Potty Training

Well we officially started to potty train Madison Friday afternoon!  We started off by going to Target and letting Madison pick out her new potty chair, we had one for the last year that she never really used and we wanted something new and exciting to help with the process.  She picked out a chair that has Disney Princesses on it...her new favorite thing!  We also got lots on undies, stickers, candy and some play rings as prizes for her success!

We used a 3 day method that my awesome friend, Alaina, gave us and she was potty training her son who is 3 weeks older than Madison at the same time.  I felt like having someone else go through the process was going to be great...we moms have to support each other as often as possible, right?  The basic method is positive reinforcement, don't get frustrated when accident happen (they will happen)...and the biggie is once you start you do not put a diaper on the child AT ALL!  Not while sleeping...NO MORE DIAPERS!

Day 1 was hard.  Madison had several accidents, 7 to be exact.  It started off by her just peeing on the floor (thank goodness for hardwood)...to her telling me she was going...to that she had to go...we made it to the potty chair so that a few drops made it in and she knew what we were aiming for.

                                     The small stars are for telling me she had to go and trying...

Day 2 went much better!  She only had 2 accidents, and both of them she told me she had to go and started to go as we were on our way to the bathroom.  I decided that trying to take the undies off just wasted precious time that pee could be getting into the potty chair.  I wanted as much in there as possible so that she could see 'this is what we are working towards'  We had two 100% successful trips to the potty where she told me she had to go and we made it to the potty in time!  I was so proud of her for all the progress she had made in such a short period of time.  Then the best part of the day came right before bedtime...she went poop on the potty all by herself!  I was in the middle of helping Sofia when Madison told me she had to go...so I took her undies off and told her I would meet her in the bathroom in a minute.  I also told her she was a big girl and she could do it all by herself.  When I went to go into the bathroom the door was locked!  I asked Madison if she would please unlock the door...and she did...when I walked in there was poop in the potty!  Apparently she is like the rest of the human population and wants her privacy while going #2!  I was so amazed and proud of Madison for her awesome day!

The BIG stars are for telling me and actually going on the potty!  You can see she was making a game   out of telling me she had to go so she got a small sticker...

Day 3 was the best.  We had ZERO accidents!  And I gave her a lot more freedom then I was able to the first two days.  Madison got to make a princess castle for that :)

You can see she really only told me when she actually had to go, and went here...much better today!

                      The castle she got to put together for her successful 100% accident free day!

                                                                             'Cheese'

Today she actually had two accidents...one in the morning with daddy and one during her nap.  I am not too worried about it because, well it was just what it was...an accident.  And accidents will happen.  She just went poop on the potty again so I will embrace this victory!  Not changing poopy diapers is worth all the effort, let me tell you!

                                   And although she had a few accident, she also had success!

This has definitely been a lesson in patience let me tell you.  A friend said it isn't 'Potty Training' it is 'Parent Training' and she was right...again this was 100% worth it.  Knowing that I will not be purchasing another diaper for Madison is amazing!  She is such a big girl and we are so proud of her!

All for now!!