Potty Training Update

So, Mini Me has been fully potty trained for about three years now. Last year, at school, she came home with wet underwear a few times. It was disturbing. Why????

How does a perfectly potty trained little girl regress? It was an almost every week thing. And then another regression at day camp this fall.

I wondered if someone had been molesting her at school. Both times, Mini Me assured me this was not the case. I'm still not sure if she was simply holding too long or if she just wanted attention. At any rate, she is not wetting herself at school. There were a few nighttime slip-ups. But all is well these days.

Interesting the cycles kids go through during the potty-training process. 

Yes, We are Back!

Mini Me looks like she is lying in state, doesn't she?

Yes, my friends, we are back on track. No more crazy accidents. Mini Me did have a slider the other day, at our friends' house.

What's a slider? It's one we are going to let slide. We don't think it was her fault, really. We suspect Mini Me was trying to turn on the light in a strange, new bathroom and just couldn't manage to get her dress hitched up and panties down in time. Slider.

No more sliders or gliders. 

What's a glider? It's where they hold it so long playing, they glide in that bathroom and okay, I made it up because it rhymed and the analogy isn't going to hold. She hasn't had any accidents. She even does a good job wiping her own butt after a BM.

Good job, Mini Me!!

Well, No. Don't Dare

My last blog post was 'Dare I say back on track". 

Well, no. Don't dare say success.

We had a few weeks of pee-soaked pants and floors. However, it's been dry the past week or so. I don't dare say anything at this point....

Dare I Say Back On Track...

Mini Me had been missing the toilet, wetting her pants in public and in the home, and even pooping her pants!! We coddled her, told her it was okay. We tried to act like it was fine. Then we tried letting her know we were not happy with her accidents. Nothing helped. Finally, I told her if she pees on the floor again, I would spank her bottom. She has been dry for a week. Longest stretch since her relapse. 

Update on Potty Trained Status

Mini Me truly is potty-trained. 

She is...

dry during naps

dry all day

dry in public

dry all through the night.

Mini Me is very good at telling us when she has to go potty. She likes to feel independent so I let her potty by herself. Her naughtiness in the bathroom is pretty non-existent. I keep an ear to her to make sure she is not playing with the soap or water.

EVERY TIME before we leave the house, I have both kids pee in the potty. When we are out, before heading back in the car, if we are somewhere with a clean restroom, I make the kids go. 

I have found that if I am diligent with taking her to the restroom in public, she is fine. 

The only times she has accidents is when an adult messes up by not planning for potty breaks. Or, if an adult says, "Do you need to go potty?" instead of "Let's go potty" when away from home. There are times she says she doesn't have to go, but I make her go anyway. She always delivers!

When we are on long road trips, I put both kids in pull-ups. This way, if we are nowhere near a stopping place when they say they have to pee, they can just pee in the pull-up. 

Motor Mouth, Mini Me's big brother is almost 6. He is still not dry at night. Sometimes, not even at nap time. I think I might start blogging on Motor Mouth's Adventures in Nighttime Dryness.

This is the end of my entries on Adventures in Potty Training Mini Me. She's done!!

How's it going - November Week 1

We are doing great!!!!

NO accidents in the house. We went out for several hours yesterday, and she was dry!!! Mini Me was in a pull-up at church and did not have an accident. Later, we went to a friend's house and shopping. Dry. Dry. Dry. When she needed to go, she asked to go. On the way home, she said she needed to pee. I told her to hold it. She did!!!

I have to find those potty seat covers for when we are in public. Haven't managed to find any in stock!! This will make me feel MUCH more comfortable when in public situations.

Mini Me has gotten into trouble for playing with the water instead of washing her hands. She showed back up in the living room with soaking wet hair!! She knows the drill, so she goes and does what she has to do, flushes, washes her hands, dries 'em and comes back out.

I transitioned her to just using the big people toilet. She uses the potty as a step to get up to the toilet (it was designed that way). I like this better, because there is less cleaning for me, and makes it easier for her when in public or at other's homes.

Did I read the books? Not really. I thumbed through them. I didn't use charts or candy bribes. I tried the nakedness a couple times but she just peed all over the floor in her brother's room (where they play). What worked from the books was the positive reinforcement and not getting mad when she messed up. 

I did get mad the 3rd or 4th time she peed in Motor Mouth's room. I did spank her for playing in the water the 3rd time in a row instead of washing her hands. In each case, I modified my subsequent expectations and she stopped doing what she shouldn't.

Waiting until Mini Me was ready - had the vocabulary, showed an interest, maintained an interest - is what really worked for us.  At first, she didn't really 'get' that she had to tell me BEFORE she peed herself was the final developmental milestone.

I also only trained her when she was alert and in the best mood and at home. That meant mornings only. I used the language too - "Are you a 'baby' or a 'big girl'?" She wants to be a 'big girl'. 

Okay. I've said all of this. Let's hope she doesn't have a major setback this week!!!

Part 2 Update - Week 2

It's going well. We've had a few incidents. Mini Me pooped in her underwear under Daddy's watch. Yikes! 

When she is home, Mini Me wears big girl underwear. When we go out, she has a diaper on. I think I should transition to pull-ups when she is out because Mini Me tells me when she has to go potty in public. Yes, I think that is the next step.

We are having more success than failures. That is good.

Part 2 Update - Week 1

Pretty much each morning this week, I had Mini Me go to the potty and put on a pair of big girl underwear. If we had to go out that morning, she just had a diaper put on. 

When we go out, I put a diaper on her, just in case. Today, I purchased what I hope will be the last box of diapers for Mini Me. 

My goal this week will be to have Mini Me in underwear whenever we are home - morning and afternoon. The days we go out, she will wear a diaper. And at night, a diaper. 

It's Been a Looooooooooooong Time

I haven't done ANYTHING in terms of potty training Mini Me, recently. Well, I don't think you can count the 3 or 4 minor, feeble attempts that ended within 3 hours. 

The last few days, I did start telling Mini Me she was a 'ba-by', not a 'big girl'. I told her she was a baby because she wears diapers and if she were a big girl, she would wear underwear. Yes, I am appealing to her sense of self. Not sure that is endorsed in the potty training books, but it worked for Motor Mouth.  

MotorMouth was capable of being fully potty trained, but he was lazy and wanted to be babied. Then, Kai Kai stayed with us for 3 - 4 days. I told Motor Mouth: "Kai Kai is a BIG BOY! Kai Kai goes pee pee on the potty like a BIG BOY." It worked!! We never looked back!

Yesterday, I got a phone call from Bee Momma whose daughter, JuJu Girl, has a weekly play date with Mini Me. Bee Momma was so impressed with Mini Me. She said Mini Me had gone pee pee on the potty twice when she was over at their home. That Mini Me seems to LOVE the bathroom and potty training must be going so well for us. Hahahahaha. Ah. Hahahhahahah. 

This morning, when Mini Me woke up, I had her go pee on the potty. Daddy asked if she could wear her big girl underwear. I said okay. Then we told Mini Me that she was NOT to pee on Dora. To go pee in the potty and not to get Dora wet. 

I just asked Mini Me if she had to go pee. She said she did, and went in the potty. 2 hours and counting and her underwear is DRY!!

Day 2 - Part 1

Today started GREAT!!!!!

The kiddos woke up in a giggly mood. I put Mini-Me on the potty 1st thing. And she PEED!!!! A lot. Yippeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! An hour later, after the homemade pancakes for breakfast, Mini-Me when back on the potty. Only this time, not only has she ALREADY peed in her pullup, but there was nothing forthcoming while on the seat. No problem, there is our next hour.

My timing got a bit messed up, so I didn't take her to potty right on time. But when we did, the pull up was dry and nothing was forthcoming.

Mommy got lazy. I held off for almost 2 hours this time. Dry pullup. Nothing in the potty.

Lunchtime!!

Pullup still dry after lunch. Nothing in the potty - I think. Daddy called and I had to run to answer the phone. Not sure if there was liquid success, or not.

Crying when Mommy put on the diaper for nap time.

Mini-Me is telling me she is 'Done'. Even when nothing has happened. I'm trying not to push her, so I'm letting it go for now.

Kids are napping. I want to nap too!!!

First Try - Success!!

When Mini-Me woke from her nap, I took her to the potty, without changing her diaper.

The POTTY

Tossing the Diaper

Start Time

Reading to pass the time...
Yippee!! We have a poopy on the potty!!

4 minutes!! I think we have a world record!!

Houston, we have a problem....

Now Mommy knows not to let Mini-Me play with toys, while on the potty - especially small ones.

Daddy to the rescue!

Wave 'bye bye'Wash the hands
Dry the hands

1st time with the pullups!

Adding Mini-Me's pullups to Motor Mouth's pullups

Props from Motor Mouth

HOT water, and lots of SOAP, before the dishwasher.