Potty Training

I had read blog posts about potty training a toddler in 2 or 3 days and always imagined doing that when the girls were ready.  However, at the same time because they were cloth diapered and could easily feel when they got wet, we have been potty training since last fall.  That is when I started introducing the potty to them and trying to get them on it in time when they asked.  This spring I made going to the potty part of the bedtime routine, and D got pretty consistent going on the potty in the evening.

After our trip to California in June, I was planning on getting serious.  I thought I'd pick a few days in a row where we were not doing much and have them mostly trained by the end of it.  I completely underestimated how much energy it takes to potty train two just-turned-two years olds and overestimated how much energy I had in the first trimester of pregnancy.  I would get them on the potty first thing in the morning, spend the morning in the tile rooms waiting for the success/accident to happen and a few hours later have them in diapers or training pants because I just wanted to lay on the couch in the living room. 

So I decided the gradual approach was more for us.  We were already doing potty time in our night routine, so I added mornings to the mix.  After a week or so, they started hanging out in their big girl panties (with Dora the Explorer on them) for an hour or two in the mornings and if they hadn't peed on the potty, we would move to the tile rooms just in case.  There were accidents (there still are accidents).  T took longer to get the idea of going on the potty.  D had it down for the most part from nights and mornings but would still have accidents. 

Then about two weeks ago it all clicked together.  When home, if they aren't sleeping, they are usually in their big girl panties (except when they haven't pooped in awhile or in the evenings when I'm tired and don't want to clean up a mess).  They are much more consistent going pee than poo.  They are generally progressing with the occasional bad day.  I finally washed the diaper laundry after a little over a week even though they still have clean diapers because I didn't like the thought of the dirty diapers sitting that long.  They still wear diapers or training pants when we go out somewhere.  But most of the time they either ask to go potty while out or are dry when we come back. 

So there is definitely a lot of progress.  There are also times where they go all day on the potty like good girls and then pee on the bathroom floor a few feet away from the potty in the evening.  I just don't get it.  But it is a long process and they are only two and still learning lots of basic life skills.  We aren't anywhere near being fully potty trained where they can go by themselves without any accidents but so far potty training is definitely a success.