Potty Time! Excellent!

My little Queen Kerm (Sophie coined this phrase…we’re not sure what a “kerm” is…but apparently she is one…) has always kinda picked up on things and learned things on her own. I have been a little hesitant with the potty-training as I know that if you try to push it, it can backfire easily. It can even make the process absolutely NO fun for the kid and can prolong the process entirely. We bought a “frog potty” and put it in the bathroom when she was about 1-1/2 years old. She thought it was funny. We bought a little toilet seat (SPONGEBOB) that adapts to the regular toilet along with a pink footstool. She was weirded out by the Spongebob toilet seat. And if you so much as looked at it or talked about it, she would freak. Well…she’s quickly approaching her 3rd birthday [insert SAD FACE here] and I wanted to at least get things going a little. So, we’ve been talkin’ up this “Pee-pee Party.” Not much on bribing, but when it comes to potty-training, I think bribing is alright (in moderation, of course.) So, the word “prize” has been used a lot, as well as, “balloons.”

I tried a couple of Saturdays ago to force the issue a bit, telling myself, “Alright, Aims. We’re going to dedicate this day and officially make it Potty Day.” No way. She pee’d in the floor 3 times. She DID pee in the “frog potty” but she had her Elmo undies on while she did it. Hey, she tried, right? Well, bring on the work week and all plans are screwed all to hell.

Fast forward to September 9, bath time, and Sophie tells Asher, “change me” – yes, she’s in the bathtub, and no, she doesn’t wear diapers in the bathtub, despite what weirdness people think Mormons do :) (sorry, inside joke...had to) so Asher put her on the toilet, atop her Spongebob seat, and although she cried like someone was ripping off her leg, her Dada consoled her, telling her that everyone makes “stinkybread” on the big potty…and SHE DID IT!..................and we took a picture of it. And made a HUGE deal out of it. By the way, my daughter calls her #2 “stinkybread” and I promise you, she did not get that from anyone…that shit is all her.

In keeping with not pressing the issue, a bit of time passes and FF to September 17th. She’s playing in the bathtub, I’m sitting in the bathroom floor folding up clothes and she looks at me & says, “MAMA! Get. Me. Out. Change me!” and I grabbed her up, sat her on the Spongebob seat and, AGAIN. Stinkybread in the big girl potty! A LOT less crying and a LOT more joy from this one. NOW she’s excited. We took a picture of that one too. Lame? Only if you’re not us.

Last night, September 19th, I’m in the kitchen and I hear Asher calling me from the bathroom. This time Sophie had requested, while grinning from ear to ear, to get out of the tub so she could peepee. AND SHE DID! I think this girl’s getting the hang of this.

So, we sent the Spongebob seat with Sophie to MeMe’s house today. And I’ve gotten TWO phone calls FROM THE POTTY from Sophie telling me HERSELF that she peepee’d in the potty! And, there was no tears. Only excitement. And she told MeMe both times she needed to go.

I firmly believe that if you give them the tools, they can do anything. I think Sophie is getting more joy and reward out of this (without bribery from her parents) having done it herself vs. having us say to her every 10 min, “hey. You gotta pee?”

Way to go, babe!
One of these days this post will embarrass you. But, at least you’ll know how much your dad and I believed in you.