Potty training

Whoever thought that potty training is easy must have had some help from a nanny, or was simply just lucky because so far, it's been THE toughest thing that I had to teach Tonicci! There were moments when I was ready to cry out of frustration! Tonicci is a very tough and strong-willed boy. Sometimes, it's hard to persuade him to do certain things - especially when he has his own ideas on how to carry them out.

I read somewhere that you must let your child pick a potty seat and that's exactly what we did. With all the options available, he finally chose an Elmo potty - which even talks when you press it! The first day that I put him on the potty, things didn't go very well. Weeks passed and he still didn't want to use it. Finally, I had to talk to different moms to seek advice.

They shared common tips like rewarding him with something, preparing a chart where he could put stickers whenever he uses the potty, reading potty books together, etc. Believe me, I tried all of these methods hoping that he would finally learn how to use it.

Then one day, a friend suggested to put the potty in the living room so that it would be easier to access - compared to going all the way to the bathroom. Et voila! It worked! I can't say that everything went smooth sailing after that- but it was a start. I'm happy to say that now, he graduated from the potty and is now using the toilet. He's also diaper free- except when sleeping or napping, just to be safe.

Has it been a happy ending? I want to say yes, but right now we still encounter accidents. He still pees in his briefs once in awhile - esp. when he's engrossed in play. Oh well, who said that life with a toddler is perfect?