Potty Training 101

What can I say?  Toddler potty training has arrived in our house.  Actually, it has not only arrived, but it is consuming our home.  Preschool started the potty training track for us about a couple of weeks ago when Madi officially moved into the Toddler 2 Room.  This classroom is unique.  It has an adjacent bathroom that has three tiny toddler toilets.  The kids are just rotated in and out of the restroom all day.  So, we have continued the diaper to Big Girl panties at home.  In fact, I took Madi shopping for her first Big Girl panties this weekend.  I walked her into to Target and she selected her own packages of panties.  She wanted "Kitty" (Hello Kitty) and "Micky" (actually, Minnie Mouse) underwear.  She was so excited that she carried both of the packages all around the store and didn't want to hand them to the cash register.  She kept exclaiming, "Mine!"  Here are some pictures and a video of Madi in the car after our trip to Target.

We have been in full underwear mode all week.  Panties during the day and diapers at night.  Her progress this week has been pretty good.  We are not accident free, but she is beginning to tell her teachers when she needs to go to the potty.

Here are some things I have discovered while making this transition:

1. I am thankful the floors in our home are primarily tile.  Otherwise, clean up in this house would be very painful for me.
2. Toddlers are easily distracted and will refuse to use the potty no matter how many times you ask if they need to go.  So far, dinnertime and Dora the Explorer are the leading causes of accidents in our home.
3. It is not a fun night when you are in the middle of bathing a toddler with messy pants while your 7 month old baby decides to compete with his sister for my time by throwing up all over the bath mat at the same exact time.  It makes for a very frustrated, frantic and almost at wits-end Mom. 
4. We have a bi-polar potty trainee.  She loves to visit the toilet as school, but as soon as she enters our home, all interest disappears.  We have tried potty books as encouragement and stickers as rewards.  No such luck yet.
5. Once you start on the Big Girl panty track, there is no return back to diapers.  Must continue on ... even if you do not know how long this adventure will last.
6. I just realized this week I have to do this one more time.  AND, I have heard boys are much harder to train.  I am not sure I will make it sanely through this twice.  Ughh!