I have learned three things since being a mother.
1. you can give a child food, but you can't make him eat it.
2. you can put a child in her bed, but you can't make her close her eyes and sleep.
3. you can make a child sit on the potty, but you can't make her pee in it.
Those three things a person has to decide to do, and/or learn to do all on their own. I learned that the hard way with Jacob.
So, I've heard grumblings that I should potty train Phoebe, starting about six months ago, when she turned two. She has been very verbal, talking in sentences since she was about 14months old. So, she appears to be a little older than she is. However, at her second birthday I was not willing to take on the battle of wills. This summer I tried a few times to get her to sit on the potty. I bribed her with candy, with toys, with gum... she didn't care. So I let it be.
The last few weeks I've been talking up the big girl bed. The idea of getting her own bed has been the motivator. So on Monday AM I said, "Guess WHAT?! Today you get to wear BIG GIRL UNDERS!!!" I put them on her and expected to do extra laundry. She wet her pants twice before getting the hang of it! However she refused to do #2! In fact it was Wednesday before we got her to do #2. Thank's to Chad he coaxed her to sit on her potty for that. Today, Sunday, she has not messed her pants with #2, but she still has had a few wet accidents. (Including one today in Grandma's kitchen! Sorry Grandma!) But I am really pleased with her progress. AND BONUS!! THere has been NO BATTLE OF WILLS!!
YEAH!!! So, that's my advice to any one getting ready to potty train. JUST WAIT! A good sign is when they keep waking up dry.
Hooray for Phoebe Kate!!
2 comments:
Yay Phoebe!!! Wow, no diapers to change, how does it feel?
I too am all about the waiting. It was easy to wait with Theo because he was totally NOT interested. In fact I am pretty sure he didn't even understand the concept until we trained him just after his 3rd birthday. By then he had been waking up dry most days for a couple of months and had ZERO desire to sit on the toilet when we asked.
It was a hard week of "pottywising" and then a good 2 more weeks before I felt totally confident about going places. But since then he has had 1 pee accident (one afternoon last summer...got distracted playing outside) and has never woken up wet.
Ida talks about wanting to go on the toilet but I am holding out as long as I can with her because of the success we had with Theo.
Waiting is the answer! Phoebe looks so grown up in that picture. Don't worry about the accident at Grandma's house.
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