Potty Training

When Christina says she has to go to the potty and then immediately after, insists that she in fact does not have to go to the potty, this ultimately means “Mommy, I really really have to use the potty, like really bad, but I’ve been having so much fun that I just don’t want to go. But I have to go.  But wait, maybe I can just play for a little longer. Maybe I’ll just hold it.” 

Although Christina is awesome at going to the potty whenever she needs to go, in these instances, I don’t take any chances.  I just pick her up and put her on the potty.  And guess what?  She empties a full bladders worth in there!

I am very proud of her for potty training so quickly.  The "one day method" didn't exactly take a day, but within a week at home, there were no more accidents.  At school, she kept having accidents on and off until her teacher told me that I could send Skittles into school with her (those are her treat of choice).  The funniest thing happened . . . from the very first day that I sent Skittles into school with  her, all accidents stopped.  In fact, the first day she peed on the potty EIGHT times!!  EIGHT!  Can you believe it?  How did she even have enough pee in her to go that many times?  Boy that girl loves Skittles. 

Christina is still wearing pull up's at nap time and at bed time, but I'm probably going to stop that at nap times pretty soon.  They are usually dry when she wakes up anyway.  So, other than not being "night time trained", I'd say she is officially potty trained.  I'm so proud of her and she is very happy to be a big girl.

I am happy to report that this whole potty training business was pretty painless.  I spent a good deal of time planning ahead for the "Potty training in a day" and then spent an entire day conducting that training.  But other than that, there wasn't even a lot of time involved.  Oh, except for the laundry.  Oh yes, the laundry.

When Christina was having accidents at school, I spent lots and lots of time on laundry.  Like, laundry every single day even though we have clean clothes coming out of our ears.  I can't let peed-in clothes just sit though (and certainly not, well lets just say "dirty" underwear).  So, our water bill went up that month and doing my own laundry got pushed to the back burner.  I'm still trying to catch up on that actually.  It seems that whenever there is time to do laundry, the kids stuff gets done first, then the towels and sheets, then I'm too exhausted to get to my own stuff.  I guess that is the down side to having tons of clothes, sheets, towels, etc.  If you never run out, you just aren't that motivated to get it done, you know? 

With laundry being number one on the list of "Annoying things about potty training", the second would have to be the anxiety that comes with leaving the house the first few days after training.  I refused to stay in the house, but I was nervous about leaving, not knowing when she would have to go to the potty or if she would even tell me.  I prepared by bringing another outfit and pair of underwear, but still . . . At Babies-R-Us she had an accident, we went and changed her out of her wet underwear, kept shopping, and five minutes later she announced that she had to go potty.  I didn't believe her (shame on me!).  Then, let's just say it was only a few minutes before she had dirty underwear.  And we didn't have another clean pair with us.  Yuck.  Let me tell you, that was an interesting shopping trip and I had to get creative to get us out of there clean.

I can't wait to do it all over again though, for Gwen (the potty training, not the poop in the underwear - THERE, I said it!).  But really, it is NICE not having to change Christina's diapers.  I don't care if she does always want company when she goes to the Potty.  I'm still trying to teach her "privacy".  We can work on that one.