I might have mentioned once or twice about our trials with toilet training. It's been a struggle to say the least. We've gone round and round in circles, she would start doing well and then start to carry on at the mere thought of using the potty.
At the start of August, I got serious and started making her wear undies during the days and pull ups for nap and bed times. While, she was managing to stay mostly dry, the problem was that she would simply hold it until I put a pull up on her, or in extreme cases she would wait until the very last moment to declare "I need to go potty!" and she would make it all the way to the potty and wee in front of it.
Both Ellie and I were getting more and more frustrated. I read so many books, websites, blogs... The consensus seemed to be to not force the issue. If I made her sit on the potty when she was fussing, then it will just put the training back, so this is how I worked it. I put her in undies but tried not to force the issue, I tried to let her work it out for herself.
Obviously, that was a big fat failure.
So, here we are, visiting my mum and somehow Ellie's got the whole toilet thing going on. On Friday, when mum was home with the girls while I rested she started Ellie wearing undies and would make her go to the toilet when it'd been a few hours since the last time. There were tantrums, tears and carrying-ons.
Two and a half days later and Ellie's telling us when she need to go, being excited about being a big girl and even happily doing poos, which I could never, ever get her to do in anything but a nappy or pull up (except for those few times when she went on the floor, but lets not talk about that). She's enjoying being able to wash her hands in the little basin after flushing the loo, she's thrilled and I am very proud of her.
How this will translate at home is a worry for me, but I am hopeful she will be too far gone, so to speak.
And while I am thrilled that we're finally, finally getting somewhere with this and I am no longer imagining having three in nappies, or having Kahlei toilet trained first (yes, at moments that was a real thought), I am a little disappointed that I have had so much trouble with her and in mere days Nanna's got it figured out. Gah!
On the upside, Kahlei seems interested in getting herself trained, too. She's never actually done a wee on the toilet but she gets excited about going and will happily sit there and then come and tell who will listen that she tried to do a wee. Maybe we'll have two toilet trained toddlers before Phoenix arrives.
