Potty Success

Mia had been introduced to potty when we bought one and she was around 2.5 years old but we didn't do anything with it til one day she decided to try it on. I think her friends or teachers or she had been observing her older friends using them so she had been talking about it since. I wasn't sure if she's ready but she was on holidays and I took a week off work so I thought it'd be a perfect time to start.

Yes, I heard people saying to only start when they're ready - not when YOU (parent) wants them to - to avoid frustrations and accidents which will aggravate frustrations and stress. But I was aware she was talking about potty and how big girls pee in them and showed lots of interest on flushing the toilet and toilet papers. So armed with potty books and videos on YouTube, I set to teach her how to use the potty. Needless to say, I failed big time. She had accidents through out the day and well into the third day, I announced to myself that she's just not ready. So we decided to wait it out for few months.

Come New Year I tried again. This time I sat her up on her potty every night after dinner. Sometimes she goes, most times not. After 5 days I decided to call it quits as well.

One day end of March, just one night, while the potty was sitting quietly in her room for a long time, she was nappyless and sat on it. Excitedly she took the inner potty out to me in the living room and announced, "LOOK MOMMY! I SHEE SHEE POTTY!" I peered into the bowl but it was empty so I said so. Then she went back inside her room, and just peed into it. With the same gesture and announcement the first time, she showed it to me and of course I made a huge deal out of it. We took it into the toilet, washed it out and clean her up. The next morning, she did it again before we left for school! We told the school and they'd look her into it and encourage her as well. However, she did had few accidents the few days after and I was about to give up but her teacher said, "once we start, we just go through with it". So I didn't stop.

Today is the 4th day she's been nappy-less even on outings and during naptime. At first, I couldn't trust her without a nappy when we go out - even on the way back from school. And then I realized chances of her peeing in a nappy is far more than when she's not wearing one. So now she tells us when she needs to go. On Monday after school her teachers did not put on a nappy for her so we went to even have dinner (mamak) before heading home. At the mamak, she did look a little jumpy and restless so I asked her if she wants to go. She nodded but once we were in the toilet (it was an old type where you have to squat) she'd refuse to go and told me she did not want to. This happened twice. On our way home, she told us she needs to go and I had told her to just hold on a little. By the time we reached home I was so sure she had wet her undies. Turned out she had been holding it out for so long! Once on her potty, she peed awayy!!

So that's how I figured she's ready and her muscles in her bladder is strong enough to hold urine. Oh but I found out she can nap without a nappy a few days earlier than Monday. It was an accident - I forgot to put a nappy on her and she wasn't feeling well so she had a nap. Woke up dry :)

Some time this week we'll get more panties for her. I'm not sure when she wouldn't need one during bedtime but I don't think it'll be anytime soon. I put her on a nappy before bed last night and this morning it was full! Also, she hasn't mastered pooping in her potty yet. So she still have accidents. But I'm pretty confident she'll get that one pretty soon :)

xx