Potty train - BOOT CAMP version

Today is the fifth day of Haley's official potty train. Stephanie suggested a boot camp version where we stay home all day and wear big girl underpants. Mommy & Daddy have bought her a dozen of big girl underpants and another new potty. In addition, we bought extra floor cleaning solutions and a new spray bottle. Daddy took away the playing mats and carpet in the living room. We are all set for her process to become a big girl.

I know potty train will be a long journey, it is definitely hard work. My hip, my butt, and my legs are so sore from getting up and down to clean the floor. It's a challenge to get her to sit on the potty at a high frequency already, and I need to stay calm and not show much of my frustration when she pees on the floor within minutes after I just asked her to go on the potty. It's not easy...but mommy knows potty train is a learned behavior, it just takes time, mommy will be patient and slowly teach Haley to recognize her need of going and coordinate that with telling mommy that she needs to go.

We stay downstairs most of the day except nap time and night time so she won't have any accident on the carpets on the 2nd floor. Mommy takes Haley to the potty before she goes to bed and after she wakes up. She also tries to sit on the potty at a fixed time interval throughout the day. Mommy plans to put the extra potty in the van, so we can use it when we go out.

We use praises, celebration songs, dancing, stickers reward for small success, and she gets a bigger reward (to visit the fishes in the pet shop, to go to the playground for slide,...) when she accumulates certain numbers of stickers reward. In five days, she has already told me a few times that she had to go poop and I was so surprised that she actually told me that she has to go pee this morning for the first time. WOW! I understand her progress probably will go back and forth, but mommy is proud of Haley's effort in trying and learning.

I think Haley knows she's going through big steps in her life. She was excited, yet also gets the sense of pressure a little bit. She wakes up earlier in the morning and has shorter naps in the last few days. I wonder if I have stressed her out…well, kids have strong adaptability, and I know Haley will soon adjust to the transition and the new challenge in her life.