The Potty is Not Going To Eat You

Look, the majority of the content on this blog is going to revolve around potty training my stubborn 4 year old daughter for a while.  I might break it up occasionally but right now her shiny little heinie is pretty much the focus of my days.  If you're getting bored then go look at cat videos.

Today was day 2 of Operation Break Sophie's Will or Possibly Pop Her Kidneys.

She came out of bed with the diaper that ate Manhattan.  I cleaned her up and left her pantsless.  My sister calls this the "Winnie the Pooh" or "Donald Duck" method.  Sophie knew what this meant and started getting cranky right away.  I offered a potty trip and she fell to the ground howling.  I said "OK!" and walked away.

She got up.  Stared at me.  Looked at the bathroom.  I could see her little brain working it out.  I didn't care?  I wasn't going to make her do anything?  What's the catch?

I watched her fight all day.  I gave her cup after cup after cup of juice.  Finally, I was sorting clothes in the hallway when it hit.

Sophie came SCA-REE-HEEMING down the hallway like she was on fire.  Again, I calmly looked at her and asked her if she wanted to go potty.  She screamed all the way to the bathroom and I heard clanking, banging, crashes and finally...a small tinkling sound.

The sound of victory.

Granted, she had ripped down my cute little potty chart and peed on it.  She was also just hovering over the potty and had peed in / on it.  It took 15 minutes to calm her down and convince her that she was not going to turn inside out and die right there on the tile floor.  I cleaned everything up and brought out the stickers.

"Stickees?", she said while sniffling.

"Yes, baby!  You get to put stickers on your chart now!"

She gleefully put a sticker in the box and another at the top of the chart.  Then she came out to the living room and paced around and around.  She kept going over to the laundry and bringing me her pants because she knows that pants mean a diaper as well.  I knew she still had to go so I asked her again.  She yelled as she ran into the bathroom...and then ran right back out into the living room.

It's OK.  Mama has Resolve.

After getting everything out of her system, the fight just left her.  She sat in my lap, exhausted and worn.  She slept for 15 minutes that way.  (Me praying the whole time that she didn't pee all over me.)  When she woke up...something clicked.

5 more times today, she went to the potty and did her business.  This time it was with clapping, dancing and elated stickering.  One time, she even ran to me in the kitchen to tell me she had to go.  She went to bed tonight with 6 stickers on her chart and a Pull-Up on her butt.  She fell asleep in minutes.

I know not every day is going to be like this.  Some days will be great.  Some days will go through a whole can of Resolve and most of my resolve.  Today, however, ended with 6 stickers.  I feel like I earned them, too.