Sunday, December 11, 2011

Adventures in Potty Training

Many moons ago, when Emma was a wee little one, we embarked early on potty training.  It ended up being a winding road with lots of twists, turns, and dead ends.  In hindsight, we started before she was ready.  She'd show interest for a few days, then act like she'd never seen a toilet before in her life.  After awhile, she succumbed to bribery and would go in the potty in exchange for a My Little Pony.  After amassing quite the collection of colored ponies, she finally was potty trained.

When it was Charlotte's turn to potty train, I decided that I was going to wait until she showed interest before starting the potty training journey.  Unfortunately, she didn't show interest as early as I had hoped.  I would ask her if she was ready to go pee-pee in the potty like a big girl and she would say no.  I offered the bribe of a new bicycle and she still refused.  Finally, one Saturday, I asked her if she was ready and she said yes.  Just like that, she wore panties and went in the potty with no accidents.  The next week, she was riding her bicycle like a maniac in the driveway.

For the last few months, I have been trying my Charlotte method on Cristina to no avail.  She has been as stubborn as a mule!  I asked her if she wanted to be a big girl and wear panties and she would say no.  I tried talking up going to the potty with the only result being that she now follows me into the bathroom and praises me for going potty like a big girl.  I tried bribery, but apparently, she is above that - or maybe I just don't know what really speaks to her.  In desperation, I promised to take her to Disney World if she would use the potty.  Even the prospect of meeting Mickey and Minnie was not enough. 

A few days this week, she has come into the bedroom in the morning and put on panties.  Then, she'd make it halfway through the day before asking to be put back in diapers.  Yesterday, something clicked for Cristina.  She put her panties on in the morning and stayed in them all day without any accidents.  She even pooped in the potty, which was especially exciting for her.  She was running all around the house saying in an extremely loud voice, "I POOPED in the potty.  I POOPED.  I POOPED." 

Yesterday gave me a few funny moments that I resisted the urge to capture on SD card.  First, when Cristina decides she needs to go to the potty, she stops wherever she is and pulls down her panties, then runs to the potty with her panties around her ankles.  Seeing her little butt trying to move quickly across the house with panties around her ankles is really quite hilarious.  She is still working on the mechanics of pulling her panties up and down.  At one point yesterday, she had the princess gown she was wearing all caught up in her panties.  She didn't notice and was dancing around the livingroom with her dress stuck in her panties.  Finally, she seems to have a perpetual wedgie.  I don't know if this means her panties are too big or too small or what, but I've seen a lot of little girl butt cheek all weekend!

I am so excited to only have one kid in diapers.  I wonder how long Ella will keep me waiting to potty train?

No comments:

Post a Comment