Potty Bootcamp

Abby and I have been holed up in the house for the past 4 days, doing "Potty Bootcamp." What is Potty Bootcamp you may ask?? Well, let's just say I'm not the most patient person. So, when I potty-train my kids, I do it hard core for 4-5 days and we don't leave the house (I call this: "Phase 1"). We quit diapers cold turkey, and the kids are only allowed to wear underwear & a tshirt for 5 days. Yes, I'm serious. Like I said, it's very intense (and frustrating/exhausting/awful), but I've seen results with TWO kids now. Yes, Abby is doing awesome!!!! (Click here if you want to read about Nate's potty bootcamp back in 2010.)

I had very mixed emotions about doing Potty Bootcamp with Abby. Nate did soooo well at it, but his personality is very different from Abby's. Whereas Nate is the ultimate people-pleaser, very obedient, and pretty shy/modest, Abby is quite the opposite. She listens to me maybe half the time, has a bit of sassy attitude, and is the furthest thing from modest. (In fact, she's been sitting on the potty this week, staring at herself in the mirror, spreading her legs wide & making funny faces. It's beyond hilarious!) And, two of her favorite phrases these past few days have been:

1.) Mommy, turn around! No watch me!

2.) Mommy, no come in here!

Yes, she is Miss Independent for sure.

I've had to fight my way into the bathroom sometimes, just to see if she's really "going" or not. She got pretty sneaky on Day 2 and began just peeing an itty bitty bit, and then asking for her reward (a sticker & 2 M&M's). Yes, she is clever, I've got to give her that.

But let me back up.

Since we started Bootcamp the day after we got home from the beach, I went ahead and bought all the "supplies" ahead of time....2 potty seats, 3 packs of underwear, M&Ms and juice, and a sticker/reward chart. I had asked Abby ahead of time what kind of pottys and underwear she wanted, and every answer was "Minnie Mouse!!"

Day 1 got off to a slow start. She was excited to change into her underwear as soon as she woke up, but she hardly drank any liquids all morning! She was even turning down the special juice I bought her (Hawaiian Punch). Finally at 10 am, I gave her a juice box and she downed that. And the potty training began...

She didn't have an accident until 5 pm, and made 9 successful trips to the potty during the day (one of them was a "#2"!!). After her accident, she was VERY upset she peed on Minnie Mouse (her underwear) and has been talking about it ever since. To date, that is her only accident. But like I said, we've stayed in our little "bubble" at home, so once we start going out in public ("Phase 2") and doing playdates, etc. I know she's bound to have a few more.

We are letting her wear a pull-up at night, and I'm feeling pretty good about that decision since after her first 2 nights, she woke up with a VERY wet pull-up. (No wet bed though!) But then, she threw me for a loop this morning, when her pull-up was hardly wet at all. Who knows, we might "night-train" her now as well. I'm gonna wait a few more days to decide that. She is wearing her big-girl underwear at nap and staying dry for the 2-3 hours during that. So I am a very proud momma!!

In addition to doing LOTS of crafts these past 4 days, we've read a quatrillion books, watched movies, played games, jumped on an air mattress, played with play-doh, and experimented with watercolors. Abby has loved the QT and thankfully, has hardly asked about Nate being gone. I have to admit, we've both gone a little stir-crazy though, and here's how Abby's dealt with it:

Today was the first day I let her wear clothes and she threw a fit!!! She WANTED to be naked/in just her underwear! We are going to go run some errands tomorrow, as a trial run for her being in public, so it's important she learns to wear clothes again, ha!

Please look at this picture; I told you she was not keen on being dressed! She is proud to show off her sticker chart though.

So proud of my big girl!!!

Stay tuned for more updates and "Phase 2!"