This week we will discuss potty training. Kari Gearhart and Courtney McClellan are sharing their experiences. Kari has seen two daughters through potty training and Courtney has one son trained and one son trying on his big brother's underwear when she is not looking. :) Hope these stories inspire some other moms out there. We would LOVE to hear from as many moms as possible, so by all means, make a comment and share your experience with us as well.
Here's Kari...
During the first go-round with potty training, I thought I'd pull my ever-lovin' hair out. We did just about everything possible . . . bribery, treats, friends and relatives encouraging the process and on and on. My mom, while supportive of my efforts, continued to quietly remind me that kids truly see this as their claim to ownership-it's one of the very FEW things that they and they alone can control. (Control issues? Me? Please!) Fully confident that Cassidy would be fully trained by fall in order to attend preschool, I registered her for enrollment shortly after her 3rd birthday. We spent the rest of that winter, spring and summer working on the process all the while I continued to threaten her with the possibility of not being able to go to school if she didn't get the job done. Suddenly, one afternoon she pooped in the potty. As she hopped off the potty to look at her success, I was doing the best happy dance ever. She stared down into the toilet in the middle of my cheer leading efforts and with as much seriousness as a 3 year-old can muster, said "THAT is NOT a fish!" as she pointed to the evidence down in the bowl. We had no more poopy-on-the-potty success for the next 8 months. Seriously! Then, suddenly when just two days before that first day of preschool loomed on the calendar, she was finished with diapers, pull-ups and training pants. Thank you, Jesus! It only took her 3 years, 7 months and 10 days. (Not that I was keeping track or anything.) When Mackenzie came along, I did just the opposite. NOTHING, with the exception of telling her that preschool wouldn't happen unless she was potty trained. I didn't even enroll her in a preschool. The Lord has such a sense of humor, however. After that late August 3rd birthday, she stood by and watched big sister Cassidy getting cool back-to-school supplies and new school clothes. All of a sudden, while Cassidy was enjoying her first week of school, Mackenzie was busy at work training herself. After her first day of complete success, she said to me "I go to school now." I cheered, but was wary . . . I'd been burned before. Little children, especially cute ones, can turn on you. Fast! Instead, I continued to applaud her success, but was pretty convinced that school wouldn't be happening until the next fall. Day after day, however, brought near complete success and the reminders from Mackenzie. "I go to school NOW!" she'd remind me, with more and more emphasis on the word "now". After a month of reminders from her that she was indeed trained and ready for school, I could see that yes, she was ready. Thankfully, the Lord had 1 lone preschool opening for us in early October of that year and we're now happily enjoying year #2 at that same preschool. God is so good!
And now, for Courtney...
For me, I was able to potty-train Parker at around 2 1/2 years of age. We had made a sticker chart and every time he was able to go 'wee-wee' or 'number 2' he could put a sticker on the chart that hung on the back of the bathroom door. This worked great for #1!! He was trained quickly, then we had to address #2! With number two....I decided, I would make the switch to regular underwear once I had a few days at home. I knew I would have a mess and probably be throwing some underwear in the trash. This took about a week of reminding and encouraging. It was done and we had accidents! Parker also was influenced by the church group of 3 year old's where he had a friend...and he knew that he could not move up to the 3's until he was a 'big boy'. Good Luck to all moms! PS. I have heard of the one-day training by Dr. Phil- always wanted to try it, but never did!
Okay, YOUR TURN! What was your experience with potty training like? Can't wait to hear your stories! :)