Charlotte wore her last baby diaper the night of Monday, January
7, 2013.
Tuesday dawned… and Charlotte
donned big girl panties.
 |
| the final diaper |
It was quite the plunge, (pun intended) if I say so
myself! A friend of mine told me about
the “Potty Training in 3 Days” technique a few months ago. And ever since, I have had it in my head to
potty train Charlotte using that technique.
After learning of this 3-day-potty-training magic, I started talking
with others who have potty trained their little ones and come out on the “Other
Side.” (Note: the “Other Side” is that of which diapers are
no longer worn by your child. I came up
with the term during Charlotte’s 3 day experience.) Some had tried this technique and hated
it. Discarding the theory quite
quickly. Others loved it and swore by
it.
After many discussions and evaluating our pros and cons, Ben
and I decided…. Why not give it a go? I
mean really, what did we have to lose?
Diapers? Some might argue we
would “lose” 3 days if it didn’t work.
But I chose not to think in that mindset. I decided to look at it as an adventure. And adventuresome, yes it most certainly was! (Hence it has been nearly two weeks and I am
just now writing about our experience…)
I got excited about it.
I gave it a name: Charlotte’s 3-day-potty-training-boot-camp. I made sticker Charts. I got pee-pee prizes and poo-poo prizes. I created a “Hydration Station” where
Charlotte could “refuel” as needed throughout the day so as to increase her
need to potty and chances to succeed. I
made a list of “training day” activities so we would have plenty of fun things
to keep us occupied. I stopped stocking
up on size 4 diapers (my girl’s got a bitty booty!). I bought big girl panties with
Charlotte. I talked about it and talked
about it and talked about it…. With Charlotte, with our friends, family…everyone. And I just plain remained positive.
It didn’t take long for Charlotte’s diaper stash to dwindle
down to nearly nothing. Because diapers
get pooped and peed in frequently and then they are done for. Gone.
Notta. Trash, I tell you, just
trash! From cash to poop to trash. Okay, that was a tangent. But I am TIRED!
And so, shortly after I turned the prime age of 28 years…
everything seemed to align. Charlotte
had been asking to “po-ee twain,” she was telling me whenever she went poo in
her diaper, my pee-pee and poo-poo prizes were in place, 20 something big-girl
princess and kitty panties were laundered, beverages were stock-piled, the house
sported a semi-clean appearance, we were caught up on laundry (this is such a
joke, because I don’t think I will EVER be truly caught up on laundry!!), we
had no obligations or need to leave the house for a week….
It was time. Time to
approach the journey towards the Other Side.
So here we go. Charlotte’s
3-day-potty-training-boot-camp experience…
Potty-Training Eve: Monday, January 7, 2013: evening
Charlotte finished up her bath and, as is typical Charly
fashion, ran around the house in her birthday suit. I wrangled the little lady and wagged a
diaper in her face. She had begun to
HATE diapers. So I had a feeling this
was going to be fun. I said, “Charlotte! Guess what!
This is the LAST diaper you will EVER wear!” She responded well to my enthusiasm and said,
“Yeah!” We finished up our nightly
routine and went to bed.
DAY ONE: Tuesday,
January 8, 2013
6:30amish: Charlotte
and Cale both wake up. Ready and raring
to go. I get everyone breakfast and
offer Charlotte lots of milk, water, juice…etc.
Then…I say: “Charlotte! Let’s go get your BIG GIRL PANTIES!!!” I had all of the panties in a gift bag, so we
ran to the bag and picked out a pair for Miss Charly to wear. She strutted around, proud as can be in her
new panties, a little hip to the side here, a bottom in the air there, a roll
around on the floor here… fun stuff I tell you!
I cheered her on, saying, “Look at you!
Such a BIG girl in your big girl panties! So cute!
Let’s keep those panties clean and dry, ok?” As soon as Charlotte was happy with her panty
modeling experience, we took the gift bag of panties to her room and loaded up
her dresser. Then we scouted out the
remaining size 4 diapers, put them in the gift bag, and set them outside our
front door (I wasn’t about to throw away diapers my boy will be wearing in 5
seconds!!).
7:30amish: I took
Charlotte to the potty (set up with her new potty seat) and showed her that’s
where she should go when she is ready.
She decided to give it a try and christen that potty! We celebrated for sure! With chocolate kisses… or was it fruit
snacks? And a sticker of course. And we washed our hands. Then we called people to share this exciting
news!
Remainder of the day:
I wish I could spell out hour by hour, minute by minute what went on
that day. But alas, my brain cannot
recall such intricate details at this time.
It probably has something to do with my sleep deprivation! That morning, Charlotte visited the “Hydration
Station” quite frequently. We also made
Koolaid- which I haven’t made in years!
Apparently I didn’t recall one of Koolaid’s main ingredients:
sugar. Oops! Charlotte was not a fan of Koolaid and who
could blame her? Koolaid without the
sugar is just not tasty!
Over and over that morning I used the following
phrases: “Charlotte! Are your panties dry?” “Charlotte!
Let Mommy know if you need to go pee pee or poo poo in the potty, okay?” “Charlotte!
Hydration! Hydration!”
With all of this, Charlotte still went through about 5
panties by lunch time. We would be
playing and she would suddenly look up and say, “uh-oh! PEEEPEEEEEE!!!!!!” I would reach down, scoop her up and RUN to
the potty. Often leaving a pee-pee trail
to the potty. But she’d finish the deed
in the correct location! We visited the
potty many times that morning. And
therefore, Charlotte enjoyed lots of chocolate kisses, fruit snacks and
stickers. She even got to enjoy a bottle
of bubbles! Why bubbles? Well, bubbles were a poo-poo prize! Charlotte did indeed tell me she had to go
poo-poo and she went on the pot like a big girl on day one.
After nap time, I rushed to her room as soon as I heard her
wake up and took her to the potty first thing.
And we continued our afternoon with the same phrases, lots of hydration,
celebrations and a few more panties. By
the time Daddy got home, this Mommy was pretty drained! But feeling good. Because though accidents were happening, so
were peepee and poopoo in the potty celebrations!
Charlotte did wake up a few times that night. And one of those times was because she had an
accident. We just changed her and
changed the sheets and continued on with our sleep. (Well until Cale woke us up shortly
thereafter). It was a brutal night in
the sleep department.
DAY TWO: Wednesday,
January 9, 2013
5:30am- Charlotte woke early and yelled, “PEEEPEEEEEEEEEEE!” I leapt out of bed and rushed her to the
potty just in the nick of time.
The first couple hours of Wednesday morning were chaotic at
best. Cale wanted Mommy’s attention and
I couldn’t focus on him as much as usual because I had to focus more on
Charlotte… and reaching the potty on time.
She kept saying she had to poo-poo but wouldn’t go because she was
scared. I barely got to eat my breakfast
due to all of our potty runs and panty changes…
And I felt as though I had been hit by a bus due to our lack of
sleep.
Fortunately my friend Kelly (she doesn’t have any children…yet…)
came over Wednesday to help out. I
cannot say how thankful I was for her presence that day! She was a great help with Cale
especially. And she cleaned up at least
one or two peepee messes. I did my best
to maintain a high level of energy; in spite of what felt to be a back slide in
potty progress. I ran in circles with
Charlotte, hydrating after each round.
But it seemed Charlotte just couldn’t make it to the pot in time. And she was still scared to poo. I welcomed nap time with great enthusiasm.
Post nap- Charlotte woke up dry! I was quite excited and wanted to
celebrate. However, Charlotte was none
too happy about waking up. See-
sometimes Charlotte wakes up from her nap and is very grouchy. Like scream and kick and yell “nonononoNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”
angry. This was one of those
post-nap-fits. She carried on for 45
MINUTES before calming down. And peed on
the floor in a fit of rage. I wanted to
cry. I felt as though this was not going
to work! But I knew we couldn’t
quit. Not yet anyway. Charlotte finally calmed down and the
remainder of the evening went well. No
more accidents Wednesday. Only lots of
pee-pee celebrations. Meaning lots of
chocolate kisses and fruit snacks.
Of course all of that sugar took its toll. And Charlotte would NOT stay in her bed. She used the “IgottagopottYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”
line. And we had to give in! Smart cookie.
Little stinker! That went on for
about two hours before she finally succumbed to sleep.
I was Exhausted.
Totally. Completely. Drained.
We were encouraged that night. Charlotte woke up only twice to go
potty. And she didn’t have any
accidents.
DAY THREE: Thursday, January 10, 2013
5:30am: We again were
awakened with Charlotte’s sweet little voice yelling, “IGOTTAGOPOTTYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!” I think Ben jumped out of bed this time and
took the little lady to the pot. I
couldn’t seem to muster up the strength…
I thanked Jesus for PBS that morning.
Thursday was good. I
made up a new game called “Potty Drill.”
Charlotte and I ran to the potty once an hour after I would yell “potty
drill!” and then she would show me how to use the potty. Perfecto mundo. Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner? I do not know.
And Charlotte kept her panties dry! She did have a poo-poo accident. Poor girl went to the potty about 5 times to
poo that morning but got freaked out at the prospect of landing that poo in the
toilet bowl and so she held it in. (Even
though we had given her Mirilax twice…).
It was during lunch time. She
cried out and the poo came out. I rushed
her to the potty anyway and explained that it isn’t scary to go on the
potty. I felt pretty disappointed in
myself at this point. I felt as though I
had let her down by not getting her to the potty in time. Oh that is so ridiculous, isn’t it!? I had to remind myself that it’s okay! We were still in the learning phase. And accidents are going to happen- even after
Charlotte is “potty trained.” After that
little accident, though, I made up a new phrase. “Let Mommy know if you are on the verge and
feel the urge to purge that poo!” I don’t
think she understood it. But it kept me
entertained.
Charlotte, being loaded on chocolate and fruit snacks yet
again (yay for all of the pee pee celebrations!!) fought us on sleep again Thursday
night. The only negative to potty
training is that we knew we couldn’t just ignore her saying “IGOTTAPOTTY!!!” At least not until we felt more confident
about the whole potty training thing.
CONCLUSION of Charlotte’s Three Day Potty Training Boot Camp:
Would I say, by the end of day three, Charlotte was potty
trained? Not entirely. But I was most definitely potty trained for Charlotte. I knew that Charlotte, when loaded on fluids,
needed a peepee break once an hour at least.
I knew that every time she drank a cold liquid, she would need to go
within moments. And I also knew that
every time Charlotte needed to poo, she would tell me. But she was still scared to go in the pot…and
therefore causing herself to hold the poo in.
I continued our potty training endeavors on Friday, the 11th
of January. However, I took down the
Hydration Station and only gave Charlotte a drink if she asked for one. I also allowed Charlotte to wear pants. I basically just continued our day as we
normally would, without all of the super high energy boot camp activities I had
worked up during the three days prior.
And? It was a success. No accidents!
But still no poo.
We took our first outing post-diapers Saturday morning. Charlotte stayed at my parents’ house and
enjoyed the use of their potty (on her portable potty seat attachment I found
on clearance at Target! So excited about
that find!). We even went to Chick-fil-a
for a lunch time celebration! And
Charlotte enjoyed the restaurant potty too!
It was AWESOME! And oh so
encouraging! Saturday night Charlotte
visited another potty at her other grandparents’ house….and Sunday morning it
was the church potty! And Sunday
afternoon, great-grandma and papa’s potty.
Ohhhhhh, yeah! I was stoked. STOOOOOOKKKEEEDD!
By the time Sunday night hit we were feeling pretty
confident that Charlotte was indeed potty trained, not just mommy for Charlotte.
However, that poo (despite many doses of Mirilax) was still too scary
for Miss Charlotte. But that all changed
once we told her it was night-night time.
Charlotte, after sitting in her bed for about ten minutes, marched her
two-year old sassafras self into the potty and said, “I’m gonna do it. I go poopoo.”
And I said, “you are? Okay, go
ahead and go.” She just sat there atop
that pot with a look of complete determination and concentration, repeating, “I
gonna do it. I go poopoo.” And by George! SHE DID IT!
She POOPOOed on the POTTY! Oh my
oh my! We danced around the house, ate
some sweets, pulled down a couple of poopoo prizes, you name it! Then she went back to bed. Only to return to the potty a few minutes
later and deposit yet ANOTHER poopoo in the pot! Oh my,
if only we had fireworks….
Who knew the joy that comes with watching your two year old
conquer something as tough as pooping on the pot? I mean really. When you think about it! To go from relieving yourself whenever and
wherever you want to having to recognize when you gotta go and where you gotta
go and learn to hold it, etc…. that is quite the task, I tell you! And oh yes, I can say with total certainty:
CHARLOTTE IS POTTY
TRAINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(And I must add….since it is now the 20th of
January… Charlotte has woken up dry every morning since then. And we even braved Target without Daddy this
past week. Pretty exciting stuff. Charlotte?
You are awesome. You wore your
Mommy out these past couple of weeks and you are still using the “IGOTTAGOPOTTY”
excuse at bed time, but you rock, my
sweet little sassafras girl!! I love you!)
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