This week has been CRAZY, but also very rewarding!
I was told by the parents I nanny for that I should read up on potty-taining because they think their daughter is ready for it. I took that to heart and started attempting research! I read a book listing 11 pointers for potty training but honestly, I was disappointed... It all seemed really logical to me! Things I would naturally do! I figured I would ask some experienced potty-trainers and find a more helpful book but THEN I show up to work on Wednesday and R was wearing underwear! Apparently she woke up and refused to let her mom put a new diaper on her, she wanted to wear underwear! As with most things, I confidently got in WAAAYY over my head and agreed that I would start the training, how hard could it be, right?
After about half an hour I called my parents! and later that day when I heard the neighbor (who is a good friend of mine and mother of 4) outside, I rushed out with lots of questions!
Apparently I was doing everything right and was re-assured that I should just keep doing what I'm doing but I could NOT understand why she kept having accidents! In my mind, once she learned what to do, and felt how gross it is to go in her pants, she would catch on... that's wishing, not reality!
The second day started out better but by 10:30 she was DONE and wanted her diaper back! I am very stubborn and was NOT about to be defeated by potty-training so right before she woke up from her nap I filled up 3 sippy cups, two types of juice and one with water, I also lined all her favorite snacks up on the counted, and displayed the new coloring kit she could get by going #2 in the potty! I went in to her room with a great big smile, enthusiasm, and lots of potty talk! We had a GREAT afternoon! We taught her curious George doll how to use the potty and then gave him m&m's for a job well done! This worked really well. I also skimmed the potty training in less than a day book and got some great pointers!
The third day was SO rewarding! she only had ONE accident (#2 only) and had totally caught on! The only problem is, I think I made her too reliant on me because although she had no accidents, she never went to the potty by herself. She would tell me she had to go and then just stand there until I came over and walked her to the potty...
All this was accomplished JUST in time for her 2nd birthday which is today, Saturday! I am excited to see how she progresses this weekend and if she is more independent on Monday when I go back to work. I will, however, be devastated if I show up and she is wearing a diaper!
The plus from this experience far out ways the difficulty, I now have my own fine tuned potty training method and wished I had read that less than a day book before beginning! I would of course change some things to suite my own personality (and my future children's) but I now feel A LOT more confidant about going through it as a parent!
Potty training took its toll, 3 BEAUTIFUL days and no park are hard on a two year old! Also, S was neglected socially! She got all her meals, naps and diaper changes but when she was awake she mostly had to amuse herself! (P.S. R's only accident on the 3rd day was when S was being fussy and getting all the attention!)
Favorite quotes from R this week:
-"Ok emmy, you have two choices! We can go to the park or go on a walk"
-"emmy, we can go to the park or you can sit on time out!"
- after her first poop and lesson on wiping she sang this repeated for a few minutes "No poop in the vagina"
- "Monkey George went poop, monkey George needs markers! I will give them to him" smart kid, but I'm smarter!
- Q: R, what does mommy wear?
A: Underwear!!
Q: What does emmy wear?
A: underwear!
Q: what does daddy wear?
A: Shirts!! (haha, obviously!!)
On another note, Brandon and I had a BEAUTIFUL weekend filled with excitement (and no potty-training)! Friday night the elders quorum threw a fiesta for the ward! Decoration included streamers thrown over the basketball hoop in the cultural hall. (yea that's it! Sometimes I wish I were a boy, i am SO not cute enough to be in relief society) . It was a really fun evening with a Mexican themed pot luck, a pinata for the kids, and a tortilla throwing competition in which Brandon tied for second place! Brandon went on a long ride this morning while I went on a run and cleaned the house a bit! Then we headed down to the beach where we met up with quite a few families from our ward! later we went to my friend/coworker at BYU's wedding reception which was catered by in and out burger! Tomorrow we plan to go on a nice long walk along the beach after church and feed the missionaries!
Sorry for the long post with no pictures! I'm pretty sure R's parents would not be too happy about me putting a picture of their naked child online and we didn't have our camera with us this weekend! But rest assured we both have smiles on our faces, I have some extra freckles, and Brandon is a shade darker!
I was told by the parents I nanny for that I should read up on potty-taining because they think their daughter is ready for it. I took that to heart and started attempting research! I read a book listing 11 pointers for potty training but honestly, I was disappointed... It all seemed really logical to me! Things I would naturally do! I figured I would ask some experienced potty-trainers and find a more helpful book but THEN I show up to work on Wednesday and R was wearing underwear! Apparently she woke up and refused to let her mom put a new diaper on her, she wanted to wear underwear! As with most things, I confidently got in WAAAYY over my head and agreed that I would start the training, how hard could it be, right?
After about half an hour I called my parents! and later that day when I heard the neighbor (who is a good friend of mine and mother of 4) outside, I rushed out with lots of questions!
Apparently I was doing everything right and was re-assured that I should just keep doing what I'm doing but I could NOT understand why she kept having accidents! In my mind, once she learned what to do, and felt how gross it is to go in her pants, she would catch on... that's wishing, not reality!
The second day started out better but by 10:30 she was DONE and wanted her diaper back! I am very stubborn and was NOT about to be defeated by potty-training so right before she woke up from her nap I filled up 3 sippy cups, two types of juice and one with water, I also lined all her favorite snacks up on the counted, and displayed the new coloring kit she could get by going #2 in the potty! I went in to her room with a great big smile, enthusiasm, and lots of potty talk! We had a GREAT afternoon! We taught her curious George doll how to use the potty and then gave him m&m's for a job well done! This worked really well. I also skimmed the potty training in less than a day book and got some great pointers!
The third day was SO rewarding! she only had ONE accident (#2 only) and had totally caught on! The only problem is, I think I made her too reliant on me because although she had no accidents, she never went to the potty by herself. She would tell me she had to go and then just stand there until I came over and walked her to the potty...
All this was accomplished JUST in time for her 2nd birthday which is today, Saturday! I am excited to see how she progresses this weekend and if she is more independent on Monday when I go back to work. I will, however, be devastated if I show up and she is wearing a diaper!
The plus from this experience far out ways the difficulty, I now have my own fine tuned potty training method and wished I had read that less than a day book before beginning! I would of course change some things to suite my own personality (and my future children's) but I now feel A LOT more confidant about going through it as a parent!
Potty training took its toll, 3 BEAUTIFUL days and no park are hard on a two year old! Also, S was neglected socially! She got all her meals, naps and diaper changes but when she was awake she mostly had to amuse herself! (P.S. R's only accident on the 3rd day was when S was being fussy and getting all the attention!)
Favorite quotes from R this week:
-"Ok emmy, you have two choices! We can go to the park or go on a walk"
-"emmy, we can go to the park or you can sit on time out!"
- after her first poop and lesson on wiping she sang this repeated for a few minutes "No poop in the vagina"
- "Monkey George went poop, monkey George needs markers! I will give them to him" smart kid, but I'm smarter!
- Q: R, what does mommy wear?
A: Underwear!!
Q: What does emmy wear?
A: underwear!
Q: what does daddy wear?
A: Shirts!! (haha, obviously!!)
On another note, Brandon and I had a BEAUTIFUL weekend filled with excitement (and no potty-training)! Friday night the elders quorum threw a fiesta for the ward! Decoration included streamers thrown over the basketball hoop in the cultural hall. (yea that's it! Sometimes I wish I were a boy, i am SO not cute enough to be in relief society) . It was a really fun evening with a Mexican themed pot luck, a pinata for the kids, and a tortilla throwing competition in which Brandon tied for second place! Brandon went on a long ride this morning while I went on a run and cleaned the house a bit! Then we headed down to the beach where we met up with quite a few families from our ward! later we went to my friend/coworker at BYU's wedding reception which was catered by in and out burger! Tomorrow we plan to go on a nice long walk along the beach after church and feed the missionaries!
Sorry for the long post with no pictures! I'm pretty sure R's parents would not be too happy about me putting a picture of their naked child online and we didn't have our camera with us this weekend! But rest assured we both have smiles on our faces, I have some extra freckles, and Brandon is a shade darker!
