Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Proud Potty Trainer

We've been doing something I might call "child-led potty training." Meaning.. it's pretty relaxed.  If Lyla feels like wearing underwear one day, then she will wear underwear. If she feels like sitting on her potty for an hour and a half, with or without success, then we will do that. If she wants to wear her diaper all day, then no big deal.

A lot of potty training methods seem rather stressful for both parents and baby.  We decided that these methods weren't for us.  So we just decided to wait on the whole potty training thing over the summer, but I had planned on doing it before Kallan arrived.  My parents got Lyla a potty training book featuring none other than Dora the Explorer, Lyla's obsession. One day, she said, "gonna be a big girl." And so we put on some undies, and then she sat on the potty for an hour and a half and finally peed. We made a big hoopla of the occasion, lots of "woo-hoo" and "hurray!" and of course a yummy treat for the big girl! Then she sat on the potty another time for about the same amount of time, reading books, coloring, having snacks, playing iPhone games... and she pooped! Another bit of "woo-hoo"!!!! I think after that, Kallan must have arrived because we really haven't done much since then. Lyla has occasionally sat on the potty but without going to the bathroom. And she has run around in undies and had a couple of accidents.

Well today I changed 4 poopy diapers in one hour. Only one of those was from Lyla, but still, I feel like I'm living in diaper land with all the diaper changing that goes on over here.  So I decided it was time for some 'structured' potty training. Whatever that means!

So this evening, we just took off her diaper. Then we took turns being helicopter parents, looking for any hint that she might go. What felt like hours later, she still hadn't gone, and neither of us were following her around anymore. I was in the kitchen, and I heard the pitter patter of feet running, and then a "plop" onto the potty. And she had peed! Without any poking or prodding or helicopter parenting... she just felt she had to go, held it long enough to make it to the potty, and went! We could not believe it, and we could not be prouder! I never would have guessed that I would be so excited to see pee.  We had a big celebration and had some candy treats. The first thing Lyla said after was, "little treat now!"

We are happy and relieved that whatever we have been doing is working.  I'm sure it will be awhile until we're completely diaper free, but I am looking forward to the day when I only have one baby to diaper!

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