So Friday (day four) pretty much followed suit with the first three days of potty training. We had our ups and we had our downs. We had accidents and we managed to get to the potty and use it correctly.
The one thing that changed is my little peanut is starting to make the connection that whenever she goes to the bathroom on the potty she gets a cookie. Okay, so it’s not the healthiest of rewards, but I’ve tried everything and cookies are a heck of a lot cheaper to purchase than a ton of presents!
Then we left the house to head over to The Little Gym for our gym class. I can’t have her having accidents in the gym – especially when they just installed all new flooring last week – so thinking about our situation and where we were heading I opted for pull-ups. I know for my little girl they are too much like diapers and she doesn’t tell me when she has to go if she is wearing them, but I was hoping for the best!
Once we got to the gym I realized a new problem: the potty at the gym is a full-sized adult potty. I know they sell all these great travel sized potty seats and all but honestly I can’t imagine traveling around with a potty that I have to clean while I am out and about.
To my surprise a little while later she told me she wanted to go. We rushed into the bathroom and I held her on the big potty, but to now surprise to me, she didn’t go. But hey, she asked and didn’t fight me about going into the bathroom.
We had such a great time at the gym that our friends asked us to join them for lunch next door. I know I should have gone home or something in between to make her use the potty, but it was just so good to be out and about.
While at the restaurant my friend’s 5-year-old son had to use the bathroom, which of course prompted my little girl to ask to go also. Unfortunately it quickly became a game of her not wanting to use the potty but rather having a desire to get up and walk around. I opted to just keep taking her to the bathroom, even though I knew she didn’t have to go. We made it through lunch with no “accidents” so to speak – I mean she didn’t go on the floor or anything, but we did have to change her pull-ups.
When lunch was over we headed back home. We had spent a good three hours out of the house and really didn’t focus on using the potty. I really thought that heading back home to refocus on potty training was going to be a bit difficult.
After naptime we had her go to the potty and she went! We were shocked, surprised and well overjoyed! She earned two cookies and was so excited.
After the cookies we hung out for a little while, then decided to set up her little blow-up pool. While that filled we went back to the bathroom and she went again! This time instead of earning two cookies she wanted to go swimming – so out to the “pool” we went! We had a wonderful early evening splashing and playing in her kiddie pool.
Before dinner we repeated our routine of trying to use the potty and it worked again! This time she got only one cookie since we were about to sit down for dinner. Hey at this point my answer is "whatever works!"
Bedtime has been a challenge lately. She insists on going to the bathroom a million times – ok maybe not that many – in order to delay going to bed. To my surprise, it went really well. We went into the bathroom – she went rather quickly – we had two cookies in the kitchen and then we went right into her room.
She started to get upset saying that she didn’t want to go night night but wanted more cookies. I explained she could get them in the morning if she went to the potty as soon as she woke up and she was thrilled! That explanation seemed to work and PJs went on, books were read, and off to bed she went!
This really was a great day. Sunday and Monday are going to be pretty busy days and our little one will be spending time with her Grammy both days. It’ll be the first time she will be at someone else’s house and without me while working on potty training. I’m just hoping that what we have been learning at home will transfer to other people’s houses and what she learns at her Grammy’s house will transfer to our house!
