We are somewhere in the middle of potty training. No one knows how big the middle is... that's what's so intimidating about it. This isn't the standard police box I imagined.
Onwards, brave reader!
The hourly potty sit model has been abandoned in favour of something more reasonable for our lifestyle. Potty sits now happen when Rebecca wakes us up, just after breakfast, before or after lunch, before and after nap, before or after supper, and before bedtime. There are also potty sits before any car trips or outings, and any time I feel she might be prepared to "produce". Yesterday (day 3), was mostly successful pee-wise, but Rebecca did not poop all day long. Today, she pooped twice. Once, in her room - two rabbit turds "My Poops!", during "nap" time, which prompted her to open her door, poop in hand - and make it be known. The second time... well... imagine this...
an exhausted but dedicated youngish mother, recovering from the ravages of a cold, but hellbent on enjoying the remains of the day with her two beautiful daughters, sits on the bathroom floor garbed in mismatched but vomit-free clothes which are decidedly incompatible with the inclement weather. She is washing the hair of her eldest cherub, while also interacting with the chubby-cheeked baby strapped into a vibro chair. The bathing baboo is clearly revelling in the opportunity to play in the water. She splashes merrily in the bubble bath, playing with a plastic watering can, a wooden boat, a face cloth, and a blue terry octopus. If she stops smiling, it is only in order to concoct a vivid tale about a journey to visit the sea witch. The baby vomits at three second intervals with the vigor of one posessed by demonic powers - and yet, she too is happy as a clam. She bats at her toys, and bestows smiles on everyone - she is overjoyed to be in the company of two of her favourite people, and coos and babbles appropriately. At the end of a long day, this idyllic scene is just what the doctor ordered for a Mommy whose enthusiasm for potty training is beginning to wane.
Lucy: [baby sounds of happiness]
Becca: My poops!
Mommy: It's o.k., accidents happen. Time to get out of the water.
[a dozen poops appear on the surface of the bath water]
Becca: NOOOOOOO! AAAAAAAAAH!!! [splashing and thrashing, and attempts to make her body as inaccessible as possible - by lying down flat in the tub and squashing poops with her kicking legs]
Mommy: Rebecca, you're splashing Lucy! I'm going to count to three. I want you out of the water now!
Lucy: WAAAAAH! WAAAAAAH! WAAAAAH!
Becca: NOOOOOOOOOOOO! My Poops!!!!!!!
Mommy: Rebecca, we need to get you out of the water - it's full of poop. It's dirty, it could make you sick.
Becca: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! [angry wailing]
Lucy: WAAAAH! WAAAAH! WAAAH! [translation: now I've decided that I'm upset, hungry AND tired]
Mommy: That's it!!! I'm taking you out of this tub NOW.
And they lived happily ever after.
And naked Rebecca sang the "I'm a big kid now" song from the potty training video, while Mommy wondered why these things always happen when Greg is at work.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Becca's potty training saga: Day 2
Today was the second day of potty training. Rebecca was hyper all day long, and while still sick, had at least regained her appetite. We started off with a "morning pee" trip to the potty. She was successful and the subsequent awarding of stickers seemed to motivate her a great deal. Maybe she just needed time to process all the new expectations and tasks? At any rate, there were numerous successes, and I feel as though there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Hooray!
Problems:
Achievements:
Highlights:
Rebecca brought the inflatable T-Rex and the Parasaurolophus model into the bathroom for one particular potty session. She opened the lid on her flushable wipe box and then made her dinos "eat" the contents.
Also, during yet another potty session, she brought a toy car. While she waited for pee to happen, she drove the car along the walls of the bathroom and the edge of the tub. Maybe I should bring her some reading materials???
Problems:
- Rebecca still seems to regard training pants as a variant of diapers. I am trying hard to fix this.
- Rebecca had one big poop in her diaper (sadly, this messed up nap time) but didn't make any effort to tell me about it. The only reason I figured it out was because she wasn't sleeping like I was expecting.
- Far more stickers are landing in "execution" than "communication". Most stickers are in execution is due to the hourly potty trips.
- I had to use my big person voice to get Rebecca into the bathroomseveral times - it worked, and there were no tears, but it is somewhat frustrating. My best method for getting her into the bathroom if she is disinclined, is to convince her to show off her skills for Lucy.
- Rebecca is still easily distracted. I don't think she's making an effort to listen to her body cues.
Achievements:
- There were four pees in the potty, and one poop.
- Rebecca told me when she needed to take her morning pee.
- Rebecca seemed more enthusiastic about earning stickers.
- Rebecca stayed on the potty a long time if she anticipated that a pee or poop was on the way.
- Willing to pull on or pull off her training pants with help from me. I'm not doing it all by myself anymore (although her contribution is minimal - especially if she has brought toys into the bathroom).
- Willing to wipe with help.
Highlights:
Rebecca brought the inflatable T-Rex and the Parasaurolophus model into the bathroom for one particular potty session. She opened the lid on her flushable wipe box and then made her dinos "eat" the contents.
Also, during yet another potty session, she brought a toy car. While she waited for pee to happen, she drove the car along the walls of the bathroom and the edge of the tub. Maybe I should bring her some reading materials???
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Becca's potty training saga: Day 1
Today was the official launch of Rebecca's potty training. In truth, the brainwashing has been going on for months - but today is the point of no-return.
We started after breakfast, with much fanfare. Rebecca got to wear a pull-up type training pant, and the diapers were banished. I also flipped up the change table part of her chest of drawers and screwed it into place, so that all temptation to backslide is eliminated. I made a lovely potty training success chart on which I eyeballed a picture of the Little Mermaid (it's not too bad). There are three areas where stickers are placed - "execution", "communication", and "just because". I have Cinderella stickers, Hallowe'en Dora stickers, and dinosaur stickers.
Execution is for getting anything in the potty, pulling training pants on and off, wiping, washing hands etc. Communication is for telling me she needs to go, or that she has gone. Just because is to sustain her interest and to acknowledge fruitless efforts. She seemed very keen and excited initially, especially when we finally opened up the box of flushable wipes. Before breakfast, we watched the potty dvd.
We talked about potty training. I tried to convinced her to train her Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear to use the potty as well (nothing reinforces like being forced to teach), but she had absolutely no interest in doing so. It's only 4pm, and she is having trouble settling for her nap - God knows why, because she has a cold and is very obviously tired. At any rate, it was a good opportunity to blog my frustrations and attempt to analyze progress so far in a more objective manner.
Problems:
Achievements:
Highlights:
Rebecca invited me into her room to play. She was sweetly arranging toys on her table - little model-type toys - a mixture of Disney princesses, Winnie the Pooh characters, and dinosaurs. Then, she took a huge inflated T-Rex and savaged them all, knocking them onto the floor. All the while , she was yelling "Oh no! What happened?!?!". Then, the little people and animals hid inside her Fisher Price castle. But T-Rex found them again and ate them because he was "angry". Not hungry. Just angry. All of the sudden, Rebecca stopped and said "Poopy diaper". I asked her if she needed to go to the potty or if she had poops in her pull-ups. She made an incomprehensible expression of frustration. Then, she pointed to the parasaurolophus model, and repeated "poopy diaper". I said "Oh... the dinosaur has a poopy bum". Then she took the inflated T-Rex and had it sniff the other dino's bum, and T-Rex confirmed by saying "Poopy diaper" (a very doting and considerate T-Rex, given it had been eating the dino just moments previous). Afterwards, both the T-Rex and the parasaurolophus used a makeshift lego potty and wiped their bums. This was followed by hand washing and drinking milk out of a Woodsey bucket.
That event gives me a little bit of hope. It might just be possible that some of the things I say are accepted and processed by my toddler. However, in general, I am feeling frustrated and disappointed. Obviously this will go a lot slower than I had hoped. I will have to content myself with the little milestones. I am trying hard to be positive. My original intent was to make this a fun bonding day, in which fun featured prominently. In reality, it was a struggle just to get her to eat her lunch (this is not normal). Here's hoping tomorrow is easier.
We started after breakfast, with much fanfare. Rebecca got to wear a pull-up type training pant, and the diapers were banished. I also flipped up the change table part of her chest of drawers and screwed it into place, so that all temptation to backslide is eliminated. I made a lovely potty training success chart on which I eyeballed a picture of the Little Mermaid (it's not too bad). There are three areas where stickers are placed - "execution", "communication", and "just because". I have Cinderella stickers, Hallowe'en Dora stickers, and dinosaur stickers.
Execution is for getting anything in the potty, pulling training pants on and off, wiping, washing hands etc. Communication is for telling me she needs to go, or that she has gone. Just because is to sustain her interest and to acknowledge fruitless efforts. She seemed very keen and excited initially, especially when we finally opened up the box of flushable wipes. Before breakfast, we watched the potty dvd.
We talked about potty training. I tried to convinced her to train her Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear to use the potty as well (nothing reinforces like being forced to teach), but she had absolutely no interest in doing so. It's only 4pm, and she is having trouble settling for her nap - God knows why, because she has a cold and is very obviously tired. At any rate, it was a good opportunity to blog my frustrations and attempt to analyze progress so far in a more objective manner.
Problems:
- She doesn't listen to me
- She has her own agenda
- She has a cold and is mercurial
- She seems to have lost her initial enthusiasm and has started to actively protest the hourly potty sits (she runs away)
- I have to encourage her, maintain her interest, but not come on too strong, keep it relaxed, and not lose my patience (this is extremely challenging)
- She is easily distracted, and won't bother stop what she's doing to go to the potty
- Clearly doesn't like being wet, but would rather remove a wet pull-up than attempt to use the potty
- She doesn't tell me when she's taken a pull-up off
- She was unhappy that I altered her room by dismantling the change table.
- I don't think Rebecca is making much of a distinction between diapers and training pants.
Achievements:
- Landed a micro-turd in the potty this morning. The rest were in the pull-up.
- Told me she had pooped (within seconds of doing it).
- Was bothered by a wet pull-up.
- We banished diapers forever.
Highlights:
Rebecca invited me into her room to play. She was sweetly arranging toys on her table - little model-type toys - a mixture of Disney princesses, Winnie the Pooh characters, and dinosaurs. Then, she took a huge inflated T-Rex and savaged them all, knocking them onto the floor. All the while , she was yelling "Oh no! What happened?!?!". Then, the little people and animals hid inside her Fisher Price castle. But T-Rex found them again and ate them because he was "angry". Not hungry. Just angry. All of the sudden, Rebecca stopped and said "Poopy diaper". I asked her if she needed to go to the potty or if she had poops in her pull-ups. She made an incomprehensible expression of frustration. Then, she pointed to the parasaurolophus model, and repeated "poopy diaper". I said "Oh... the dinosaur has a poopy bum". Then she took the inflated T-Rex and had it sniff the other dino's bum, and T-Rex confirmed by saying "Poopy diaper" (a very doting and considerate T-Rex, given it had been eating the dino just moments previous). Afterwards, both the T-Rex and the parasaurolophus used a makeshift lego potty and wiped their bums. This was followed by hand washing and drinking milk out of a Woodsey bucket.
That event gives me a little bit of hope. It might just be possible that some of the things I say are accepted and processed by my toddler. However, in general, I am feeling frustrated and disappointed. Obviously this will go a lot slower than I had hoped. I will have to content myself with the little milestones. I am trying hard to be positive. My original intent was to make this a fun bonding day, in which fun featured prominently. In reality, it was a struggle just to get her to eat her lunch (this is not normal). Here's hoping tomorrow is easier.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
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