ode to the commode

So, every once in a while the last year or so, I decided to try and potty train Sydney.  It never went well and never lasted more than a day or two.

One of the more recent attempts began one morning when I was changing her overnight diaper and realized it was still dry.  My theory was... How much longer can she hold it? 

Apparently the answer was an hour and twenty minutes, because that is how long we sat on the toilet waiting for the 'pee-pee' to stop "hiding" ... Sydney's excuse when she cannot/will not go.

Two days later, she was dry again in the morning, so again, onto the toilet to await the arrival of the hiding pee-pees.  That time she held out for just over 2 hours(!!!) and still had not gone on the toilet.  I decided enough was enough and we were done.

Then, for some reason, we decided last week to try it again.  I switched her to simple cotton trainers and prepared to have a ton of messes to clean up. 

What I did not realise was the extent of the stubbornness possesed by our nearly 4 year old. 

She held it in for 7-10 hours those first few days.  The only time she pee'd each day was when we were playing outside.  I could not believe she was able to hold it that long. 

Finally, I think on the third day, she went on the toilet.  She had been doing the 'gotta go' dance, and so I knew it was only a matter of time.  It took 15 minutes of near panic-attack-like symptoms from Sydney, but she finally went.

After 6 days, we had only had 3 successes, but I was ok with that.

Then yesterday, she used the toilet without fussing!  I had put her on the toilet and told her to try and go while I was putting elijah down for nap.  She suddenly calls out, "mama, I did it!"  I think to myself, yeah, right, but she did!

Then, after nap while cleaning up my crafting area, we found some old tickets from a kid carnaval we did at church last year.  Sydney likes tickets and asked for one.  I told her she could have one if she went on the potty.  "Ok, I get a ticket," she tells me.  "When you go pee-pee," I remind her.  She then walks to the bathroom, gets on by herself and, after waiting a whopping 2 seconds, pees!

It can't really be that easy?

can it?



Apparently tickets speak to Sydney, because she went again today and I am hoping she will go again two more times...that's my goal.

(for the record, all types of reward type systems were attempted in the past and NOTHING worked.  I'm really happy that things finally seem to be falling place for her to figure this out...cuz baby comes in less than 5 weeks, and she starts school in about 8 weeks.)