I think I have overdone the potty thing with Elly, and I worry that I am messing her up as a person. As previously posted, Eleanor peed on the potty for the first time. We made a big deal about it, as that’s what all the advice says to do.
Today, Eleanor went pantsless for several hours (again, this is more standard potty protocol, or so I am told). We promised cookies if she peed. We promised songs and dances. At one point, I think I promised her a unicorn.
“I wanna coookeee.”
“Then pee.”
“COOOOOKEEEE!”
“I hear you. Elly want a cookie. Mommy wants to give Elly a cookie. Mommy can’t give the cookie till Eleanor pees.”
“It’s broken. Pee pee all Gone!”
Then she would stand up and there would be no pee in the pot. She looked disappointed. Then she would sit back down. Repeat this little scene every few minutes from nap time through dinner, and stop just about ten minutes after you go bonkers.
She sat on the pot for AGES, and reassured her that, really, she can pee in the potty. By bedtime, we gave up. (Keep in mind, we didn’t ask her to sit on the pot the whole time, we gave her run of the place and she kept coming back to the pot.)
Right, so, bedtime…Let’s transition into something not potty. “Let’s go take our bath then, Elly.” In the time between going to the bathroom to fill the tub, and the time she got in it, she peed behind the curtains in her bedroom. You know. The ONLY room in the house with wall to wall carpet.
UGG… I promise I didn’t yell at her.
At least she could communicate that she had peed, and it really saved her life that she didn’t ask for a cookie.
Are we getting closer here or moving in the wrong direction?
oh no! poor Elly. Poor mommy. I don’t know if you are going forwards or backwards, but you sure are funny to read.
hugs.