Adventures in Potty Training...

I began potty training Ava right around the time she turned one. I broke out the potty and began encouraging away. She faked interest in the beginning but soon it became apparent that the child was a little hopeless, to say the least. Throughout the year that followed I realized that this strong willed child would need a little more time, as well as mom backing the heck off.

Before she turned two I came across a blog a mom was writing who made a bold statement of parents simply being lazy if they aren't potty training their kids very quickly. I was so mad about when I read that but also felt like maybe she was right all at the same time. It motivated me to simply take away Ava's diapers and sort of force her into being ready. I spent the entire day encouraging her as she had accident after accident. She managed to pee in her potty about 4 times and everywhere else about 347 times. I was so stressed out, so was she. At one point she peed on the floor and looked up at me and said "MOMMY CLEAN IT UP!!" in the most demanding two-ish year old voice I ever heard. I felt truly beaten down as I dragged myself over to clean yet another accident. I survived the day and ended it with a few cocktails to ease my pure hell. When Ava woke up the next day announcing to me "Mommy, I wear diapers." I said, OK girl, have a heyday.

After that, I started priming her for turning two years old, you know that is when kids stop wearing diapers. I talked it up every chance I got, all along not pushing because I knew THAT wasn't working.

For her birthday she got a new potty! (I know, how exciting, right??) She also got about 25 pairs of panties, no more diapers, right??

No, the answer was most definitely NO! She even recently threw the biggest tantrum ever when my mom was going to take a few of her diapers up to her house. "NO GRANDMA!! YOU CAN'T TAKE THOSE!! I NEED THEM!!!!" I think her head even spun around a few times.

You may remember somewhat recently she was sent to pack her suitcase and came back with ONLY diapers in it.

Last week when we were heading out to the beach she saw her potty chair & M&M's in the pile of luggage and totally freaked out. "You can't bring that to the beach!!!" She fell to the ground in a lovely little tantrum.

So THAT being the child that I have been dealing with, I have been nothing but SHOCKED that she is now totally doing this! She woke up and decided she doesn't wear diapers anymore. She IS potty trained. I am not saying she doesn't have an occasional accident, but in the last week she has had less then 5 accidents, total. She even survived through the concert the other day with Port-A-Potties as the only option. (Yuck!)

I am so impressed! She really has become a little person, not my little baby anymore. She is growing up, it is sad and awesome all at the same time.

Someone said to me the other day you can potty train your child in one day, you just have to pick THE RIGHT DAY!

So true!