Potty Training for First Time Mommies

My Potty Trained Girl

Gahhh. The horror. First it was the sleep training. Now the dreaded potty training. I wasn't sure when to actually start. Some people say when the baby is 18 months, you can already start. At 18 months, Naila doesn't even let out a squeak if she poo. Not a hint, except the smell that comes afterward. So I know she wasn't ready back then.

She's now 2 years old and 5 months. I can understand her clearly when she speaks so I thought, what the heck.. it's now or never!

FIRST DAY
We rolled up all the carpets, playmats, yoga mats, sejadah mats and hid it in the corner. I prepped Naila that she's not wearing diapers anymore a dozen times the day before. I think she gets it when she nods ok.

That morning after shower, I put on her shirt and airy pants only minus the undies. I started timing my phone every 15 minutes to prompt taking her to the toilet. She did her pee for the first time! YAYY! Success!

The 15 minutes toilet break went on until afternoon. Then I got complacent. I stopped asking every 15 minutes. Naila went on to pee on the floor about 3 times that day.

No poo on first day. I went all... hahaha let's see how long can you hold it in!

SECOND DAY
Peeing session a success, although she still refuses to say, "I wanna pee." Instead she makes faces. So we had to be in tune with her face. If we miss it, then another round of moping. By second day, we know to put on her diapers when she naps. Because she'll pee when she wakes up. She manages to poo in the diaper. Sneaky.

THIRD DAY
Caught her squatting down and making faces. Sprinted to the toilet! First poo in the toilet! Yayy. See?? We parents aren't that hard to please.

When she's absorbed in playing something, she forgets all about the training and pees on the floor. We still had to ask if she wants to pee or not.

FOURTH and beyond. 
I read somewhere that you can potty train in 3 days. Maybe if it was really intensive, no diapers 100%. But I always went out with Naila during our potty training week and she wears diapers outside. So that might've confused her a little. Plus she also wears them at night and during naps.

I can safely say she's reliably potty trained at the end of two weeks this way. The carpets go back on the floor after 2 weeks. It's pretty tiring when she 'forgets' to tell us. But in all fairness she manages to let us know in advance most of the time.

She gets especially excited when it comes to flushing her No 2.
The other day after doing a no. 2, she cried, "I made a banana!" OKayyy. Lols Ew.

Another time she said, "Naila poo. Gross. Don't touch mommy. Let's flush." That's a bit better.

WHAT YOU NEED
1. A mini potty seat to go on the regular toilet bowl (we don't use those standalone potty, I can't stomach cleaning up the plastic afterward)

We used something like this. 

2. A ready toddler
3. A timer/ handphone to remind yourself to take the little one to the toilet
4. Alertness to her facial expressions
5. A lot of patience
6. Courage & a little bit of gusto

Go for it! You know, I can already feel the diaper savings. I used to buy those diapers in a bulk of 4, now reduced to one a month! That's more than RM100 savings. Awesome.