Potty Training the Little Miss...

Finally!

This girl is potty trained.  I have waited quite a while to post this because it has been such a wild ride!!!! She started about a week before she turned 2. She has always been an incredible communicator so I figured she was ready. Plus, she struggled with MRSA for a year and the infectious disease specialist told us that potty training and getting her out of diapers (her infections were always on her bum) would help.  So we had motivation too!

 

Well, it was not the easy ride that I was expecting! She was not going to give in and be potty trained. Long story short...after about a month of diligent effort on my part and many many accidents on her part...we decided to just deal with diapers.

 

 

Then about 4 months later- she just told me that she was ready to be potty trained on morning.  So, we started again.  This time was way better- I wasn't as stressed and she was the one who usually would tell me she had to go- instead of me nagging.  She understood what was happening this time and I think that really helped!

She got the hang of it but would still have sooo many accidents and it was really frustrating.  Then about 2 weeks ago, Cory had everyone in the family set a goal to help our family be better and Ellie's goal was to not have accidents...and she was good to go! She rarely has accidents...for a while she was averaging 3-4 accidents a day and now she has about 1-2 a week. 

Yay Ellie!!!

 

This was her most recent chart. It is a little...abused. But she loved it. Her rewards were...fingernail polish, a visit to Grandma's, watch Cinderella, some pink bubblegum, a Happy Meal from McD's, and a four wheeler ride with daddy. 

 

 

This chart below is from the first time we tried potty training her... even with these awesome incentives...she could have cared less! She would earn a reward and then have an accident the next time. It was rough.

 

 

Again...this picture below is from her first attempt... she always would do great when we were out and about. She especially loved the little potty at Kohls.  She just didn't really care to stop playing while we were home and run potty. It was pretty much the same difference to her if I changed her panties or her diaper.

 

 

And my favorite potty training picture...this should have been a good insight as to what our experience was going to be like with this sweet, yet very stubborn girl of ours!