big girl.

i love potty training.

My kids have a relationship with the potty starting VERY young.

I sit them on the toilet before they take a bath.

I tell them to try and go potty and praise them for their effort (even if nothing comes out).

Most of my kids have learned to pee on demand just by doing that, so potty training was super easy.

I always look for signs that my little one is ready to potty train. 

My best sign is that they will start to tell me when their diaper is dirty or when they need to poop.

I think it is EASIER to train a younger child (age 2), but that is just my opinion. 

With younger children you are working more with skill than rebellion/compliance issues.

Once I decide, this is the time, I just do it 100% for a few days.

Once I get rid of diapers for panties, my child needs to have success.

[If I try consistently for a few days with NO success, I'm fine returning to diapers and not making a big deal of it.]

I set my timer for every 15 minutes.  And, sit them on the toilet to try and go potty.
I sit right in front of them-- they know I'm comfortable for a long time.
If they are scared or say they can't go... I just hold their hands and tell them I will help them.
Usually I don't look at them, I just hold their hands and look to the side and whisper "Shhh, it's coming."
I tell them they have to be very quiet and listen for it to come, sometimes I make pushing noises to help them get the poop out.
If they try (meaning they stop crying or talking and try to push) and it won't come out, I say "it's ok, we'll try in a few minutes."
I don't give them tons of praise for dry panties or for times that they sit on the potty without going.
Mild praise.

Grand praise comes when they actually go potty.

My favorite reward-- praise!!!
[I love the potty dance-- just an excited mommy and brothers/sisiters singing "you went potty!" while dancing around.]
When they have an accident I have a calm, negative voice, "Oh no... What happened?  Why did you make this mess."
And, I ALWAYS make THEM clean it up.
I make them help take off their wet panties and wipe up the floor or clean the carpet.
Hopefully, this is a miserable thing for them and they are whining and saying "I can't, it's too hard."

So, I can respond, "I know, that sure makes a big mess.  You need to tell mommy so you can go potty in the toilet."

If I am consistent, with the timer, I can USUALLY get one great success within the first day.
Then, I build on the success.  When they say, "I can't go potty."  I just remind them in a fully confidant, happy voice, "Yes you can, remember yesterday."

Sometimes, after a few accidents and a little two year old cry, "It won't come mom.  It won't come."  I begin to doubt my decision. 

Sometimes, I want to just put them back in diapers and wait a few months. 

This is where I am STUBBORN. 

1.  I trust that I made the right decision when I first decided my child was ready.

2.  I trust that my child has been peeing and pooping in her diaper for years and she knows HOW to do it.
3.  I am SO excited for this child to have success that I HAVE to stick with it.  I am not a nice mother if I let my conflicted child have her diaper back, I am a nice mother if I teach her how to have SUCCESS in her new goal. 

And, ALWAYS, it works.

It is hard for a couple days... and then it is positive and successful.
I try to get rid of diapers all together... meaning I try not to put a diaper on for naps or bed.
(For sure once they are going potty when I put them on the toilet, I stop diapers.)
If they have day time accidents- I just revert to my timer. 
It's more a matter of ME being trained to remind them and take them.
Night time accidents- I think this is a different story.
Most of my kids have gone from very wet night time diapers to completely dry panties the day they were potty trained.  No night-time accidents ever.
I have had two children that have had night time accidents-- for a long time.
Because I heard stories from my mother in law, I believe night time wetting is genetic.
I NEVER got upset.  And, I didn't use pull-ups on a regular basis.

I put a plastic sheet on their bed and taught them how to strip their bedding and their wet jammies and throw it all in the wash.

It wasn't a big deal, and eventually they grew out of it.

This week-- my Lily Grace became a big girl!!
She is SOO excited.
And, I am so proud of her.
I LOVE watching my children become...
but oh how her toddler-ness is slipping away and being replaced by a sweet, big girl.

I LOVE, LOVE this child.

And, I love my job.

{I have been known to potty train my friend's kids... so, feel free to ship your little one over and I'll get the potty dance ready!!}