The Start of Potty Training

So we're doing it, we are full force in to potty training. It was my goal all along to start trying to potty train her once we got back from vacation. We've been potty training now for over 3 weeks and she's doing wonderful. ::knock on wood:: The 1st day was a little rocky but during the next couple of days the pee-pee's in the potty slowly started to increase. She got the connection within a couple days that when she has to go, she must go on the potty. Still to this day her, "I have to pee" and actually peeing is very short. She can not hold her pee or poop very long at all. That's okay to me, right now we are just trying to get her connect the filling of using the bathroom with actually finding the potty and going. She's still in diapers at night/nap and when we go anywhere. If she can get that sooner rather then later, great if not, that's okay too. She's only 23 months. I never expected her to do this well at all, we are now up to 1-2 poops a day and anywhere from 2-15 pee's (depending how much we are home that day).

I know everyone will read a ton of books or Google the crap out of how to potty train their little one but here are some tips that have helped us out over the last couple of weeks.

1. We let her pick out cute new panties.
   - We do find it easier at this point to keep her naked for most of the day. She can wear the panties but you have to be right there when she has to go to help her get them down. She can't get them down fast enough at this point.
2. Take the potty with you.
   - We take the potty to ever room we go to. I announce where the potty is and make sure she actually looks at it.
3. Positive reinforcement.
   -At first we rewarded her with an m&m after ever time she went on the potty.
   - We also made a potty chart. Every time she went potty we put a star and wrote what she did and the date. Once she got to the end of the chart, she got a small prize.
   - We always cheer and make her give us a high-five
4. Mommy's helper.
   - She loves to help open up the toilet, dump her pee or poop down the toilet, and then flush.
5. Everyone's involved.
   - Get everyone involved. Whenever we go to our close friends or parents houses, we make sure it's okay if we continue potty training there.
6. Watch the cues.
   - Once Claire was naked, I noticed that she actually at a pee-pee dance. When we see her doing it, we run her to the potty!

You will know when your little one is ready. I've learned that no one toddler is ready to potty train at the same time. If you try and they hate it, scream and refuse then stop and try again in a week. It's scary, it's a big change and sometimes big changes take a while. Who cares if your little one is trained at 2 years or 4 years. It will happen and I think it has to happen on your toddlers time. Good luck (and don't forget to get extra paper towels, you'll need them)!