Potty Training 2.0 - Day 3 And beyond!

Honestly, I'm pumped for how well this has been going! Ella has continued to do really well, no pee accidents since the second day of official training. We are still only about 70% trained on poop. I know it will just take time. 

When I started this process I was frustrated that everyone just talks about "training in one day" but what about life after training? How do you scale back on rewards? How do you venture out? When does training stop?

Here is some of our experience, now 11 days in. 

On day 3 we ventured into the carpeted living room more rather than just the (easy to clean) kitchen. She did really well, so my confidence in her preparation increased. We slowly just increased time in there, and decreased my prompted reminders to use the potty. 

It worked out for us that we had small group that night; dinner and discussion at someone's home. Two car trips and total distraction by all her little friends. Oh boy! 

For the car: I put a dog pee pad in her car seat and cut her off from drinks 20 minutes before we got into the car. We went right before we left and right when we got there.  She did great; since then, we have done a few trips and she has never had an accident. 

As for the dry panty checks, I honestly  just took away the "toy basket" and she never brought it up again. Yippee! 

We are still doing treats for going on the potty, I'll work on phasing those out later. 

I have decided to stick with pull ups during nap and night for a while. She always wakes up dry after nap, but never all night. 

I know it will just take awhile and slowly I won't have to remind as much! 

Potty Training 2.0 - Day 2 PM

Ella napped until 4:10 - Thank you Lord for a break! She was dry and wanted her panties - yipppeeee!!!!

4:12 - PEE!!! 

[set timer for 15 minutes]

4:30 - DRY!!!!

[set timer for 20 minutes]

4:52 - DRY!!!! And a juice refill

4:55 - PEE!!!

5:18 - DRY!!!

5:26 - PEE!!!

5:34 - PEE!!!

5:41 - DRY!!! She chose freeze dried fruit 

5:42 - PEE!!! We asked her to go right before dinner. 

5:45 - sit for dinner; the first time at the table over carpet since potty training started. I knew she would ask to get out a bunches go potty, but it's progress back to a normal life! 

5:51 - PEE!!!!

She tried 3 other times during dinner...ugh.

6:26 - dinner over; I set a fake timer to go  off right after dinner because the real one was during dinner and I didn't want additional interruptions. 

6:28 - DRY!!! She chose brain quest 

7:02 - DRY!!!

7:08 - PEE!!!

7:20 - tried to pee before bath; Josh did bath so I honestly have no idea what happened. But every is alive so I don't care. 

8 - PEE right before bed. 

She did great today - only one accident!!! She went 29 times plus whatever happened at bath time.  

She definitely is getting the concept. She still tries to go potty but doesn't pee, but I'd rather her be over cautious. 

Tomorrow we have small group, so we will have to go out of the house for the first time. 😐

Potty Training 2.0 - Day 2 AM

Yesterday went reasonably well, so I'm actually not dreading today :) Evie was a peach yesterday which helped so hopefully she keeps it up! 

7:15 - awake

7:20 - changed her stinky pull up. She was very excited to get in her panties. "Keep panties dry!!!" Set dry panty alarm for 15 minutes to make sure she remembers what we are doing.

7:25 - tried to pee

7:40 - filled up our juice cup

7:48 - DRY!!!! (She chose foam Easter egg shapes.)

(A little pattern work)

8:05 - DRY!!! She chose counting bears. 

[set timer for 20 minutes this time]

8:16 - PEE!!! 

8:25 - DRY!!! (She chose orange play dough)

8:45 - DRY!!!! (She chose a shape tracing laminated sheet) 

[increased timer to 25 minutes]

8:47 - PEE!!!!

8:59 - Accident #1. She did stop herself and then run to potty to finish; so I gave her only one jelly bean. She knew right away and wasn't happy with the pee on her leg. {as I wrote this blog I realized I forgot the practice runs, ugg}

9:03 - I set up an extra dry panty check to go off right as we were changing panties. She got all excited but then realized no stickers or special toy. Reset timer for 25 minutes. 

9:09 - PEE!!! She said "no sad panties" because when she had her accident I had her put her wet undies in a ziplock and say goodbye to them. 

9:20 - juice refill. (An hour earlier than yesterday - I'm trying to be better about pushing the beverages.)

9:25 - PEE!!!! 

9:30 - DRY!!! (She chose princess painting) 

9:41 - tried to pee

9:52 - PEE!!!!

10 - I came down from putting V down for a nap and found her on potty. For reasons not necessary to describe, I felt she was close to pooping, and in order to avoid turds on my floor - I grabbed the iPad. She sat playing until 10:25. No poop, but a break for mom :) 

Also, cuteness, after getting up she touched her bum and declared "hot" from sitting on the seat. So cute. 

10:27 - DRY!!! She chose container bowling, but hated it and just played w the lids. 

[timer for 30 minutes]

10:37 - PEE!!!!

10:40 - said she had to go again, ran to potty and asked for iPad. We knew that was coming... But lots of toots so I'm ok with her sitting! 

10:52 - PEE but already sitting on potty

11:05 - PEE but already sitting

11:06 - DRY!!! (She chose shape tracing again)

11:14 - PEE!!! But already sitting

11:30 - juice refill

11:37 - DRY!!!! (Counting bears again)

11:42 - huge toot and actually resulted in her bending over and looking between her legs - ahhh! I've never been so nervous. 

12:08 - DRY!!! 

[set timer for 35 minutes]

12:23 - PEE!!!!

12:43 - DRY!!!!

12:51 - juice refill 

1:20 - DRY!!!!

1:32 - PEE!!! And in pull up for nap. She did say "ella wear big girl panty in bed" but I'm frankly too exhausted to deal. 

All 3 Gillespies for a nap! 

Potty Training 2.0 - Day One PM

Ella woke up at 3:15, we don't normally get her up until 3:45, but I went in to check in her in the off chance she was wanting to use the potty. She just wanted to cuddle, so we read for a bit but V woke up, so everyone downstairs at 3:30. 

3:30 - took off her pull up "bed panties"....DRY!!!! So we hopped in the potty. PEE!!! A refill on juice and then off to watch 30 mins of Tinkerbell (she usually only watches TV in car and 30 minutes after her nap, so she was expecting this.) 

[I only set the dry panty check for 30 minutes because I wanted to refresh her memory and also that's as long as we watch TV so it's a good transition].

Then this sweetness happened. Oh goodness gracious! Evie is so lucky to have Ella as a big sister. 

4:10 - DRY!!! She chose to go outside (obviously)

4:50 - josh gets home

4:53 - first accident :( changed her panties and started our 10 practice runs to get to the potty (on practice runs 5 & 8 she actually went; we have treats on those runs but made her continue her runs). 

5:15 - I restarted the clock because she wasn't going to have dry panties. [45 minutes] we went back outside. 

5:23 - accident #2; start our practice runs. (On run 1 she peed, but this time I made her wait until the runs were over to eat the treats.)

5:35 - reset the timer for 45 minutes

5:41 - tried to pee

6:14 - PEE!!!!

6:20 - DRY!!!! She chose "Bo cheese" (feta cheese) - it was in the middle of dinner and I didn't really want to introduce toys

6:50 - tried to pee

7:05 - DRY!!!! She chose a brain quest. 

7:23 - accident #3 while playing inside. 10 practice runs. 

[set the timer only to 20 minutes because  it's evident we need to get more reminders]

7:45 - tried to pee

7:47 - DRY!!!! She chose counting bears (Thanks BA!)

8:03 - PEE!!!

8:04 - Switched in her pull up "bed panties" and upstairs for bed. 

My goals today were: 

- no tears -- CHECK 

- no poop on my floor -- CHECK

- my hope was only 3 accidents - 2 pee and one poop. We had 3 pee and no poop accident or success, so I guess that's a -- CHECK 

Potty Training 2.0 - Day One AM

So we are at it again. Hopefully this time it sticks. Last time (in October 2014; just shy of 22 months) she just didn't get it - and personally I do think it's a lots of responsibility for a little kid. 

For about a month she has been going on the potty at various times throughout the day; and everyday she goes, just not every time. (She gets two jelly beans when she goes on the potty). She doesn't currently poop on the potty. 

So my challenges this time are (1) Evie -- basically taking care of her without losing focus on Ella and (2) shifting Ella to understand that the goal is dry panties; not just peeing on the potty. 

Today's goals:

(1) no tears; from either of us

(2) no poop on my floors

The supplies:

Elmo panties. I have 4 with the same design, I could see her being interested in seeing all the panty designs and therefore having accidents on purpose. 

After she had one fluke poop on the tiny princess potty a few months back, I decided I really don't want to clean poop 

out of that thing, so we let her pick out a potty seat insert and step stool, she chose princess! 

Since she is currently getting two jelly beans for peeing on the potty, I wanted to change as little as possible, so I'm sticking with that - but needed something for dry panties. And since that's the main goal, I wanted it to be awesome. I implemented a sticker chart for dry panty checks and then put together a basket of things/toys she hasn't seen before. (Mostly stuff I bought for school next year). If she has dry panties at our checks she gets to pick out one item. (Only one at a time, at each check she puts her current item back and gets new one). 

I used the doll above to help. I asked E to help me potty train her today, so we started the day by taking her to the bathroom and explaining that she needs to keep her panties dry and tell E if she has to go potty, etc. 

I started dry panty checks at 15 minute intervals. 

7:15 - changed last diaper (I've hidden all diapers, wipes, etc.) (she was stinky, so that was in my favor not to have poop on my floor.)

7:30 - had her help me with dolly. She was very excited the doll had undies like her. 

7:54 -  At the first check both she and the dolly had dry panties -- stickers and toys for each. Ella chose colorful large buttons in various shapes. 

8:02 - tried on potty for 1 second

8:09 - DRY!!! Dolly was wet so she didn't get a sticker or toy and had to change undies. She then had to practice getting up on potty ten times. (Ella was sad for the doll that she lost her toy duck).

8:25 - DRY!!!! Ella picked letter flash cards

8:40 - DRY!!!! She chose freeze dried fruit

[increased checks to 20 mins]

8:50 - PEE!!!

9 - DRY!!! She chose freeze dried fruit 

9:20 - DRY!!! She chose orange play dough

9:25 - PEE!!!!

9:40 - DRY!!! She chose a purple marker character playing guitar.

[increase checks to 25 mins]

9:50 - tried to pee

10:04 - tried

10:06 - DRY!!!! She chose a princess "painting" book

[V is napping, so I've intentionally stopped asking about potty because this is the best time to have accident, and I know accidents are necessary in this process.]

10:20 - refill on juice (daddy's yellow Gatorade.) I used the bathroom which prompted her to go. 

10:22 - PEE!!!

10:30 - PEE!!!!

10:32 - DRY!!!! She chose watching a show; Tinkerbell on a blanket. 

10:51- PEE!!!! (I did remind her this time because I knew she would get caught up in the show). 

11:03 - DRY!!! She chose fruit snacks and to continue watching Tink (I needed an emotional break still so I pushed this option!) 

11:15 - PEE!!!! 

11:35 - DRY!!!! She chose freeze dried fruit

[increase checks to 40 minutes]

**all tries and successes will be totally unprompted from me from here forward**

11:45 - tried potty

12:08 - lunch

12:09 - PEE!!!! 

12:15 - DRY!!!! (For the first time, she thought to check me...her evaluation "Maybe". She decided dolly, Ella, and Mommy deserved stickers. 

[increase checks to 45 minutes]

12:22 - tried

12:29 - tried

12:34 - tried

12:38 - tried

(Obviously a lunch stall tactic -- yippee)

(Since I know you are going to ask, Mom,  V isn't wearing her helmet because she threw up in bed last night and I haven't been able to get the smell out of the Velcro)

1:00 - DRY!!! She chose the buttons again. 

1:30 - DRY!!! I gave her 5 M&Ms for staying dry all morning. (And she couldn't pick anything from the basket because PRAISE THE LORD it's nap time.)

1:35 - PEE!!!! 

I put her in a pull up for nap, because I know her and she already tries to get out of her room at nap time so I knew this would be too much. And I need a break!  I'll deal with that another day! 

1:49 - In bed!!!!! 

House is clean, diet coke and chocolate for mom, then a nap! 

Potty Training - First Try Over

Josh and I both agreed - Ella simply wasn't getting the concept, so today it's back to diapers. 

I'm a little sad and disappointed, but she really just wasn't getting it. We will keep her potty out and invite her to join us in the bathroom but we aren't going to push it. 

A much happier mommy: 

And Ella: 

So now that I'm not scared to death for Ella to leave the kitchen or to pick her up - we are onto the next thing! Colors! 

I've got 7 weeks of activities planned to help E learn her colors. That will take us through the first week of November. Depending on how I feel I might do a week on black, white, and brown. 

Potty Training Day 2

Ugg. Today I did not wake up excited, not one bit. Apparently, not Ella either; she slept until 8:20. 

Keeping the same concept - hoping consistency will pay off - but adding some new concepts. 

First seems futile (but hey, yesterday was a giant waste, so I'm on a roll). I've got one baby with dry undies, the other one wet. One will get to play and get a treat, the other gets to change her undies. I think I'll have dry baby also tinkle on the potty and then, obviously, so crazy clapping etc! 

2nd tactic: JUICE, juice, juice, juice. I'm not a fan of sugary drinks and I felt like we drank a lot yesterday but really only 4 accidents and one pee during nap - so I'm shooting for more opportunities (aka, more accidents).

Here we go again! 

After breakfast I did the baby doll situation - she didn't seem to get it. We touched the dry and wet undies - no concern. Baby with dry undies went on the potty - not impressed. 

We went from 8:45 until 10 with no success or accidents. 

We had a church event, and I wasn't planning to take her out in the middle of training, but the whole thing has basically been a wash - so off we went (in a pull up). It was nice to get out and not sit on the bathroom floor reading books. 

Back home for lunch. We put her on the potty, nothing. Pull up for nap time. I'm resting and deciding if I quit or push on after nap time. 

Ella got up at 3:45 - so we resumed potty training at 4. She sat for 15 minutes and now we are outside playing. A good change of pace but risky. 

2 dry undies checks, came in and sat, nothing. Two more checks, came in to sit. I was starting to feel like she was thinking the potty was her new reading chair, and was discouraged with no progress yet. I left her on the potty and went to talk through quitting with Josh. 

We had decided she wasn't getting it and we needed to wait. On my way back into the house to get a diaper she came waddling out of the bathroom. She said "All done." I laughed and walked to the bathroom to get her a treat for sitting - only to hear the potty singing!!! (There are little metal buttons on the bottom that sing when wet). 

I seriously lost it. Jumping up and down, screaming, tickling Ella, yelling for Josh - you name it! 

That was 5:35 - our first success!!!!! 

1 more dry undie check. Then at 6, for the first time ever, she asked to go potty. We sat - nothing. 6:15 she asked again - nothing. Dinner. Then after dinner she was coloring on the kitchen floor with Josh. Between the two of us we asked every 3 minutes if she had to tinkle - always "no". 

At 7:30 she peed on the floor - and it didn't phase her one bit. Josh asked twice if her undies were dry (that's what we ask at dry undie checks) before she thought about it and said "no". And then even after that she just wanted to sit and color. 

We put her in bed at 7:45, confused about next steps. 

1 success and only 1 accident, but she was in a pull up basically from 10-3:45 between our church event and nap. I was hopeful after she started to ask to go to the potty but Josh and I both agree her accident after dinner didn't phase her. 

Josh is really to quit and start again in a few months - I'm not so sure yet. This has been so emotionally draining, that I do definitely want to quit - but I really don't want to do this again with a new baby around either (not that sitting on the bathroom floor for 2 hours a day at 7 months pregnant has been fun). 

Potty Training Day One

**This post is meant to serve primarily as resource for me when I train my other kids. I know only my mom is going to read this!**

I start potty training today with Ella. [10 days shy of 22 months]. Last night I got a little sick to my stomach as I packed away diapers. This morning I woke up SLIGHTLY excited. 

I think Ella is ready, she has shown great interest and excitement over the big girl potty. 

My goal today: no tears (from me) and hopefully only 4 pairs of undies (for Ella). 

The tools:

Panties, this girl loves Elmo:

The reward: hugs, high fives, and jelly beans: 

Fun activities in the kitchen so staying on the wood floor seems exciting: 

Coloring station all taped down:

Living room covered with blankets: 

The bathroom: 

Cleaning supplies: 

Momma & Ella 7:45. Potty training begins: 

I opted for shirts and socks for Ella only. 

Timer set for a dry undies check: 

9:15 - 

No accidents, but no success either. We have sat on the potty 4 times and had two successful dry undies checks (with treats, of course). 

Keeping ourselves occupied: 

10:21 - first accident, still no successful potty use. Since 9:15 we sat on the potty twice and had two dry undies checks. 

We sat from 9:03-9:19, and she peed 2 minutes later...luckily on the wood floor. 

Since we just peed, I figured this was our best window to venture into the carpeted living room. We are sitting on a doggy training pee pad on a blanket on the floor with snack (and beverages). This Daniel Tiger episode where he goes potty was what she watched before she went on the potty 2 weeks ago. 

11:45 - no more accidents, no success. 2 more times on the potty. One clean undie check. Lunch and (praise The Lord) nap (with a pull up). This momma was getting weary! 

Ella napped until 2:15 and woke up with wet pull up. Round 2: 

We sat on the potty - she screamed (at least the goal was for no years from me!).

We made our way to our reading tent (blocking access to the living room). 

And, 2nd pee accident at 2:35. 

After our post-nap meltdown - it was evident no one was having fun, so a little adjustment in routine. 

I increased dry undie checks to every 15 minutes and made a bigger deal about touching her undies to check if they were dry. I still only sat her on the potty every 30 minutes though. I started giving her a jelly bean after sitting on the potty for 15 minutes (I started to think she was afraid of it for some reason). 

Playing with Dice towers: 

We had 4 dry undies checks and sat for 2 15-minute segments. At 4:25, 3rd pee accident. Ugg! Another Daniel Tiger break because I needed a mental break! 

Sat on potty from 5-5:20. Learned Ella doesn't like licorice or cinnamon jelly beans. Haha! 

4th accident at 5:27. After clean up, Ella was very cuddly and hiding her face in my neck, which is very unusual. 

Daddy home at 5:40 with Mad Mex for dinner! Ella pushed for a stinky at 5:45 and 6:05. No luck, yet, but no stinky on my floor either! :) 

6:35 - stinky. IN HER PANTS! 

6:38 - in jammies going to bed! 

Laundry started, floors cleaned, this momma is pooped, pun intended. 

The kitchen aftermath: 

Absolutely no success on the first day; but keeping her occupied and on the wood floor wasn't as hard as I expected. 

Glad I started on a Friday so I have Josh around for the next two days so I don't quit yet! 

Day #1 undie count - 5.