Baby Steps Toward Diaper Freedom

It’s becoming a tradition that our household gets serious about potty training on Independence Day. Let freedom ring! Well…to be honest it will be awhile before we are free of having to change diapers for two. But modest progress was made with my almost-three year old.

Last Fourth of July, my sister-in-law trained my oldest, then three, with the “bare bottom” method. The  child wears no diaper, underwear or pants for three days. The idea is that they will become aware of their plumbing and realize that going on the potty chair and toilet is better than having messes.

It worked wonderfully. My daughter relished the one-on-one attention with her aunt. Within a week she had almost no accidents and was even nighttime trained! And what a blessing for me, as I was eight months pregnant with our third at the time, and totally overwhelmed. I’ve pretty much told everyone that my sister-in-law worked a miracle with my daughter.

This Fourth, I decided to do the same method with our second daughter. Yes, I was hoping for the same success. But, different child, different age, different situation. She is about six months younger, and I’ve hardly worked with her at all. Which I feel guilty about. Just in general, I have this nagging feeling that she doesn’t get as much attention as her sisters, who are more high maintenance. I can say that because I myself am high maintenance. Just ask my husband.

But back to the potty training. Earlier this week, I hit the library for potty training books and DVDs. We started prepping our daughter.

I bought new toys, stickers and games. I cleaned the potty chair that had collected dirt and sand after being repurposed as a stepstool. I explained to my four year old that she was going to be the big sister potty training helper. And I said a prayer.

I realized pretty early—like making breakfast early—that this was going to be harder without my sister-in-law! And with an extra child—my sweet nine month old, who still needed feeding, diaper changing, and spit-up cleaning. I had to lean on my four year old.

It was awesome the way she remembered (from a year ago!!) that her aunt had put a towel down on her booster seat so she wouldn’t have to sit on her hard seat with a bare behind. She asked me for a towel, and arranged it on her sister’s seat herself.

Then after breakfast, another highlight—our trainee went Number 2 on the toilet!! Maybe this wouldn’t be so tough…

…or maybe it would be. As I entertained my middle child with new books and toys, camped out on the kitchen vinyl, my four year old started getting jealous. Suddenly she didn’t care anymore about the Shopkins set I had bought her. She wanted Mom’s attention. Finally in frustration I asked my husband to take her on errands and out to lunch.

My oldest was out of the house, and I got my nine month old down for her morning nap. Now I could concentrate on my middle child’s progress.

Except somehow, things started to fizzle. Accident after accident. I picked up the potty chair and we went outside. Without warning, she pooped in the yard. She seemed nonplussed. I grabbed a plastic grocery bag and got to find out what it is like owning a dog. We went inside. More accidents. At one point, the floor was so wet from the cleaning that my poor girl took a nosedive on the vinyl and cut her lip. I wasn’t winning any mother of the year awards.

My husband and oldest came home. They had enjoyed a great time at the grocery store and eating corn dogs and fries for lunch.

“I haven’t even gotten lunch,” I said grouchily. Not like I was getting tired, cranky and discouraged or anything.

I reminded myself that at least my middle child and I had been able to spend lots of quality time together. We read books. We sang songs. We made pictures.

But so many accidents. Like 60 seconds after sitting on the potty for 10 minutes. With this process, you’re not supposed to put diapers back on at all. However, around 4 PM I decided that we needed a break. I needed a break. She went back into a diaper, and we enjoyed a yummy Fourth of July cookout that my husband prepared.

I told my mother-in-law that things had been rocky and I was discouraged. Then when we came inside from our cookout, my daughter headed straight for the bathroom. Shestarted climbing up onto the toilet. I took her diaper off, and she plopped down onto her Paw Patrol potty seat. Immediately she went Number 1! I felt her diaper again. Dry!

“Hooray!!” we all cried. My husband, my mother-in-law, and my four year old all hugged her. “Now that’s got to make you happy,” said my mother-in-law as my daughter munched the jelly bean she got as a reward. “It’s a good way to end the day.”

“Yes, it definitely is.” Ending on a Fourth of July high note. Life couldn’t be better.