We started potty training Claire on January 1st, 2017. She was 25 months old. My main motivation was baby sister coming in the spring. I wanted to give her a good window of time to get used to this change before bringing the baby home (I still expect a little regression). We (loosely) followed the "3 day potty training" method by Lisa Jensen. Some modifications that I made: We were naked from the waist down for 5 days and didn't leave the house. I set a timer. We still put her in a diaper for nap and bed time because she has never woken up dry, so I didn't want to mess with that!
She HAD peed and pooped in the potty before, so this wasn't completely new for her. At her 18 month well check, our pediatrician suggested setting her on the potty before bath time every day just to get her used to it, and I do think that helped! I chose to start on January 1st because we were done with holiday traveling and didn't have anywhere to go for a while. It was cold outside, so we were trapped inside anyway. It would give a good 3-4 months before Abigail joins us. Her only cues were that she would tell me when she pee peed in her diaper, she liked to sit on the potty, and she would hide to poop. Her rewards were m&m's or marshmallows and one sticker for pee and a sucker and 2 stickers for poop, and A LOT of cheering (especially if she told us). We looked at her princess panties the week before and talked about them. I had a stationary potty seat that I kept in the kitchen and a potty insert for the bathroom toilet.
I kept very rough notes through out the first week just to remember the process.
Day 1:
- woke at 8:30 (soaked diaper)
- set timer every 10-15 min.
- first pee at 10:25
- 11:50 pee
- 12:30 she told me pee pee
- 1:00 pee
- woke up dry from nap and peed at 3:50
- 4:40 pee
- 4:50 started attempting to poop while playing, make it to the potty!
- 5:50 pee
- 7:50 her choice
Day 2:
- woke at 7:45 wet
- Timer every 10-15 minutes
- 8:50 pee
- 9:50 pee
- noon pee
- woke up from nap wet 2:50
- 3:30 pee
- 4:20 pee
- 4:45 pee, she told me
- 5:00 first accident (pee)
- 5:20 accident (pee)
- 5:27 pee, she told me
- 5:45
- 6:06
- 6:20
- 6:50
- 7:30
- 7:55
Day 3:
- Woke at 7:45 wet
- 8:25 pee
- 9:45 pee
- 11:00 pee
- 11:50 poop
- 12:30 pee
- woke up at 3:15 slightly wet
- 4:15 pee
(told me several times in the evening)
- 5:03 pee
- 5:30
- 6:00
- 6:40
- 7:30
Day 4:
- woke at 7:45 wet
(timer every 30 minutes)
- 8:50
- 9:45
- 10:15
- 11:45
- 12:30
- woke up slightly wet and peed first thing at 2:45
- 3:15
- 3:50
- 4:15 poop
- 5:00
- 5:30
- 6:00
- 6:30
- 7:50
Day 5:
- woke at 7:20
(timer for 15 min until potty)
- 8:30
(timer for 35 min)
- 9:30
- 10:50
- 12:30
- 4:40
(went out to eat and asked her several times and tried a few times - no accident)
- 6:30
- 7:40
- 8:00 poop
Day 6:
- Woke at 7:45
(no timer, just asked every 30 minutes or so)
- 9:30
- 10:30
- 12:15
- Dry after nap, 3:30
- 4:20
- 5:50
- 6:40
- 7:15
- 7:45
Day 7:
- Woke at 7:35 and told me she pee peed in her diaper, but still went in the potty first thing.
- 8:50
- 10:15
- 10:45 poop (at church)
- 11:45
- 12:55
- woke up dry and peed at 2:50
- accident right after going on the potty at 4:15
- 5:30
- accident at 7:00 (still went in the potty right after)
Day 8:
- did well going out
- accidents in the evening even after using the potty
Day 9:
- accidents at Snelson's house and in the car
- Started pooping in the potty, but finished in her panties
Day 10:
- much longer stretches (closer to 2 hours in the morning)
- saying "mommy" and touching panties when she needs to pee, still trying to hide for poop.
Day 11:
- Still took a while to potty after she woke up. I am still sitting her on the potty every 3 minute or so until she goes.
- Told me several times and actually peed 4 of the times.
- She survived a trip to church and Imagine without accidents.
Day 12:
- Went to KDO. Went to the potty one time and had one accident during gym time. She did tell the teachers that she pee peed in her panties.
- We had friends over and she pooped in the potty, but also in her panties and on the carpet...
Day 13:
- Great day!
- We went swimming and she had an accident coming home.
On 1/18, she came to me wanting me to hold her, and told me she needed to poop.
Week 3: zero accidents
Week 4: Accident at small group
She has done SO well. She still doesn't tell anyone much if she needs to pee pee (it's now the end of March), but she can hold it for a very long time! She started holding her poop and going in her pull up during nap time or bed time. I had to start disciplining and telling her that it made me mad, and that finally got to her. I also made a HUGE deal about how happy I was when she went in the potty and I let her pick out her own sucker. I figured out her cues that she needs to poop even when she doesn't tell me: she won't eat much at meals, she toots a lot, and gets nervous looks. We started making a relaxing environment by watching the ipad, reading books, singing songs, or even me stepping out, and she's getting much better about going on the potty!
Very very proud of my big girl!
