Dear Mai,
So you are about to hit your 2 year, 7 month mark and we are on a mission to have you potty trained before Grandma visits in a few weeks. We are pretty much in potty training bootcamp. Well as much of a bootcamp you can get with fairly lazy and inconsistent parents but we are not here to talk about us. This is about you missy.
We thought for sure you were going to be a breeze with potty training. I mean, you had your first potty success when you were 15 months old! That was like 14 months ago! It has been a roller coaster ride since then.
To be fair, we really didn't start being consistent until recently. Up until then it was more just getting you familiar with all the ceremony, if you will.
What we don't understand is how you an be so smart but still not have this down. I mean you knew over 20 of the 50 states by the time you were just over 2!
Here are some stories we've heard from other parents:
"Oh, potty training was easy. She/He learned over the weekend."
"As soon as she/he saw me go potty, she/he wanted to do that too and just started using the potty."
And my favorite from multiple people...
"Oh we didn't do much. She/he pretty much learned how to use the potty at daycare."
Lies. All lies.
You totally understood what "going to the potty" meant by the time you were 18 months. Up until very recently, here are some typical conversations.
Mommy: "Maya! Let's wear big girl panties today and use the potty."
Maya: "No. I don't want to do that. I'll wear a diaper."
Daddy: "Maya, don't you want to be the princess of the potty like your book?"
Maya: "No. I'm just a baby still."
I know, I know the blame is 99% on us and our inconsistency but the rational and diaper complacency on your end is a bit over the top.
We've also gave ourselves the excuse that we like to travel and go out so much that potty training can wait a bit. But now its almost winter time and time to buckle down. No more excuses.
We've tried all kinds of things. Sticker rewards, praise and we even resorted to giving you m&ms for successful potties. We have a system. 1 m&m if we ask you to go potty and you do. 2 m&ms if you go pee-pee on your own with out coaxing. And 3 M&Ms if you go poo-poo on your own! You've only gotten 3 M&Ms once. Of course you can't just get any old M&M.
Maya: (after going #1) "I get 2 M&Ms! I want purple M&Ms!"
Daddy: "We don't have purple m&ms."
Maya: "I want 1 brown M&M and 1 blue M&M."
I feel like Eddie Van Halen's tour manager from 1982.
Luckily within the past month you seem to have a vested interest in conquering this thing. It might be because you are pretty excited about getting a big girl bed. We've been shopping lately and you love trying out new beds. At the end of the day you really don't care what kind of bed it is, as long as its purple. It has to be purple. Everything has to be purple. You want purple everything. If I tell you that you can't have something you usually respond with "Maybe I can get one when I get older. Maybe I can get a purple one." The "one" can be anything from a spatula to a garden hose.
(That last pic is of one of your "buildings." You love to take whatever is around and build these structures and call them your house or your garden. This is your new bed in your bedroom." I smell architect in your future.)
You also want to wear big girl panties and use the potty. In fact using the potty is probably our most talked about subject right now in our household other than our little "what do you want for dinner" make believe game.
Mommy: "Everyone wears big girl panties and uses the potty. Mommy does. Grandma Does. Lorelei does."
Maya: "Uncle Shawn wears big girl panties too?"
Daddy: "Yes Maya. Uncle Shawn wears big girl panties too." :) (Sorry Shawn, I can't let that one go)
I'm confident in you (and in us) Maya! We can do this. I want to update this blog in less than 2 weeks from now with the title "Princess of the Potty" and not look back to diapers anymore. Let's do this!
Love,
Daddy