Still Potty Training... Day 5

I really believe in Lora Jensen's potty training method that claims to potty train your child in three days. I saw so much of a change in Laney from day one to day two that I'm totally a believer. However, things haven't not turned out so well for us. We are the exception to the rule, I'm sure. We have just ended day five, and I can attest that I am getting bent out of shape and very discouraged. Everything we accomplished is now out of the window. I know not completely, for Laney understands now what's the deal, but it's going to be hard to recover from where we are now.

If you back track and read all of the great advances Laney made by the end of day two, you'll know this method works. So, why isn't it working for us? 6:00 pm on day two Laney had a bad experience with going #2. Without giving TMI, it was painful for her and just scary. She's had several moments like this, which has changed EVERYTHING about using the potty. She no longer says ANYTHING about pee-peeing in the potty, like she did before. She doesn't say a word about anything. She used to run to the bathroom before and say "I pee-pee." Amazing! She now holds her pee in for HOURS. Get this, when she woke up, I took her straight to the potty to establish that routine. Nothing. Nothing came until 12:30 pm when she started peeing in the chair beside me while I was cooking. I did not take my eyes off of her all morning. I stayed home from church even! She went 12:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm peeing straight in the floor, not telling me a thing. Oh wait, I take that back. The only time she says "I pee-pee" is right before nap and she knows all the words. She even goes through the whole list of things that could get me to carry her out of her room, "Eat??" , "I read??" "Where's Daddy?", "I pee-pee." And after MANY trips back to the bathroom, she could care less about the potty and wants to dart to her toys. Seriously.. what happened???? She is regressing big time, and I have no idea what to do. I really am in a pickle here.

We are not going back to diapers. That route would only confuse her more. We've started this, and knowing she's capable of doing this and understands the whole process, we will go forward and somehow finish it. I don't know when, and I don't know how. The method "potty training in three days" works is because it's an intense three days of neglecting everything and everyone in your daily routine (except your child) and giving your undivided attention to your child. The process is not supposed to continue to day six. I'm really worn out and don't know how much longer I can continue. If you know me, you know I have a lot of energy and gusto, so reading that my tank is on empty says a lot. I even shed a few tears today, after two episodes where she just let it all out on the floor and the trail to the bathroom was in abundance.

What's my plan of action? I have to dig a little deeper than most here, since she's fighting me. One thing I plan to do is use a little leverage tomorrow. I'm not big in bribing kids, as in verbally saying "if you pee-pee, then I'll give you "x"." That WILL for sure backfire. But I will give her something she can work toward, as a one time goal. I have rolled up several balls of play-dough (silver dollar size) and will tell her, "every time you go pee-pee, I will put one ball in the jar. When the jar is full, you can have "this." I went to Target today and bought some things from the dollar section. If she can understand this, and she understands A LOT, this might give her some motivation and distract her from her fears. The play dough balls are drying now.

I will also be consistent watching her and running her to the potty.

I might pay for the ebook, just so I can get some one on one mentoring from Lora herself.

I will start reducing her liquids back to our normal amount. Why? I don't want Laney consuming all that sugar for an extended amount of time. We've got to get back to our normal life.

I will continue to pray my head off for "tomorrow" to be "the day" where her fears subside and things click once again.

In closing, after I cleaned up her last mess and her last poo (back to back), there was lots of drama and lots of crying from Laney, because it hurt to go #2. She was really upset and started saying "Mama! Mama!" in desperation for help. I sat on the step stool in the bathroom, feeling covered HEAD TO TOE in urine, exhausted and very discouraged. I took a few deep breaths and just sat there. All day long of saying the SAME PHRASE "Laney, if you need to go pee-pee, tell Mommy" was driving me insane. Every time I said it to Laney, she always looked as if she didn't even hear me. I usually prompt her to say "okay" back, but it's a robotic reply. At that point, I just decided I wanted to start talking to her instead of calmly and happily barking at her. Trust me, I don't enjoy it either. I see the need for repetition, but can it not go hand in hand with just calm conversations about good 'ol potty time? Feeling and sounding much like Eore, I asked, "Laney, where do you go pee-pee?" I didn't expect a thing in return. I pointed to the potty and somehow mustered up a lazy smile and said, "in here." She smiled back. I asked her, "Where do you go poo-poo?" She looked at the potty. This was the first time in days that she had responded to my potty training words. I asked her again, "Where do you go pee-pee?" She smiled and pointed in the hole. I smiled back and said, "that's right". As I gave her a bath, we just talked. I gave her things she can say back to me, like "Do we pee-pee in our panties? " and with a fun voice she says "Noooo! and smiles." It's fun to have her talk back to me. This gave me a flicker of hope and proved to me that she really knows and understands that in the potty hole is where pee-pee goes. She happily climbed up there tonight right before bedtime and just sat. Nothing came of it, but still it was her attitude and willingness to try was what pleased me.

So, if you made it this far, I applaud you. I'm logging down details for myself so I will be able to remember everything, but also for family who wants to know details, as well as friends who are going through this at the same time. It's great b/c #1 I don't have time to talk, #2 the energy or #3 the memory I used to have. I've already gone back to day two to re-read it and refresh. I sat that in awe at what I was reading. Laney really "had it" on day two. All of my days are starting to mesh together. It's fun to compare stories. If you have any fun tricks up your sleeve that might could work and save us here, PLEASE tell me. PLEASE!