Well, after weeks of watching, listening, and really paying attention to Hannah Kate's "readiness signs" extensive research and encouragement from our pediatrician we decided to take the plunge into potty training! Yes, at 18 months old!
Hannah Kate has been interested in the potty for months and she first started connecting the dots by watching the dogs go out and hearing us use the word "potty" and singing Tank's "Potty Chant" with Daddy. She observed Mommy and Daddy go potty and after a few catches from near bath tub incidents, really enjoyed the "success" of being help over a toilet to poop. From there it just escalated. Her "Potty vocabulary" grew and she began telling us when she had a dirty diaper and when she was going number two etc. She even began adding a bed time trip to the little potty before her bath and was successful every time! After that she began randomly telling us she had to potty and we took advantage and let her try to go on a potty whenever we could, and most times, she did! (Even in Houston this last weekend, without a little potty!)
So; as soon as we got home yesterday at about 4pm, we decided diapers are only for sleep times until we tackle those as well. We put HK's potty in the living room and stripped her down to a t-shirt and began the messy and stressful task of potty training.
She did okay the first night. But given all of her random success and her readiness signs I think I had unrealistic expectations and I felt very guilty for the feelings of frustration I had.
After a long bath and more reading/research about potty training I realized this was a process and I needed to remind myself that the first few days were going to be rough with up and down progress.
I felt better before I went to bed and started today brand new!
The morning went great! We tried a mixture of cotton panties, training underwear and nothing at all. The first few hours were very successful, but after that Hannah Kate seemed to lose interest and had several accidents where she even told me "uh-oh" I held in my frustration and echoed her "uh-oh, let's try to get the pee pee in the potty" I reminded her. At nap time I lamented to my husband a little, and my sister, and was helpfully reminded that this was the first real day of potty training and we were fairing pretty well.
After her nap HK went potty and I put her in training pants with a plastic diaper cover over it and we went to find some books to read about pottying! We brought her potty and I put her on it every time we arrived at a store and before we left. She had several accidents and one GREAT success of keeping her pants dry and going on the potty in the van!
The potty books are really helping and from about 4pm today and on into the evening HK went hours without accidents and lots of successful trips to the potty! We ended on a really great note and I'm feeling very encouraged.
In other news; I realized today that I left my wallet in Houston! We were going to have to drive overnight and back to get it when my Mother-in-law rescued us by asking a friend to run over to her house and get it to have it express shipped to us!
SO glad we don't have to make a round trip to Houston!
AND!!!
I have a new niece! She is so adorable! And I've only gotten to see her once because Ryan was working late last week, and then we went out of town and now I'm homebound to potty train Hannah Kate BUT I get to bring tem a meal Friday night and I hope to get some snuggles in :)
No comments:
Post a Comment