Potty Training - Round Two

And the winner is. . . .

In the weeks before Hannah's third birthday, I told her that she would not be wearing diapers at three. She even repeated the mantra, "No more DIAPERS! 'Cause diapers are YUCKY!" She loved that phrase, so I thought that I had finally gotten through to her.

Then April 25th came. Abby told her, "Hannah, you're three today. That means no more diapers." Hannah grew more and more upset until she yelled, "Stop saying that! I'm NOT THREE!" I promptly took the diaper off, and the battle began. This child has the bladder of a camel. She held it in, with obvious discomfort, for hours at a time before peeing on the floor. I had loaded her with liquid, then sat her on the toilet for 45 minutes, and tickled her. She held it in. The only time she had ever peed on the potty was when she accidentally sneezed while being forced to sit there. At one point during her confinement, she began to sing, "Oh, God, You are my God. Earnestly I will seek You." It was the saddest, most frustrating thing ever. Bribery, time-out, candy - nothing phased her.

This went on for a week and a half. One morning, I took away the only thing I hadn't tried. Her blankie. I said, "You can have this back when you pee-pee on the potty." SHE DIDN'T CARE. That day, I was talking with two friends. One told me about an article she read. With stubborn children (I think I know one!), you are to put them in the bathroom, put a baby-gate up, and say, "Call me when you're done." Then you walk away. After all the screaming fights we had already had, I dreaded the thought. Then my other friend said, "I'll do it when I'm babysitting her tomorrow."

The next day, Hannah went to the babysitter's house. I said that I didn't want to know about it, and I left. Within 30 minutes, I received a text. "We have pee and poo in the potty." 20 minutes later, a second text announced, "Pee again." It was then that my eyes started to water. When I picked my stubborn, wild child up four hours later, she was fully potty trained and has not looked back since. What a magical day.

Special thanks to the potty-whisperer, Kelli Mills. You made my year.