For a few months now, people (and by people I mean my mom) have been bugging me about when I'm going to potty train Melody.
I have decided to do it at the end of July. It will be a good time then. Jack is in camp for two weeks, has a week off, and then starts K-5 so we'll be home a lot.
I don't know why I am so nervous. I've already potty trained one child. Although he is a boy and he was already 3. Melody is a girl and will just be 2.5 at the end of July. I had one failed attempt with Jack at 2.5 and retrained at 3. I guess I'm just nervous about history repeating itself.
Also, I have concerns about public restrooms. One of the biggest benefits of a boy is that he can use the restroom without having to actually touch anything. And, in the event that there's no restroom but let's say a tree, we're still OK. I mean, I've even pulled over on the side of the interstate and opened the door and let Jack just hang over the edge. I won't have those luxuries with Melody.
So, does any one have any good tips on training a girl? What do I need to know when we leave the house? What do I need to have with me?
I'm ready to go from this
to this.
I just hope Melody is willing!
22 comments:
GOOD LUCK! Evan isn't quite 2 yet..but I want to start with him soon. He shows a lot of interest in the potty and he KNOWS when he goes in his diaper!
We are starting with Alex the first week of August! I have a week off and plan to do it that week! I am scared to!
My mother and father in law will have her the week after the 4th and I think I will send a little potty with them because they will be at the lake! It will be easy for them!
I need her out so I can get ready for another!
I think Emily was closer to 3, but she showed me that she was ready. The bad thing about having a boy first...I would catch her trying to pee in the yard, too! "But Alex pees outside!" It was hard to explain that it's just different with boys! LOL! You will be fine. Emily was easier to potty train...but public restrooms are definitely yucky for girls :( Good luck!
Hi Emily, Good luck with potty training! Mikayla was actually potty-trained at 2 years old. She kind of just went with it without me having to do much at all (she still wears pull ups at nap and night time, but is starting to wake up dry for naps...we're working on that part) I really don't have many suggestions. In fact, I'm probably going to have to get some advice from you on boys because it's Austin that I'm worried about. Typically, the girls tend to get it faster than boys...that's what I've heard. I would let her pick out her own panties. Make it a special trip with just the two of you if you can. Have a potty in the car with you at all times. You don't have to get anything fancy. My sister says she just uses plastic sacks and puts that in the bowl part and then can throw that away later. Kind of gross, but it might be worth it in a pinch. In fact, she says she even throws a maxi pad in the bottom of the sack to absorb the pee so it's not sloshing around. Public restrooms are a bit of a challenge, but we've always been really good about using the seat covers (or toilet paper when there is none). If I think of anything else, I'll be sure to pass it along. Oh, make a fun potty chart with stickers! I probably wouldn't start with giving candy right away because then they'll get used to that, but I did stickers and once she earned 5 stickers she could pick a "prize" (you could come up with little things). OK, I'm done for now. It will go great...hopefully. ;) Maybe she will surprise you! Have a great day, Emily!
Oh, I'm so on the same wave length........except with a boy and it's my first!
TigerBoy is getting close to 3, and I suspect he could be ready in the right environment. One of the tasks in WI will be this very thing. I've already got a bunch of training unders from Hanna A and will be picking up a box of pull ups when we get there........I'd love any tips you might have for a boy!.......3 months shy of 3 years........Good luck!
Good Luck with Potty Training! Potty Training Princess Belle for the daytime, wasn't difficult. Night-time took a little longer.
I have all the faith in the world in you! Good luck with your new adventure. :)
Let me know how it goes! I wish I had some words of advice but we just started the whole sitting on the potty ourselves. Maggie seems more interested in the chair or seat than actually going. She usually wants to "try" right after she has gone so we have had no success. I am hoping once they start at daycare too it will be easier (cuz I am all about someone doing part of the dirty work!). Good luck!
You are just going to have to get over it about the public restrooms. And the whole toilet paper on the seat thing doesn't work with a preschooler. Just make sure you wash hands really well. Also, do not let Alex take her potty in a public restroom because Brad told me that men are even worse about aiming in public than at home and yk how kids tend to kick off their shorts when they sit on the pot...yuck!
GO MELODY!!! And GO EMILY!!!
Cheering for you. Stick with it because one less diaper is wonderful :)
Fingers are crossed! I resorted to bribery and it worked like a charm. I also gave the other two rewards when Ben used the potty - they bugged him lots to go sit on it and "try" which made my job easeier. Sometimes peer pressure is a good thing!
Totally agree with Lauren. You gotta get over it. I don't care HOW MUCH you prepare and go before you leave home, public restrooms are inevitable. Nasty, but true.
I always look for the paper seat liners but virtually noone has them. If that's the case, line with plenty of TP and PLACE your child on top. Teach her to only touch her TUMMY while she's going.
Then scrub, scrub, scrub those hands!!
You may want to start dropping hints to Melody about big girls going on the potty and see what her reaction is. At least if you mention it several times between now and then she won't be surprised a month from now.
Good luck!
You can do it...just get some hand sanitizer and get over it.
I'm not much help since I only have a boy, but I nannied almost exclusively girls.
And I can say there is one great thing about little girls (well, more than one...) and it's the ability to take your kiddo in with you even when she's a bit older. With boys... you run into that "is he too old to be in the girl's bathroom, or is he too young to be in the boy's bathroom by himself" thing.
Good luck with it. And remember - don't force it. Who cares who is bugging you about it - potty trauma takes longer in the long run.
(and I LOL'd at your comment about shaving one leg! :)
I SO know what you mean. I need to take this plunge with the babies, well at least Claire. She is showing all the signs that she is ready. But I guess I am just not.
Please, if you learn any tricks... share.
Oh and I love the new look!!!!
I've heard boys are tougher than girls, but I only have 1 girl so I have nothing to compare. But I will say that for public restrooms, I tried my best to avoid them in the beginning. I would try to get her to pee on the potty before leaving the house, and keeping my errands to 3 hour intervals. In the beginning, she did not like the public toilets because she was so small, but now that she's almost 4, and bigger, she's fine with them.
Wishing you lots of luck!
Gonna agree with Lauren - if you ever want to leave the house you're going to hafta get over the public restroom thing.
I had all this dumb advice ready but you don't really need it. You'll do just fine!
I HATED potty training! Henry was so hard to train....but I think a lot of that has to do with him being such a strong willed kid! I have heard that it is a lot easier to train girls than boys! My mom bugged me for a year about training Henry...but I just didn't think he was ready! Grant was alot easier to train, mainly because he saw Henry going and wanted to wear big boy underwear too! Good Luck!
Good Luck Emily. They say girls are much easier than boys - I'll guess I'll know the real answer in two years. I started with Kate at 2.5 and didn't have much luck in the beginning months, but now we are finally wearing panties all day and using the potty! Disney Princess dolls as rewards tend to inspire girls to go! :)
Sorry - I'm the LAST person to ask for advice from....my daughter was about 3.5 when she finally "got" it...and she's a girl - you know - the "easy" gender to train?! Yeah, not in my case. So from then on out I told myself I was not going to force things with my other kids - it's too hard on ME, not them. So good luck - try to relax about it....and carry a LOT of antibacterial wipes/gel with you! :-)
I wish you luck. I started training Luke today. Not so great, but not so bad. Luke just doesn't care if he is wet. He will stay dry to get a prize, but then he will wet later. Any suggestions? Needless to say, I have no advice.
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