Pursuit of the Potty

I had high expectations when I introduced the potty to Finley around 18 months. I potty trained myself at 23 1/2 months (No lie. I have written proof.), so I figured this would be a breeze. And Finley is my daughter, after all.


I had no idea how exceptional I was in that department. And I discovered that Finley was not going to be another version of me. I was relatively independent, but as a child, I exercised that independence safely within the boundaries set for me. Finley...


Finley is so independent, she likes to test the boundaries on a daily basis. Her confidence in herself when she is out in public amazes me at times. Like many two and three year old, she likes to do as many things for herself as possible... when it is convenient for her.


And Finley is so independent, she had gotten into the habit of wetting her pants at home because it was easier to do that than bother with the potty. Of course, she hadn't wet her pants away from home in probably six months.


So I asked her pediatrician if he had any advice, and he suggested cheap prizes to reward her when she initiates pottying on her own. Been there, Done that. M&M's, stickers, smiley faces... you name it. They all worked for a few days until she got bored with them or they were such a given, it wasn't real motivation anymore.


I have to admit, she has been pretty good in the poop department. It was obvious, though, that she would wait until the absolute last moment to deal with number twos.


So I think I've finally figured it out. It is all about keeping it new and interesting for her. I was reading some advice from one mom to another about night-time training, and she said she put the training potty next to the bed. The toddler was told to use it whenever needed in the night, and if he woke up dry, would receive a reward.


Anyway, I thought about trying that with Finley, and mentioned it to her. She got so excited about having her potty right next to her bed, that she asked me to go get it out of storage right then. That was nearly a week ago, and she hasn't had an accident since. She uses her little potty throughout the day (insisting on emptying it herself) as well as the big potty.


The funniest part to me is the change in her pooping habits. She would usually only deposit a number two in the toilet every two or three days... and it was usually very large. Since she's had the little potty out again, she's pooped in it every day, and, no surprise, they are much smaller.


Joe has taken an interest in the training potty, sitting on it whenever he can. Unfortunately at 16 months, I don't think he's quite ready for it yet.


Now I'm wondering what new gimmick I'll have to employ once Finley gets bored with her little potty again. What an adventure.