Potty Training Fun

Since she was approaching 2 years of age, Xary hinted that she was ready to be potty trained. Roy and I tried with her (although not consistently) but after a while it stopped being hints and became a full-on statement. I need to pee!

Thankfully, Xaryah's school has been a big help in the potty training arena but we needed to be consistent at home as well in order to be successful at the potty training thing.

So let the fun times begin right?! ... although to be fair, it hasn't been fun all the time.

I don't know if you would have seen my reel on social media regarding how potty training began but miss lady had Roy and I scrambling quite a couple times. Before we had a consistent routine, Xary pooped on the floor (Yup! Right on the living room floor between the sofa and the coffee table), on the potty seat (She refused to sit and poop that time so she stood up and... well the rest is a self-explanatory) and in the potty (Whew!).

Then one day, Xary came home from school and decided that she didn't want to use the potty anymore, she wanted to use the toilet.

HELLLLLPPPPP!!

The process is to begin all over again; timing her body to accommodate the extra time she takes to climb her stool and adjust herself to use the toilet. Sighhhhh...

My shocked face when Xary asked to poop at an inconvenient time

Despite all the potty training stories I have (and boy I do have a lot), Roy and I have noticed a few things that have helped us in getting Xary acquainted with her potty (and now the toilet). Here are the 3 most important things we've implemented while potty-training our toddler:

1. As she wakes, before she sleeps: We've been consistently putting Xaryah on the potty/toilet first thing in the morning and right before she takes a bath in preparation for bed. Those are the moments when she would really need to go, although most times she doesn't really realize it until she's sitting on the potty or the toilet. Also, before we leave anywhere with a toilet (home, mall, etc etc etc.), we carry Xary for a toilet break - this has prevented pee-soaked car seats and outfits (hers and mine).

2. Potty Buddy: Any toy that your toddler likes, give them a voice and a song to sing specifically for potty time. Xary's teddy bear "Biggie" was a huge part of the success of her potty training. He would sing songs "Going on the potty, gonna do a pee pee/poopie" (whichever one is applicable). Xary would sing that song repeatedly while sitting on the potty till she actually did something, then we would celebrate with Biggie with a happy dance and clean up.

3. Do what I do: I've let Xary watch me use the toilet constantly. Show her that we have the same parts and therefore, use the toilet the same way. I would narrate everything I did, from opening the toilet seat and disrobing the necessary garments to flushing and washing hands. I would even quiz her on what I should do next to get her involved in the process and jog her memory on what to do when it's her time. Important note: It's also a good time to begin teaching your child about their private body parts and identifying their comfort levels when it comes to their individual personal space.

Although Xary is pretty much potty trained, she still has some accidents here and there. It's all a learning process for her as well as for Roy and I, but she's been doing her thing consistently and we couldn't be any prouder of our little toddler.