the "P" word

Okay, I lied. It's two words.

Potty. Training.

a.k.a the days I've been d r e a d i n g for quite some time.

I was all about getting Chan out of diapers... However, I was NOT excited about the process. But within the last month of so, Chan threw the biggest fits when it came time to change her diaper. I mean, all out crying and kicking fits. So, one day I told her that if she didn't want me to change her diaper anymore, she needed to use the big girl potty.

She agreed.

So... as in Chan's words, "1, 2, here we go!"

I changed her out of her diaper and put some "undies" on her. (I seriously can't stand the "p" word... so, it won't be used in my house. Like, it literally makes my eyes water every time I hear it.) Of course, when she had to go, she just went on the carpet while she was watching tv... so I got her some new undies and had her sit on her Minnie Mouse potty with a cup of apple juice and had her drink her juice until she had to go. I told her that if she went potty in her Minnie potty I would give her 5 "nominees" (m&m's a.k.a her favorite thing in the whole wide world). So, about 20 minutes later she went! She was so excited that she went AND that she got some m&m's... So we ran with that for the rest of the day... Every time she went potty, she got 5 m&m's. ::I am not above bribing, obviously:: We went the rest of the day with no accidents. 

The next day we did the same thing but without the m&m reward. But now it was time to tackle the other "P" word. She was super scared to do that... so again, I am not above bribing... I told her that if she went poo poo on the big girl potty that she could have ice cream for dinner (No, I'm not that bad of a parent... I meant have dinner and then get ice cream after... she wouldn't know the difference). That did it for her... later that day, she went #2 in the toilet! Easy peasy, yea??

Nope.

Then it came time to venture out into the world in her "undies". She actually did really well... until she discovered the automatic flushing toilets. You know, the kind that either flush while you're still sitting there (yea, and give you a mini heart attack as a bonus) or the second you stand up it starts to flush so your hurrying to get outta the way so you don't get sprayed. Anyway, I'm sure she thinks that the toilet is going to suck her right down into that hole... I get it. 2 year old fears. So, we battled her saying she has to go, taking her all the way to the front of the store to the bathroom, then crying and screaming while on the toilet thinking it's going to flush at any second, to carrying her back to the cart, only to have her pee all over the floor. Sorry 'bout it store-I-will-not-mention. So, I reverted back to the m&m's and ice cream for dinner bribes... which worked sometimes and sometimes not.

But... mom's got skills and worked out a sweet deal with those automatic scare-the-crap-outta-you toilets. I said, "When I'm done doin' my business... before I get up I'm going to say 'flush toilet!' and you're gonna listen, okay?" Toilet says, "Okay, deal." And ever since then, we've been friends. And Chan loves to scream at the top of her lungs, "FLUSH TOILET!!!" and then proceed to clap and say, "It yistened!!" every single time. I know, I know, I'm crazy for having her talk to the toilet, but whatever works to get her to go in the potty, and not anywhere else.

Now, I did try to work out the same deal with those automatic hand dryer thingies... They apparently don't want to be friends with me. Or Chan. So, we either A) hand dry. B) wipe our hands on our pants (bad parenting, I know) or C) whip out the hand sanitizer.

So there ya have it. Potty Training for Dummies... err The Hunt's.

Check back soon... I have some pretty nifty things coming up!!