Potty Training Boot Camp

I would first like to apologize for yet another potty training entry. There may be a few potty training adventures yet to come, but I promise I'll use the utmost discretion in deciding what to bitch about post.

We've got sort of a potty training boot camp going on in our house right now. The plastic panty thing? Not so much working. For all the wet spots I still have to shampoo off the carpets and the upholstery every day, I gave up on the plastic panties and just toss regular ones on her when the mood suits. I consulted with my "source" about the dilemma and she recommended I try the actual plastic panty covers, since the all-in-ones do have a higher tendency to leak. Wish I'd a known that $12 ago?

So tomorrow I'm back to Babiesrus, where I will purchase exactly 2 packs of the plastic panty covers, for approximately $3 for a pack of 3, each. In the meantime, she will be wearing panties all day. Again. And I will continue shampooing the carpets and upholstery approximately every two hours. I'm sure that by the time S. finally decides that using the potty at home is the cool thing to do, we will have bald spots on our brand new carpets and the upholstery will have thin, wispy patches here and there. Also, my Bissell may overheat from having to keep up with the puddles of piss being left behind in various rooms numerous times a day.

The best part about all this?

I never really know exactly where S. was when she peed her panties, because she won't tell me right away. She'd walk around in wet panties all day if she could! So I have to hunt down wet spots in the common areas- the living room or her room, dragging the shampooer with me as I look. The Bissell has not seen the closet in two days, but this sure does add some excitement to my otherwise boring days…

But I am determined. If this kid knows when she has to potty while we're at the library, she's going to figure out how to use the potty at home when the urge strikes.

There's no telling how long this boot camp will last. A week, two weeks- the rest of my life…

When I was freaking out about A.'s lack of interest in the potty a year ago, I'd heard people tell me to relax, that she'll be out of diapers by the time she goes to kindergarten. And with A., that turned out to be true. But with S., I'm not entirely sure she'll be out of diapers by the time she goes to college…

The Plastic Panty Potty Training Challenge

I have a 3 year old who will not use the potty at home. Emphasis: at. home.

If we're at the mall, the library, the park, the bx- anyplace where she will have to use a public restroom, she'll tell us she has to potty, we take her and she goes. But at home, not so much. I've tried just about everything. Sticker charts (one from Chuck e Cheese, even), letting her wear panties around the house. Nothing works!

Someone recently suggested I try plastic panties, so that I'm not shampooing upholstry or carpeting every few hours. So the girls and I had a mission today. Find plastic panty covers (we had some for A., but those didn't work for her so we tossed them. Doh!)
After checking Target and the Bx, I ended up right back next to Target at Babiesrus. Why didn't I think of that earlier?

I stood in front of the stupid training pants rack for what must have been at least 10 mintues trying to figure out if I wanted the plain plastic panty covers (3 for $2.99) or the set that were actually plastic panties. The outside is plastic, just like the panty covers, but the inside is lined. What makes them so different than pull-ups, dh wondered. Good question.

These aren't as absorbant as pull-ups, so they've got to be a little more uncomfortable. Plus, they can be washed, and therefore, reused.

Sweet! I thought. This way I won't have to put panties under the plastic panty covers. I've got an all-in-one majiggy here.

S. has gone through 2 of them in the last 5 hours. 2. She will not be putting on another one tonight. One, because it's almost bedtime, and two, because it's not quite working out the way I'd hoped.

I was advised (and wanted) the plastic ones so that I wouldn't be shampooing everything she sat on every few hours. Maybe I bought a faulty pair, or maybe she's not getting uncomfortable until the liners are beyond capacity and they're leaking, but they're leaking. So far I've shampooed a spot on the sofa and both of their fabric rocker chairs.

Oh, and, both times there was poop.
Ewwwwww.

But I am prepared- I bought 4 of them, the 2 are in the wash now, and tomorrow is another day.

My advisor said it may take about a week before we start to see progress. So, a week it is.

She'll be in those damned plastic panties while we're home, and I'll just keep the shampooer handy- again. For one week.

After that I'm giving her to the gypsy's. They can return her after she's decided that using the potty at home is as necessary and cool as using it at Cold Stone Creamery.