Potty Training Lillian

I've decided potty training has become more and more difficult with each child...if Kyron wants to prove me wrong, I'm okay with that.

Ever since Lillian could walk, she did not like it when her diaper was off.  She would get undressed for her bath in her bedroom and hold her little bum all the way to the tub and sometimes she would continue holding her bum during the entire bath.  When asked what she was doing, she would reply, "I don't want anything to fall out."

Several months ago we talked to Lillian about potty training, she seemed to be on board, she went to the store to pick out big girl panties and a toy she could get once her sticker chart was filled.  But when we tried to get her to put the panties on, Lillian looked at me like I had three heads.  There was NO WAY she was taking off her diaper.  Okay, how about let's sit on the potty?  She was excited about that, but when I tried to take off her pants and diaper she freaked out.  She wanted to sit on the potty, but not with a bare bum!  We could not get her on the potty--she would only sit if she kept her diaper and pants on.  Hmm.  Not going to get very far at this rate.  I wasn't ready for the frustration, so I pulled the plug.

Anytime we would talk about potty, Lillian would just say, "No, I'm wearing diapers."  But out of the blue one morning, she woke up and said, "I want to wear big girl panties!"  Okay!  I put on the panties, she had two successes, I was starting to get my hopes up, and then she had an accident.  She did not like anything about pee running down her legs and taking yucky, soaked pants off.  She was done.  She refused to put panties back on, she only wanted diapers.

Months pass.  We start noticing her diapers aren't fitting very well and she is using the biggest size they sell in the store.  So I told Lillian, "Diapers don't fit you anymore, you need to wear big girl panties now."  I pointed to her stash of diapers and let her know when those are gone, we aren't buying anymore--she needed to start using the potty.  So when Friday, March 13th came around, we were all in.  The diapers were gone and the big girl panties were on.  She screamed anytime we asked her to sit on the potty.  She would shake she was so upset.  She was not going potty.  And apparently, Lillian has a bladder of steel because she did not pee all morning long.  By the time it was 1:30, I told her she needed to sit on the potty until she went.  We put the Abby Cadabby potty in front of the TV and sat, and sat, and sat.  FOR OVER AN HOUR!  Finally, she peed!  She got her m&m and her sticker, took a nap, and then held her bladder all afternoon!  Eventually we got her to go potty again--that evening.

Saturday morning, I brought out some glitter markers for a stronger incentive and also put out four different juices on the table.  She guzzled down one and a half juices and then once she realized they were making her pee, she stopped cold turkey.  Saturday and Sunday were ROUGH.  Lots of tears, lots of screams, and lots of accidents.  Anytime the timer went off to remind her it was time to sit on the potty, she would fight us tooth and nail.  My mantra for her was, "I can sit on the potty and be okay." She refused to say it.

But then, when it was time to go potty just before bed Sunday night, she actually sat on the potty and didn't scream.  I went to bed with a touch of hope. She woke up Monday morning dry and willingly put on big girl panties.  She would run and go on the potty without prompts or reminders.  She started drinking more so she could go potty more!  If anyone knows how to work the system, it's Lillian.  She would pee a few tablespoons at a time because she realized she could get more m&ms and stickers if she peed in small increments.  She kept a water bottle by the potty so as she was peeing, she was refilling for next time!  Talk about a 180!  Ha ha!

On Monday, she was still afraid to poop on the potty.  Lillian was on board with having a diaper placed under her bum while she sat on the potty, but all day she didn't poop.

"I'm so proud of myself, I pooped on the potty."

Tuesday, March 17th--just when I thought it couldn't get any better, she pooped on the potty with no problems at all!  Can you believe it?  I sure can't!  We took this video to send to Geoff at work so he could get the amazing news right away!

She has now officially filled her sticker chart, AND got all her glitter markers, AND has her "pup" (we told her it was a cat, but she is insistent it is her pup), AND her McDonald's Happy Meal.  (Yes, as the screaming and refusing to sit on the potty enhanced, I kept piling on the incentives.)

Lillian is now doing an amazing job with the potty--now to convince her to try the BIG potty...