{Potty Training}

What advice can I give to a new mom who is going to begin potty training?

• Check out fun children's books about Going to the Potty. 
• Everyone Poops
• Dinosaur vs the Potty
• Once Upon a Potty for her
• Potty
• Diapers are not Forever
• Check out adult books about Going to the Potty.
• Potty Training for Dummies
• On Becoming Pottywise for Toddlers
• Potty Training Girls/Boys the Easy Way
• Watch DVDs like "Once Upon a Potty for him/her"
• Demonstrate using the Potty
• Some kind of distraction as he or she is on the potty (like books) 
• Have the tools ready and handy for them:

• Step Stool for climbing onto the toilet
• A Potty Seat
• Some kind of Reward: Stickers/Candy/Chart
• Toilet Paper
• Develop a System/Schedule for them to constantly go to the potty.  Consistency helps!
• Trainers

My Experience:
It has been a month or so since we started Potty Training.  In all honesty, this is me being trained as to how to do the training!  Went to the library and borrowed about 20 books/dvds about the Potty!  A handful of parental books for me to thumb through and learn, and a bunch of children stories about the potty for her! 

By far the one lesson I have learned in all this is just not putting pressure on my little one.  She is two and half.  As a mom fears come up and thoughts tell me that she needs to accomplish this before she is three.  Or Else...I am not a good mom!  BLOW that thought life away.  It will make life stressful for both the child and you.  I was stressed and it does no good for a little one in learning.  I am making it a priority not to force her, but to keep it a positive moving forward experience.  It is Hard not to feel pressure as a mom...so...making it a positive experience is a good challenge for us right?


Watching and Reading Potty books  has greatly helped.  I feel like things are clicking here and there in her brain.  I am so excited and thrilled with her every time she tries to use the potty!  :)

Little by little we are getting there.  I am thrilled to be her Coach, Encourager, and Teacher in all of this.  I cannot believe she is growing up right before my eyes.  I am so proud of her.  In all of the potty training experience I love it when her face lights up when I praise her for using the potty.  She is all rapture when she sees that her little tinkle has gotten my approval.

Picture: So...this  picture was one I got when she was "potty" training Penguin and Bear!  She usually sits on the potty while I read her books to pass the time away.  I love being a mom when these moments happen.

Beginning Potty Training: Take TWO!

Potty Training has been a bit rough on us.  I thought our daughter was ready a couple of months ago because she started telling me "diapey" when she had used her cloth diaper.  For some reason she stopped telling me.  So as quick as my efforts of potty training started, it ended.  Now I am starting up again,  for the most part because she is almost two, and I at least want her to know what should go on in the bathroom!

Needless to say after my daughter wakes up in the morning, and I know she uses the bathroom right after she wakes up in the morning so I stick her on the potty.  Here's the picture of our first day!  I was washing my face and then I heard it---she trickled! 

The second day went a bit harder.  Fifteen minutes of sitting on the toilet and  She cried and rather did not like being on the potty.  Third day, no success. I almost got her when she started making faces, but was too late in stripping her down to her diaper.  She had already done the deed.  Deed number 2 that is.  Tomorrow is the next day.  I will hopefully get to be more attentive!