Potty Training

I am finally doing it.  I have been saying for weeks now that I am going to start potty training Reese, but something has always gotten in the way... beautiful weather, house guests, road trips... but no more excuses. This week I am staying home and getting rid of the diapers!!
We woke up this morning and first thing I told Reese was that she is a big girl now, and doesn't need any more diapers. Then I took off her diaper, and put on one of her pretty Rapunzel panties that Santa left in her stocking:)  This is a HUGE step for those starting to potty train, and I think where a lot of moms go wrong (IMHO)... once you take that diaper off and put panties on for the first time, that is it.  DO NOT PUT THE DIAPER BACK ON.  No matter how frustrated you get!  This is such an important step, because you do not want to confuse your toddler.  Leaving the big girl (or boy) undies on lets them know that it is time to stop using diapers, and time to start using the potty.  I highly reccomend NOT using pull ups.  I don't know what marketing genius came up with that farce, but, my God, it is just another diaper. 

Here she is in her big girl panties!

This is where the second step I use comes in to play as well.  Once you put that first pair of panties on, prepare to not leave your house (or your childs side) for at least 3 days, if not more.  There will be LOTS of accidents at first... it is frustrating.  You will want to leave your house... you will want to quit, and put a diaper back on your child (thinking, "there is NO WAY they are ready, they have peed all over my house, all day, they need a diaper!)...don't do it!  The first day is the worst, but it will get better.
That being said... be sure your child exhibits signs of readiness before you start the process.  I wanted to potty train Zoe SO bad, but experienced Moms kept telling me, "wait for the signs."  What signs?!?!!!  They said I would just know.  Then one morning when I was trying to put a diaper on her, she just straight up told me she didn't want to wear them anymore.  Looked like a sign to me.  I put panties on her and that was it.  About 3 hours later I sorely regreted that decision when I was cleaning pee off my floor for what felt like the millionth time.  But I kept at it.  I never took the panties off, and by the third day she was completely trained and didn't have her first accident for 6 months.  She was 26 months old.  Here is what worked for me:

SIGNS YOUR CHILD IS READY:

1. Waking up with dry diapers from naps and bedtime
2. Long stretches of time with a dry diaper (2+ hours)
3. Verbal interest in using the potty
4. Active interest in using the potty (points at it, sits on it, likes to watch you use the potty)

Here is another helpful check list ---->   click here!

HOW I POTTY TRAINED:

1. Put the panties on, and don't take them off.  Make a huge deal out of it.  WOW!  YOU'RE SUCH A BIG GIRL!!! yada, yada
2. Make sure they have a sippy cup all day, so they will have to urinate frequently.  Some parents even feed them salty food all day long to aid in this.  Offer toileting every 1-2 hours.  Make them sit on the potty every 2 hours whether they say they have to go or not. Make a HUGE deal every time they pee!  Make a REALLY HUGE deal if they poop! ;)
3.  I am a big advocate of the rewards system.  My girls got/get a special treat/toy everytime they go. 
4. STAY HOME!  This is really important.  You don't want to be  more than a few feet from a potty for the first few days, trust me.  Map out a good week when you don't have anything going on. 
5. When they have an accident, don't make a big deal of it.  Say, "that's okay, everyone has accdidents." Make them sit on the potty right away (so they know what they were supposed to do)... then put clean underwear on them.

We have the "baby bjorn" potty.  We also have those potty seat inserts for each of our toilets.

Anyways, I wasn't even planning on writting this post, but Zoe is at preschool... Bryce is sleeping, and Reese and I will be holed up all day potty traing, so it gave me something to do.  I read a ton of blogs for potty training advice when I trained Zoe.  I took bits and pieces from different moms, and used what worked for me.  Maybe this will be helpful for some people...even though I am pretty sure no one reads this.  If it can help even ONE mom, it will be worth the past twenty minutes:)  In the meantime I will keep everyone updated on how Reese is doing.  So far it has been 4 hours... she has gone twice successfully, and scored a mini cadburry cream egg each time -that's right, I am rewarding her with treats from her own Easter basket~ HA!  We have had one accident complete with panty change.  Wish me luck!