Potty Training Days

Meet Froggy Potty

Sarah has been interested in and seemingly ready for potty training for a few months now. We introduced "froggy potty" as interest peaked and Sarah got comfortable saying "hi" and occasionally even sitting down. Once, before her bath, she even went a little.

Even with this prep and these signs, we didn't want to be in early potty training days during our trip. So we held off and enjoyed a final month of disposable diapers while we traveled. Our first Friday back home Dave and I had a heart to heart. We weighed the pros and cons, imagined the successes and challenges. I then promptly set out to Kmart for a host of supplies.

My shopping cart:
panties
training panties
plastic covers
(let's be real...despite our best research, we had no idea what we were doing, so we got a little of every kind!)
another potty, specifically with a seat to go on the big potty, also serves as a stool at the sink
apple juice (diluted and called froggy juice)

At home:
froggy potty
stickers
goldfish

On Saturday, October 27, we woke Sarah up and with great enthusiasm showed her the new panties. She promptly picked a favorite and the chosen pair were donned. We started by asking her if she needed to go. She pretty much always said no. So we did "dry panty checks" every 15-45 minutes, depending on if she had produced at the last visit.

Our general system:

• she got a goldfish and sticker for dry panties and another pair for producing on the potty
• she could sip on her froggy juice as much as she wanted
• we put a diaper on for nap, bedtime, and leaving the house
• we let her wipe and had her wash her hands with each successful trip- she really liked this
• she has to sit when she wakes up, before and after a nap, before and after we go out, and before bed

Success? We think so. That first day she had a few accidents (look to the humor section for some of those stories!) and much success. Sunday morning she did her first dirty job on the potty and it didn't phase her. We are thankful that hasn't been an issue, thus far.

We put a diaper on her for church Sunday and then had friends over to watch football. She only had one accident late in the afternoon, after people had left. She then went Monday to Friday at lunch without an accident! We asked her if she needed to go and put her on the potty often. It was some work, but certainly no more work than diapers. 

She did well over the weekend, then we had a really busy, out every morning, kind of week. Sarah continued to do well, but there were times when we were out that we had to tell her she could go in her diaper. Unfortunate, but so goes life.

She continues to enjoy going and has very few accidents. And when she does have an accident, we almost always know exactly why (based on time, what she last ate, fatigue, etc.). Amazingly, she doesn't go in her diaper during naps or at night. We haven't braved going without a diaper in bed, but maybe that is what we'll work on next. She does often goes in her diaper by the time we get home after nursery. I don't think she has had a dirty diaper since we started though...interesting. And wonderful!

Three weeks and four days in we can say that we are quite satisfied with her new independence. Not changing diapers is a blessing. Sarah's happiness is bountiful. As seems to often be the case these days, it seems like her growing up in this area has made her grow up faster in every area.

Stories:

• When we first gave her froggy juice, she tried to feed it to froggy potty. First she tried to dump it in the pot, then tried to put it to his little face. It took a few hours before she fully grasped that froggy juice was for her to drink...and was delicious. I don't know that she had ever had apple juice before!
• On Sunday morning we were a little late to church waiting on that first stinky! Thankfully, she doesn't normally have trouble going. We haven't been late since :)
• Once she fell while standing up and her hand, holding the toilet paper, went in the wet potty. She immediately tried to go back in to get the paper out. We had an extra long hand washing after that incident!
• Another time she had an accident, freaked out, and started running toward me. Except she slipped and landed on all fours. And every time she tried to get up she kept slipping. Don't worry- I quickly scoped her up and got her to the potty. All in all though, it was just like watching the three stooges!
• When we would ask her if her panties were wet, without fail and with a straight face she would answer, "not to wet, not to dry." I think the political ads of late October left an impression on her.
• On day six, the Friday I left for the weekend, Dave, Sarah, and our church secretary went out to lunch. Having gone 4.5 days accident free, Dave decided to take Sarah out in big girl panties. He said she did great at lunch. They went to the bathroom for a dry panties check during the meal and she was dry, but didn't go. On the walk back to church Ann was holding Sarah and felt something a little warm. They brushed it off and kept on walking. A little bit further and Ann noticed that the warm was spreading. Yuck! Sure enough, Sarah's full force had been unleashed. Dave got Sarah cleaned up, but Ann had to stay in her wet clothes. She said that by late after she was starting to really smell and had to go home early. Oops! And that is why we always take her out in a diaper!