Potty Training Harper {A Work In Progress}

Potty Training, a Lesson Learned by all. 
When my nephew was 24 Months, my sister potty trained him with the 3-day boot camp method. I have heard boys are harder to train, so I figured we should be good.  At school, the teachers tell me they have never had a kid tell them when it was time to change their diaper like Harper would. ha!  Again, a sign, where I thought this method might work for us.

3-Day Potty Training Boot Camp basically has you have your child pick out undies, throw away diapers, don't use pull-ups, and let them learn what it is like to have to go to the bathroom.  The guide says by 3 days, they will get it. 

Labor day weekend was approaching and we decided it would be the best time, since we wouldn't have to take off work. We took Harper to pick out her new big girl undies (Rapunzel and Bubble Guppies) and really talked up the potty.  Saturday morning rolled around and we ceremoniously threw out 2 diapers (I am not throwing away 100 diapers!).  And the process began...

Checking herself out in her new big girl undies!

Still supporting the Vols in her orange.

I was nervous to let her sit on the couch alone.  Also, pushing the fluids!

The first day, we had a handful of accidents, but she was recognizing it more and more.

She even successfully went a few times in the potty!

Day Two: Harper showing off her microphone she got from her goody bag for going potty.

{Side note: based on my sisters advice, we decided to do pull-ups for nap and night. It's required at daycare, so we thought we would save ourselves some middle of the night trouble}

Slowly starting to lose our minds being cooped up in the house all day.

Looks like she just woke up, nope. We figured no need to tame the bedhead for the potty!

She has Buzz and Alien along for the ride

Lack of shower selfie!

Harper parade for successfully telling us and going potty! yay!

Day 3, it really seemed to click. She had one accident all day and that was in the morning. She was going potty, told us when she had to, and really seemed to understand the whole concept of staying dry.

We were so excited.  Well worth the three days of cabin fever!

Day 4: this is where we started having some issues.  Harper went back to school.  They are starting to teach the kids in the class about the potty, but she is certainly the first one "potty trained".  She was terrified to use the potty's at school.  At this point, she had been using the floor potty at our house. I realized she was comfortable with Mommy and Daddy and her bathroom...school was another story.

Here is my opinion on the 3-day boot camp (again, just my opinion).  I think this process will work best with a stay at home parent or a few a days of follow-up after the 3 days.  Harper did so great at our house, her bathroom, and with us.  For 3 days, that's all we focused on.  Then, day 4 we were up and at em, going to school (it was a scary ride to school-we stopped at a store and Kim's house on the way to try).  She has only been in school for a week and half ... so that alone is new to her, much less potty training.  When she didn't go when we stopped, we tried at school.  She kept telling me she had to potty, but wouldn't go in their toilets.  She was scared to go.  She would say "all done" and stand up and go right there, in her clothes.  When I realized her fear that afternoon, I took her to Bossy's school to use a potty there, used different toilets in our house, and we hid the floor potty.  With me, she was fine.  Back at school, scared.  I get it, there are two teachers and up to 12 kids at any given time...no one has 100% focus on her like we did.   So after two days of accidents and a migraine for me (brought on by the stress and anxiety of her having accidents at school), we decided to try a new method.  The school recommended putting on a pull-up over her undies so she still feels when she is wet, but not having it run down her legs and change clothes every hour.  I felt much better the first day we did it. When I picked her up, the teachers said we had some success and any of the times she did have an accident, she told them she had to go, they just didn't make it in time.  So now, Day 7, we are still using "undies only" at home (except when sleeping) and doing pull-ups over undies at school.  They are really encouraged that in a few days she will get over her fear and she will be in underwear only.

So, would I consider it a success. Yes, I would.  She tells us when she has to go and she can hold it (with us) until she gets to the potty.  She keeps her undies dry and is proud when she goes in the potty.  Do I think it was locked-in in 3 days, no.  I think if we had taken day 4 to run errands and get her used to life outside our house, then maybe it would have been better.  I am hoping that within a week or so, we are pull-up free and officially trained.  We aren't giving up.  Only time will tell!