Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Our Potty Training "Progress" So Far

So far, potty training is going okay. Joanna is very willing to sit on the potty. She hasn't yet made the association that she's supposed to do anything with it. Let's just say that Joanna sees her potty as a really great chair! It's so fun to sit on.

We've also run into a problem I didn't foresee. Joanna must be part camel because she can wait hours to pee. I am not joking that she has been regularly waiting 4-5 hours in the morning to finally go. We bought a pack of those Horizon milk boxes. The kids love them but typically only get them as a special treat since they are a little pricy (more than a dollar a box). I read that many kids need to use the bathroom about 45 minutes to an hour after drinking lots of liquid. Even if I pump Jo full of milk and water, that little girl can hold it 'til the cows come home!

I'd based my potty training plan off of what worked for Oliver. The idea was to try to keep her on the potty as much as possible around the time she needed to go (without forcing her). I'd utilize books and Barney & Sesame Street videos. When she went, I would cheer and applaud and give her a treat! Eventually, she would start to learn that going to the bathroom in the potty is a very good thing. Oliver started to understand the association after about a week. During that first week, more than half of his bathroom breaks were successful (done on the potty). That helped him learn what the potty was for.

Joanna is different. I'll wait a few hours and put her on the pot. I'll read to her, let her watch videos, even feed her her meals! She'll get off for a while, and then we'll try again. Rinse and repeat, until she finally goes. Sometimes, it's on the potty, and, sometimes, it's on the floor. We're having about 1 successful potty attempt a day, and I'm not sure if that will provide a strong enough association for her to learn to use it.

I'm working on adjusting the potty training plan to fit Jo's needs. She tends to go to the bathroom as soon as she wakes up from sleep. So, I've started putting her down for nap time in her undies instead of a diaper. When her nap time is nearing the end, I open the door and listen for her to start stirring. The moment she starts to wake up, I bring her over to her potty and offer her something like a cracker. She happily snacks for a bit and then goes. This has been the technique that has gotten me the most successful potty attempts so far.

For now, I plan on just sticking with the training. We started on Saturday, and today is Wednesday. I will probably continue with the rigorous training through Labor Day and then reevaluate if necessary. I know Joanna is developmentally ready for the potty, and so I see this as just a matter of me setting aside enough time and focus to catch her when she goes!

2 comments:

Patti said...

I remember that from potty-training Elly! The weekend we decided to make a huge push on potty-training and put her in underwear, she waited until 4 p.m. to pee for the first time. She can be very stubborn! I know she really didn't want to use the potty for whatever reason.

whirledpeas1129 said...

It is amazing how well they can hold it! Andrew can go all day without using the bathroom. Jo must have gotten her bladder control from him. I am the type who REALLY has to go when it's time! As a kid, I had accidents all the time even after I was potty trained because I would run to the bathroom and then pee my pants before I could get them off. I just tell Jo she is a camel.