Potty. Trained.
A couple weekends ago we had a holiday fall on a Monday and Jason and I talked about taking advantage of that and starting to potty train Madi. Honestly, we haven't been in a rush to get her out of diapers. There was no pressure to do it in Norway and it's actually easier when traveling (especially when flying solo with all three!) to not have to take bathroom breaks with a toddler. However, when Madi starts school this fall she will need to be potty trained so we finally bit the bullet.
I started by doing some research on the 3-day training method. I didn't purchase anything, but instead read some various articles and websites (including a few blogs I follow that had tip when they potty trained). I put together our strategy and supplies and we got started.
Saturday was as to be expected... more accidents than successes. Madi asked for a diaper when she needed to go to the bathroom the first time and didn't seem too thrilled when we said no. She did sit on the potty from time to time, but usually it was after an accident and she didn't have to go anymore. I think she was only successful twice and honestly it's because she sat there for a good 15 min - ha! She slept in underwear with a pull-up for bedtime.
The next day we were surprised with the significant improvement we saw right away. She sat on the potty first thing in the morning and went. We still had quite a few accidents, but I think it was down to maybe four or five total with the rest of them being on the potty. We could see her start to get the hang of it, but she was still cutting it close in letting us know beforehand. She refused a pull up at bedtime and we had laid mats beneath her sheets and figured we would go with it. She definitely peed during the night, but still went on the potty first thing in the morning.
Come Monday and she was down to two accidents and that's it! We got a bit worried this day because we had been tag teaming (one of us with the twins and the other with Madi) to assist and watch, but Evelyn spiked a high fever and we even ended up taking her to the doctor. However, Madi was a champ and had again maybe two accidents the entire day! She refused a pull-up again at night and woke up wet so we've decided to just go ahead with a pull up at night until she gets a better hang of things.
It's been about a week and a half since we started and she's had a few days with no accidents and some days with 1-2 accidents now. Usually she tells us, but it's right before and she has gone a little, but stopped and finished in the potty. Ah, the luxury of having pelvic floor muscles to be able to do that. ;-)
She's also been incredibly independent with everything. She told me she had to go potty and actually told me to stop at the bathroom door and she would go herself. She's been pulling her own underwear down and going to the potty on her own even when we aren't right with her. I went upstairs to remind her during an afternoon movie to go potty and she was already sitting on the potty. I saved our nanny from having to see despite Madi wanting to show her, however, she grabbed my phone to take a picture for Daddy. #reallifewithatoddler
We've also been amazed at how well she's done going out as well. We had a playdate at the mall, a couple long car rides, and a few other outings and she hasn't had any accidents. In fact all of her accidents have been around the house except one. It's really amazing to see her excitement when she's figured out this new "talent" and to encourage her in accomplishing it. We told her we were proud of her and she responded 'I am proud of me too!" :-)
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