It's All Coming Back To Me Now

For the last month I have been telling myself no more diapers; I am not buying anymore diapers. We have panties ready in size 2. It will save so much money!

Potty Training began with such promise. A box of surprises from Target's $1 aisle and Landry's enthusiasm at receiving them. And she would receive a prize but only if she went tee tee in the big girl potty. You see, this worked well for Laney and we've explained it in detail to Landry. I didn't push it but would take her every 30-45 minutes to the potty and if she went she would get a treat from her basket. So, same idea here as it worked fairly well for my #1.


I remember now. The ups and downs, successes and failures of operant conditioning and allowing the incentive to go to the bathroom on the potty.

The first day could not have gone better. I would take her every 45 minutes-1 hour if she had to use the potty. She went three times the first day. The last, of which, was on her own right before bedtime. Landry brought me the potty, said poo poo, and went completely on her own. I was shocked! She had mastered potty training in one day!!!

Morning of Day 2.

Me: "Do you want to go tee tee on the potty?"

Landry: "Yea, prizzzz"

So, she knew that if she went potty on the potty she would win a prize! Win-win! She went a couple of times on Day 2. Not bad. We had an accident after bath time in her robe as she was telling me she had to go tee tee and we didn't make it to the potty. This was not entirely her fault.

Day 3.

What Landry figured out that I never factored in is she ran out of prizes she was interested in. The motivation is gone. Or maybe she got bored . Or maybe I have conditioned her to do something she wouldn't do without the bribe. So, now that prizes are low and she isn't interested in them she won't go tee tee on the potty either. It doesn't help that she had school on Monday either to not remind her of the magical prize potty.

Now I ask Landry "Are you going to go tee tee?"

"No" crinkling her nose and laughing.

At the end of the day, everyone ends up potty trained, right? 

Regardless, proud of the progression and regression we've made! I'm not in a hurry to do it but at the same time she tells me when she has to go so I would like to seize the day.  More than anything, it has been fun to see, again, the differences with Landry and Laney and learning milestones.

I'm going to stick with it and keep taking her to the potty, regardless if she inherits a prize or not.  I am likely going back to Target.

The latest retort from Landry.

Me: "Landry, are you going to ever get potty trained?"

Landry: "Prizzzze"