Potty training has been an interesting journey with Grace, as with everything Grace related it occurred in her time.  It felt at times that the harder I tried to get her to use the potty the more she resisted and the times I just relaxed and went with the flow she would amaze me and do wee’s and poo’s in the potty on her own.  

After our initial go to the potty 3 times a day to get used to sitting on the potty, and learning the signs for potty we embarked on “proper” potty training in the beginning of January. Duncan and I decided that for two weeks while we were at home Grace would run around naked and we would take her to the potty on a regular basis.  Well after feeling like we were getting no where (maximum one wee in the potty a day), feeling like I was on permanent “suicide watch” and very tired of cleaning up the floor (thank goodness for wooden floors), I called a time out for a much needed break, only a week and a half in.  I must admit I felt a little dejected at this point and started wondering had we started to early? was she really ready? but at the same time was wondering if putting her back into nappies would undo the tiny bit of progress we had made…Yes I know I’m a control freak and worry too much about silly things.  

Anyway after an ear infection and a few days rest, we decided to try again and she amazed us by going to the potty twice on her own on the same day.  This lifted my spirits and I thought we had turned a corner, but again I was wrong and although we started off with about 3 or 4 wees in the potty a day, by the end of the week we were lucky to have one wee in the potty.  Once again we took a break and back into nappies we went.  

After our second break it felt like Grace made progress and would use the potty on her own (some of the time), and although this was a step in the right direction, I felt rather trapped, since she is unable to pull her panties down and could therefore only use the potty if she was naked.  A slight problem I know!  The other problem we encountered at this stage was that if we took her outside in the garden she would wee, as if on cue, on the steps at the back door.  It didn’t matter if you took her to the potty before going outside, she would still wee on the steps.  Eventually out of desperation I decided to put the potty at the back door and guess what she sat down, focused and delivered. 

I’m not sure what her fascination is with the back door, maybe its the view, maybe the fresh air, who knows but one thing I can tell you is that if you need her to wee on cue just take her to the back door.  

In the last week and a bit we have made huge progress and Grace wears panties while at home.  She signs to us when she needs to go to the potty (most of the time) and is able to make her wee’s and poo’s in the potty in the bathroom, although if we are going out we still take the potty to the back door.  She wears a nappy during her nap, which is mostly dry when she wakes up and she then goes to the potty, and then at night.  We have on occasion taken her out in her underwear, but this is usually on short trips.  If I am going to be out for longer periods I still put Grace in a nappy, but am amazed how many times it is still dry when we get home.  

The next step on this journey is to get her used to using the actual toilet and not the potty, which she is currently showing interest in.  Once that happens and she is comfortable with that I will be brave and take her out in panties on a regular basis.

So after about a 6 – 8 week potty training adventure our 20 month old has got it, well mostly!  In the words of Duncan she is house trained 🙂