In my past experience with children I nannied for and hearing from other moms, the consensus on potty training was the same. Not fun and takes FOREVER. I wanted Bunny to be potty trained by the time Baby Sister arrived and was looking for signs that she was ready. I was pretty sure Bunny was ready to start potty training because she started disliking her diapers, would tell us when she was going to or had pooped, and was starting to sense when she had to pee. Bunny also loved to sit on the potty when I sat on the potty, which was quite often due to being pregnant. So early January ish (Bunny was 23 months) I decided to start potty training. The first few days Bunny was wearing big girl thick panties and not diapers. I sat Bunny on the potty every 10-15 minutes. We would sit on the potty and read a book or sing songs. Bunny did pretty well, she went pee pee on the potty 2-3 times a days. All the other times she would pee in her panties. I would tell her it was okay and we would changer her into clean, dry panties and sit on the potty. I do think this helped her to understand the sensation of peeing and to recognize when she had to go. Bunny would say “pee pee potty!” as she was peeing in her panties. Then we all got sick and potty training went out the window and was put on pause.
After we recovered from our sickness we would ask Bunny if she wanted panties or a diaper. Half the time she would say a diaper and half the time she would say panties. She was constantly peeing in her panties and didn’t seem to pee in the potty at all. I was so frustrated with myself because I didn’t know what to do to help Bunny pee in the potty. Then last Sunday Bunny was running around naked after bath when she suddenly shouted, “pee pee potty!” She then ran over to her potty (it was sitting in our family room in case she needed to use it) and PEED IN THE POTTY! All by herself! We all clapped and cheered and gave her a jellybean. That was a week ago. (Bunny was 2 years old. 24 months and one week.)
Ever since then we have let Bunny run around without panties or a diaper on when we are at home. She wears a dress or a shirt and leggings. Bunny has not had a single pee accident in A WEEK (ever since that glorious Sunday)! She did poo on the floor once or twice, which is to be expected. I know pooping in the potty takes much, much longer to learn and to be comfortable with. On Wednesday Bunny DID poo in the potty all on her own! She has poo’d in the potty a few times but also prefers to poo in her diaper, which is a okay.
Bunny is now wearing diapers only for bedtime and nap time. When she wakes up she normally says, “diaper off pee pee potty!” and we go pee in the potty. On the days when she doesn’t ask to take her diaper off, I ask her if she would like to take it off. If she says no it is because she has to poo and would prefer to do that with a diaper on. She tells me when she is done pooping. We changer her diaper and go about our day without any panties or diapers on. We only put on “panties” (cloth trainers) when we leave the house.
If you are potty training, I don’t have any magical advise for you. If I could offer any advise it would be, wait until your child is ready. Don’t force it, don’t push it. Don’t make your child feel bad about accidents or feel bad that they are still wearing a diaper. Don’t shame them. Offer love and support. Bunny wasn’t 100% ready to use the potty when we tried to get her to use it. I dislike the term “potty training” and instead like to think of it as helping Bunny learn to use the potty. On her time. When she is ready. And once she was 100% ready, Bunny knew what to do all on her own. I don’t set her on the potty every 10 minutes, I don’t force her to use the potty. I do ask her throughout the day, “where does pee pee go?” She will respond with, “potty!” We are even at the point where we are wearing cloth trainers when we go out, not diapers. And Bunny will pee on the big potty at a store or at church! The first time we went out and tried the big potty, Bunny was afraid of it. But now she likes to pee on a big potty! When children are ready to use the potty it doesn’t take much effort or time. It does still take effort and time, but not as much as it was taking when Bunny wasn’t ready.
