This isn't the first attempt at potty training Taryn. Our first real full blown- 2T undies bought and ready -training was in February. I was convinced that by 2 years old, Taryn could do it.
So I set aside a weekend, built her up for it (and me) and even though we were thrown off a lot with unexpected hurdles a few days before I decided I would stick to it. We could do this.
I could handle the small hurdles. But then I was hit with a big one. Like me being 7 weeks pregnant and bleeding.....a lot.... I was worried but calm, and thought I would continue on the day to see how things went (Tyson was at school and I didn't want to do anything without him by my side.)
Well, 6 accidents, just a few hours and one crying- self peed on toddler later, I threw in the towel.
I felt like my body and my two year old were screaming at me, "STOP, STOP!! We're not ready!!"
So we stopped. And on went the diaper. And I went to the E.R. a few days later as the bleeding got worse.
Taryn recovered just fine- even though I think she grew a little fearful of the "big girl potty" and our unborn child was just fine, I just had a lot of extra blood that my body didn't know what to do with.
Anyways....(sorry- TMI?)
Round 1.5- I'm calling it this because we didn't quite make it through round 1... any of us.
We've watched Elmo, Bear in the Big Blue House, and many more videos about using the potty. She talked about it. She taught her stuffed animals how to use the potty, flush and wash their hands. We spent months encouraging her, explaining to her that she was a big girl. She's told me when she was dirty and has asked for me to change her several times without prompting. Good signs in my book.
It's getting hotter here and I can't bear the thought of her in a diaper any longer.
So, this weekend I decided to try again. My schedule had cleared up and I would have reinforcements around- Daddy!
I am armed with M&M's, undies & toys for when she goes.
We're doing this.
Thursday the saggy diaper came off.
She begged for another diaper.
Cried for a diaper.
We talked her through it.
And then she went.
We all did a happy dance. She got a sticker on her chart (that I made in 3 minutes on the spot) and 2 M&M's (well, 3, really- I had to use one to get her to sit on the potty).
Within seconds she was asking for a diaper.
She wasn't done yet- I knew she was holding it. So with lots of crying, and lots of coaxing, she finally went again (only a little bit).
And then she asked for a diaper. By this time she was doing a potty dance- literally dancing an hopping around.
Her phrase for these past couple of days is, "I can't go potty!" over and over again.
At least she can kinda hold it. Big progress since February.
So we had one other success after lots of tears were shed.
We are 3 for 3. (as of Thursday)
Not bad.
I don't know anything about Potty Training.
But we are trying.
We'll see after this weekend if there will be a round 2, or 3, or....oh boy....