Potty Training

We've been potty training our 2 year old this week. Fun times. Yes. Fun times. With soooo much time sitting at home waiting for the next "learning opportunity" I have had a lot of time to reflect on my choice of potty training method. Like most parenting choices, I don't think there are really "right" and "wrong" potty training methods, its just seems most important to pick a method that fits you and your family's needs. And the method we used definitely is typical "me," for better or worse!

We used a 3 day method in which you commit 3 days to doing nothing {literally... nothing} but potty training. You spend all of your child's waking hours attached at the hip with him or her so you can catch every accident and usher them swiftly to the throne. I love my kid but 3 days cooped up in the house with no personal space pretty much drives us both batty. Day 1 was fun and I even made the comment "I should do this more often... set aside a whole day with no chores, errands, friends, outside activities, or technology just to enjoy each other." Bahahaha! By day 2 when he would leave the room where I was to go get something and I would start to get up to follow him he would turn around and give me the fish eye and say "You stay there mom. Just stay there!"

I gotta give my little man some credit though. He was practically potty trained in about 3 hours. The rest has just been reinforcing. It definitely gets easier every day, but already {I wrote this on day 4} I look forward to the day when I won't carry tension in my shoulders when leaving the house trying to make sure I have remembered everything I might need for a potty emergency.

How exactly does this approach fit me, you ask?

I am notoriously impatient. I like to think that I am just "driven" because when I start something, I immediately can't wait to complete it and will work with a singular focus until it is done. This character trait has proved beneficial at times {like completing 56 college credit hours during one of my husband's six month deployments} but also just makes me a grumpy mama half the time when I'm trying desperately to complete something that my kids are hindering me from completing. Regardless, my "driven-ness" {i.e. impatience} is why the 3-days-of-misery method appealed to me in the first place. Get through the 3 days and "viola" you never have to think about it again! Sounds good right? Ha! Honestly, it hasn't been miserable. But even if they are trained, there is still so much extra work involved in making sure they have access to a bathroom with the appropriate gear {hello, Lightening McQueen potty seat} wherever you go.

I tend to be a tad bit impulsive. I read an e-book on this potty training method recommended by a friend and the next day I stayed up late prepping meals for 3 days of potty training, getting together stay-at-home activities, and doing any necessary chores around the house {a notable difference from my typical Sunday evening ritual of doing absolutely nothing}. The following morning, we started, despite some not-so-trival inconveniences like needing to pick my husband up from the airport which required leaving the house {a big no-no on day 1}.

I am pridefully independent. Lets consider the advice I got when setting out on this endeavor... Start over a weekend when your husband can be around to help. Nope. I started on a Monday morning while my husband was still out of town for work. Let someone else keep your other baby at least for the first {most intense} day. Nope, she's still nursing so that would be difficult. As a military wife, I like to think I can handle it all on my own. And I won't lie, I like a good challenge ;)

With all that being said... I do highly recommend this method because it works! I have been beyond impressed with how quickly he picked up on it and how relatively painless the process has been. I was dreading potty training but in all honesty {so far} it's been great. I actually got a little teary eyed when my "big boy" told me he had to go potty and went on his own. When did he grow up?!

For more information on the method we used see 3daypottytraining.com and check out the e-book "3 Day Potty Training" by Lora Jensen.