Potty Training 101

Since Kali has been interested in the potty since she was around 18 months old, I said that I wanted her to be potty trained by the time she was 2.

Well.....her birthday is right around the corner, and I haven't really been working on the potty training like I should.  So, this weekend, since we didn't have anything on the agenda, I decided it was time to start the potty training. I honestly think it was ME holding back.  Kali is good about going to the potty when we ask her (like after lunch or before a bath), but we're not very consistent in asking her to go.

I've been reading a lot of articles and blogs and asking friends about their techniques.  So, I figured I would combine a few of those strategies together and see how it works.  I started by making Kali a "Kali's Potty Treat" jar, and 2 special jars.  I filled the treat jar with M&Ms and one of the other jars (labeled "Start") with 5 cotton balls, the other was labeled "End".  I told her that every time she went pee or poop, she got 1 M&M and got to move 1 cotton ball from the start jar to the end jar.  When the end jar was filled up, she will get a special treat!

 Then, when we woke up I took off her wet diaper and let her go all natural.  That way, if she had the urge, she hopefully wouldn't potty on my floor.  I set the timer on my phone to go off every 15 minutes so that I would remember to ask her to go potty.  This morning, she was a little resistant at first.  So I loaded her up with juice.  She loves Capri Suns, and we normally only let her have one or two a week (because we still water down her juice in her sippy cup).  She thought it was a real treat to be able to drink 2 of them back to back...but momma was hoping this would make her have to go to the bathroom! :-)

For the first two hours, she kept saying that she didn't have to go potty.  We played, read books, watched Bubble Guppies, and watched her "The Potty Book" movie (along with the book) by Alyssa Capucilli.  Finally, at about 11:30am so was standing next to me in front of the couch, and she tinkled 3 little drops.  She gasped and said "POTTY" and went running down the hallway to the bathroom.  She went to the potty, and she got an M&M out of her Treat jar and got to move a cotton ball to the end jar.

At the end of lunch, she said "Potty", and went into the bathroom and went pee.  She was so proud of herself!!!  During nap, I put a pull up on her, but told her they were her special panties.  After she woke up, I took her into the potty and she went.  Then, I left the pull up off.  Hopefully she is getting the hang of it.  She will probably be going pants-less tomorrow as well.  After a few days of no accidents, I'm going to take her to the store and let her pick out her very own panties. 

Enjoying a Capri Sun while going potty!

And there is her special "Kali's Potty Treat" jar

Now, I just have to figure out how to make her understand that you don't play in the bathroom.  She just wants to hang out in there all afternoon...

Growing up so fast!!!!!!

Do The...

POTTY DANCE!!!!!!

Kali went Pee Pee in the Potty tonight!!!!!!! 

She has been interested in the potty for a few weeks now, so this past weekend we went to the store and let her pick out her own potty chair.  She picked the one that sang when you made a "deposit". Of course! Something annoying. But, we let her pick it out so that she would be excited about using it. And boy was she.

The first night she didn't want to get off of that thing!  TJ took a picture with his phone from Saturday night when we got it.

Wanting to give Mommy kisses while on the potty.

In case you were wondering, we bought this potty chair from Target.

I wanted one that converted to a step stool as well, and this one can come off and sit on the regular potty as well. So far, so good!

Since Saturday, I'd ask her throughout the day if she needed to go potty, to which she would lift her shirt and run to the bathroom.  And we had her sit on it before getting into the bath tub every night. 

Tonight, we got ready for the bath and has her sit on the potty.  I went into the living room while TJ handled the bath.  Next thing I know, I hear the potty music! I go running into the bathroom so excited!  She was so proud that she went potty, and we were cheering and clapping for her too.  I don't think she 100% knows what she's doing, but hey, we're on the right track!

Sitting on the potty!

Kali and Mommy! So proud of my BIG Girl!

Can't believe that my little girl went potty IN the potty at 17 months!  So excited.
And in case you don't know what the "Potty Dance" is - here it is for your viewing pleasure!!!!! :-)

You're welcome. You will now have this song stuck in your head for DaYs!!!!