POTTY LESSONS

Now that both our kids are potty trained, we've sold our cloth diaper stash and given away the few disposables we had laying around. And I must say, it feels GOOD to be done with diapers already - only a 3 year and 3 month stretch of diaper changing duty isn't too bad with two kids! Yes, I know we kinda lucked out with them being so close in age - just another perk!

So since we're experts now (I kid, I kid), here are the lessons we learned along the way, in the hopes that some of them may work for someone else down the road:

1) Go all-in. Don't confuse the kid by going back and forth between undies and diapers. Not even for naptime or car rides or overnight. Sure, it sucks to have to change the sheets a few timess a week, it can be stressful to drive anywhere further than 15 minutes away, it's a pain to have to pull the car over at a moment's notice, it can be frustrating to deal with fear of public restrooms, restaurant meals get interrupted frequently, etc. But in the end, trusting your kid and showing them that you mean what you say when you call them a "big kid" makes a huge difference. Remember, this is a really big milestone for them. They need to know that their parents have confidence in them so that they can have confidence in themselves.

(As for the overnight accidents, James was completely accident free by 3-years-old, so only 9 months of overnight accidents for him, and his happened about 3-4 nights/week. Cora, who started potty training 4 months younger than James, has been accident free overnight for the most part for about a month. Sure, the occasional accident still happens for both of them, but it's rare. Neither kid ever had much issue with naptime accidents - though they did occur. And car accidents have been equally as nonexistent for them both - we're just really careful to take them potty before loading up, then stopping as often as necessary, even if it means 2 stops between our house and daycare...)

2) Be patient. This is something we struggled with a LOT (and still do occasionally, since accidents do sometimes still occur, and when they do, Cora usually has a BAD day - it's like all or nothing with her), but it is worth it to constantly remind yourself to breathe and let the frustration go. Getting upset about an accident doesn't teach them anything - it only prolongs the training process because it knocks their confidence down. We had the most success when we simply reminded the kids that they needed to keep their undies dry, then asked them where the pee-pee is suppose to go. 9 times out of 10 they enthusiastically yelled "In the potty!", quickly forgetting that they had done wrong. Two- and three-year-olds are fully capable of holding a grudge, so don't give them reason to.

3) Make it fun. Every kid is SO different, but I guarantee you there is a way to make potty training fun for them. Whether it's rewards of treats or stickers, promises of playdates or adventures, getting to stay up late or eat dinner in front of the TV, even the kids who can't be bribed (ahem, Cora) will eventually understand that peeing in the potty benefits them too (not just mama and daddy).

And that's it. Three simple things to remember. Good luck trainers and trainees!