Potty training may break me
Another item on my Things to do Before Another Baby Shows Up list is to attempt potty training Adeline. Prior to this weekend, she had only sat on her potty chair a few times without ever doing anything. Since The Boy is only about a month away, I decided it was time to step up my efforts.
So I read this book:
Which employs the philosophy of pumping your kid full of liquids to keep them peeing and rewarding a successful trip to the potty with a favorite “snack treat.” There’s chapters more to it, but that’s the gist.
Here’s my arsenal of beverages and treats for Adeline:
These are her drugs of choice. Annie’s Organic Fruit Snacks, which she calls “apple juice bunnies,” M&Ms and Capri Suns, which every kids falls hard for at some point. These are all items that Addy either rarely gets or only gets a small amount of during the week, cause sugar + small child = insanity.
So, let’s have a very real conversation about how Potty Training Boot Camp went. It will be brief. First…
1. Joey was out of town this weekend, so it was just me battling a toddler and a potty for 48 hours.
2. While the juice and treats worked well, they also pumped Addy full of so much sugar that she did not nap on Saturday or Sunday and at one point began using her potty chair as a vault to hurl her body into the couch.
3. I’m almost 8 months pregnant. It is physically impossible for me to move quickly and I’m ridiculously hormonal and emotional.
Basically, I spent the weekend with an eagle eye on a sassy, hopped up 2-year-old running naked through my house performing acrobatics on a potty chair as I flailed on my ass to chase after her before she left a little trail of pee pee from the kitchen to the living room. The crowning moment? When I realized this was the last weekend I’d spend alone with her in a long time and burst into tears only to have her look at me with 100% WTF is wrong with Mommy? and say, “I want Daddy.” It was a challenge for all involved, potty chair included.
However! We did have potty success! Three successful trips to the potty on Saturday and six on Sunday! It was wonderful to see the happiness and pride on her face each and every time it happened, and, after (only) two accidents, the idea seems to be clicking for her. Pee pee in the potty = all of her snack dreams come true. Pee pee on the floor = Mommy has an emotional breakdown. It’s that simple.
Liz- I love your blog. You are too funny! Good work on the potty training!
Liz,
This positively made me laugh out loud!
I hear ya….my kids weren’t potty-trained until they were 4!!!
Hilarious. Love you.
Oh my gosh, you are so brave, too hilarious, and a very courageous person for attempting potty training pre-baby. Kieran has a little potty. When I go into the bathroom, he sits on it too. With all of his clothes on. And then he announces, “mama pee pee,” as if commanding me to do my duty while he sits there. He has NO CLUE….and baby is due in T minus 2 weeks…I”m not even trying. In fact, I won’t even attempt to take off his diaper when he sits there. Kieran is already obsessed with “teets” (treats), so I can’t even IMAGINE trying to potty train with them…we would have WW III with many more breakdowns that you described. YOu’re my hero. God bless you!
Loving the moral support from you all. Thank you! I’ve cut back on the treats and juice because the hyperness was getting out of hand. Addy’s grandparents have been awesome in helping with potty training efforts while we’re at work. Addy has used the potty about 2-3 times every day this week.
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