I’ve decided that it’s time to start potty-training Catie, for a few reasons:
1. I recently got her this book, The New Potty by Gina and Mercer Mayer, and she adores it. We’ve been reading it at least twice a day, usually more.
2. She’s recently become fascinated with me going to the toilet. She sits on my lap while I go, she wants to help me flush, and she wants to wash her hands with me when I’m done. I’m guessing the fact that she’s showing interest is a good thing. [Speaking of which, one random bathroom anecdote that cracks me up to this day: a couple of weeks ago, she followed me in while I used the bathroom, helped me flush, watched carefully as everything went down, then waved bye-bye and said, “Bye, poops! See you later!” Um, let’s hope that we don’t actually see the poops later, ok sweetie? God.]
3. Last night she sat on her potty with no diaper for about 10 minutes while I read to her. She didn’t “produce” anything, but obviously she’s gotten past the stage of being scared to sit on the potty except when she’s fully dressed.
4. My parents are coming to visit next week. My dad keeps hassling me about “when are you gonna potty-train that child?” So hey, guess what, Dad? If you’re staying at my house, you can help! Lucky, lucky you!
This morning I asked on Twitter what supplies I need for potty-training. Then Catie and I went shopping. Here’s what the Internet recommended I get.
In case you can’t tell, here’s a rundown of what’s in that photo: a potty chair, a potty ring (it’s Dora, of course; I’m hoping that since Catie picked it out, that means she’ll be more likely to sit on it), a giant-ass tote bag to hold the potty ring when we go out (since my diaper bag isn’t going to cut it anymore), some big-girl panties, some Pull-Ups for nighttime, M&M’s to use as bribes, Lysol, Oxi-Clean, carpet cleaner, and Post-Its (to cover the auto-flush sensors in public restrooms so it doesn’t flush while she’s sitting & scare her to death). Oh, and that’s a bottle of Grey Goose vodka in front. I didn’t buy that today, though, that’s been in the freezer for a while. Still, I have a feeling that it’s going to be a vital part of this process.
Not pictured: the other two dozen pairs of big-girl panties that Catie has recently acquired. Laundry detergent. Towels. My mop. The extra potty chair that’s been in the upstairs bathroom for over 6 months. The books about using the potty. Elmo’s “Potty Time” DVD. Oh, and my sanity and patience, which will hopefully survive this process intact.
Is there anything else I’m missing that you think I need to have? Please let me know.
I suggest limoncello from the freezer, for a change after the Grey Goose. 🙂 Other than that, maybe start thinking of toy/book rewards to purchase for the first few milestones. Good luck!
Cara – I was thinking about that. Back when we lived in WA, there was a girl at Catie’s daycare, and her mom said she told her 2 1/2 year-old that if she went to the potty with no accidents for a week (marking the days on the calendar for a visual aid), she’d get a new tricycle. It totally worked. I’m trying to think of something similar that would motivate Catie. Maybe a wagon like the one her little friend across the street has. Hmmm…
gclark – If you clicked to enlarge the pic, you’d see I made a note on there that the cat = totally friggin’ useless. Unless I want Catie to learn how to use a litter box (which, God help me, I really DON’T).
what’s the cat doing there? is it going to help somehow?
Sounds like you are ready to go. We have to have a couple of books in the potty, one for her to read and one for us to read. The only issue we have seen is that in the beginning, Miss C was all for it and went potty a lot but then, when she realized she would have to stop playing to go potty, well, she stopped. Luckily for us, she is still young so its not terrible, yet. Good luck and let us know how it all works out!
Followed you here from Twitter. 🙂
Your daughter is a cutie! Every child is so different, and I think in the end every mom ends up following her intuition for the best results.
My own daughter needed nothing more than praise for potty training. She just loved to be applauded and make mommy happy. My son however was totally stubborn, and he LOVED his diapers. We went through months of back-and-forth bribery and relapses before he finally decided he liked He-Man underwear more than diapers. 🙂
Good luck!
Hi Jane, thanks for following me over here from Twitter! (And for saying that my kid is cute. Of course we think so too, but it’s always nice to hear.)
I’m not sure if praise, bribery, or a combination of both is what’s going to do it for Catie. That’s part of my reasoning in waiting until the grandparents are about to arrive – I think she’s going to be pretty eager to please them and to show off her latest trick, much more than she does for me & Dave. We’ll see.