pull-ups already). But when I opened the door she said "I want to try again. I have to go potty." I praised her for telling me and immediately took her to the potty. About 2 minutes later she peed in the potty! We had a huge celebration and she just kept smiling and talking about how she was a big girl and that she did it! I'm so proud of her! I know that we still have a long way to go, but this was a big accomplishment that I had to record! :)
Way to go big girl!
End Of The Day Update:
I'm back as a proud mommy once again. Please forgive the bragging...I love recording milestones to look back on one day and I can't help but be proud of my little girl's accomplishments. :)
We ended the day with another victory. Priya remained dry from 1-7:30pm (I on the other hand had to go at least 8 times in the midst of that time - oh the joys of pregnancy). Finally at 7:30 she was ready for round 2 of successfully using the potty. This resulted in another celebration. Now on to Day 2 of "Operation Cold Turkey"...
Yeah for Priya! That's the only way that's been successful in my house - going cold turkey. Funny story tho - Zac got to hate the feeling of wet on his pants so much this winter that when we took him to the swimming pool and he got his swimtrunks wet for the first time he started to take them off, wanting to change them! It's taken several trips to the pool to convince him that it's ok to be wet from the pool!
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