Potty Training Boot Camp, Now with Potty Charts

Thank you to everyone who sent along advice about potty training to me, after I wrote my last post on this subject. I think most of you could tell I was really frustrated at that point! It was really nice to hear everyone else's experiences and find out I'm not the only one who's been down in the potty training trenches.

I was already beginning to feel the time crunch with preschool starting this fall. She has to be potty trained to start the two afternoons a week program at the co-op. That was the catalyst for me, knowing it had to be done by September or else! Plus she IS going to be THREE years old and by most standards that's not exactly rushing things.

So now for the good news...the update!

Last Sunday, we only put her in training panties, the kind that are cloth with extra padding and no elastic cover. We went through NINE changes of underwear and SIX pairs of shorts but by the end of the day a break through had occurred.

The oddest thing was, she was going potty something like three times an hour, every hour. For a moment there we thought maybe she had the world's smallest bladder or at least a pea sized one. Slowly but surely she began adding stickers to her potty chart for being having dry panties and going on the potty. I didn't make it that challenging. I wanted her to get a reward quickly at first and experience some success, as you can see there were only ten slots to fill.

Monday was the big day. She earned enough stickers to fill up her first reward chart and earn a little Cinderella action figure type doll. She was very happy about that and it seems like we've turned a new leaf and now I have some hope that we may make it after all.

It's continued to get better, since then she seems a lot more aware of and wanting to go on the potty. When she doesn't make it most of the time she tells us just as she starts to go. We all run to the potty and most of the tinkles make it in where they belong. All of this is a huge improvement.

Then yesterday for the very first time ever she went on the potty in a public bathroom and did it three times. I was shocked. Just goes to show sometimes you have to take drastic action to move things along. Even if it means your floor, blanket, and couch might all take a hit, like ours did!

Thank you again for all your remarks and advice!