5 Things I've Learned From Potty Training

Disclaimer: This post is all about pooping and peeing... You've been warned.

Potty training has been a big topic in the Fife household for about a week now. After researching a bunch of different techniques and approaches, I decided to combine principles from various methods to create an option that worked for us. We didn't want to do the 3 Day Bootcamp method because that entailed basically staying home for a good portion which just isn't an option for us (for my sanity as well as my kids). I also wanted something a bit more structured so we weren't stretching this out for god knows how long. The result is this: Isla is basically, for all intents and purposes potty trained - WOO HOO!!! You all can congratulate me later ;). I still put a diaper on her when we leave the house and at bedtime because she still hasn't really grasped the idea of underwear. She still thinks that she is wearing a diaper. No matter how many times I pulled down my own pants and showed her that I am wearing underwear, and showed her how I take it off before I go potty, it still hasn't quite sunk in. Nonetheless we are super proud of her, and hope to be out and about in underwear by next week. Through the course of this experience there are 5 things that I've learned that I am sure sound familiar to all potty training Mommy's and Daddy's out there. So, for your reading pleasure:

1.) Toilet Paper is a hot commodity. You can't just buy it in bulk, you need to buy it in super bulk. I am not sure if there is a store that sells things in higher quantities then Costco, but if there is, that is where you need to buy you're toilet paper when you are potty training. To Isla, wiping is one of the most fun parts of going to the potty. Along with throwing massive amounts of toilet paper into the toilet, taking said pieces of toilet paper out of the toilet once it's wet, unraveling toilet rolls and pulling them around the house, and finally using the cardboard from the rolls for anything the imagination can think up.

2.) Know that your powder room will never be "fancy" again. It has now acquired all sorts of new and not so fancy accessories. These include, but are not limited to: stepping stools, potty training seats, kids soap and a massive amounts of towels, (because drying your hands with one towel just isn't enough).

3.) Washing hands is fun... and somehow really really messy - which seems a bit counterproductive.

4.) Pooping is suddenly a very scary event in your child's life. Isla still runs around the house screaming "no stinky, no stinky", whenever she feels one coming. And she rarely has had any accidents with #2, and the ones she did have were in the beginning. She runs around screaming this with a look of fear on her face while holding her bum. Finally, she will sit down on the potty and I hear plop, plop and suddenly all the fear is gone, and my little princess yells "Good Job Isla!"

5.) Lastly, your washing machine will never stop running... ever.

Our big girl on the potty with her most favorite bathroom reading material

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