How I potty trained 2 toddlers in 5 days

Are you trying to potty train your little one(s)? Does it seem like nothing is working? People keep telling you how they tried *insert yet another potty training method* and suddenly it clicked? Do you feel frustrated and confused?
 That was me! I was sure I would never get my stubborn son to sit on the potty. He wanted NOTHING to do with that thing,no matter how much I bargained with him. He told me straight up that he didn't want to have to stop playing to go pee. I was DOOMED, he was set on staying in diapers. He was a big boy all day long until the dreaded potty came up and suddenly he was "not a big boy all the time". I was frustrated, I'll admit I cried. However, I was set on getting him to go potty. He is 3.5 after all.
 Trying to potty train him alone was not working. We had about 12 diapers left and I decided to just go for it. I told both my 3.5 yo son and my 2.5 yo daughter that we were not going to be buying anymore diapers. I hid the 12 we had and tried to get them on the potty. I must suck at hiding things, or my kids are little detectives, because about halfway though the day they found them. Now every time I tried to tell them " no more diapers" they would remind me of the diapers they just found. I negotiated, I had them go on a diaper hunt for any remaining diapers (I think we found 1 or 2 more) and that was it. We would use the last diapers over the next couple of days and that would be it, so start thinking about the potty.
 The diapers ran out, it was go time! Dada and MIL got them each two mashems to open upon successfully peeing or poopoing in the potty. Except, neither of them would go, not on the potty anyways. I went through 3 EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING days of ZERO successful potty trips. They would barely even sit on the potty. I was done, it was the end of the day and I told Dada that we needed to buy diapers in the morning. I felt defeated. But, wait! I was attempting to get my daughter to sleep. She gets up and I'm so done, I nearly yell at her to lay down. Then I realize where she's going--she just went pee on the potty! I was overjoyed. Out was bedtime, but We let her open her toy anyways. I was hopeful again and so relieved.
 Something clicked that night for her, because she's been peeing on the potty for almost a month now. Occasional accidents, but she's really good about it. My son took another day and a half. He wasn't having it, he wasn't understanding something. He was getting frustrated because he couldn't pee when I would put him on the potty. We ended up getting him ones of his mashems just for trying to use the potty. At the time, him sitting on the potty was a good thing! After we gave him the mashem, he peed on the potty! Don't aask me how that worked...I don't know.
Amazingly, like his sister, something just clicked. He's gone on the potty ever since. He's had a few wet nights and the occasional accident, but our house is officially diaper free!
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5 Things I think helped make our Potty Training Successful
1. Gave them an incentive to look forward to
The mashems got them exciters, they REALLY  wanted to know who they got. While this didn't work instantly like I was hoping for, I know it helped peak their interest. You can use whatever toy your kid is currently talking about. If they aren't super exciters about toys, you vcan try a special treat. After the two mashems I gave them a jelly bean each time they went. Slowly I would reward them at the end of the day and now I just show enthusiasm.

2. Put their pottys in the living room
This may sound weird. We have an open floor plan so with the potty in the living room it helped me a lot. I let them watch a show and try to pee, I could be in the kitchen and easily get then to the potty if they had to go. I kept the potty in the living room for about a week & I didn't move them until both kids were comfortable with it. Only downside of this is minimal pee on carpet. We have two pottys, but I would only recommend one. One potty we have my daughter pees over the edge almost every time. This potty has been much better for us.

3. I didn't show my frustration when they didn't make it to the potty
Oh, I wanted to. I kept my cool most of the time. Dada helped me with this when my anxiety was getting the best of me, but I felt it was super important to keep potty time positive.
4. I explained everything
When we were nearing the end of diapers, I constantly was asking if they wanted to use the potty, explaining that soon it would no longer be an option. I helped prepare them so it wouldn't seem so scary. Whether this helped or not I don't know. I like to think it did.
5. Most importantly, consistency
I think the main reason I was able to get them potty train was that I didn't give in. I was literally hand washing all their underwear EVERY TIME they went to the bathroom, because they wouldn't use the potty for...THREE DAYS! I didn't have one successful pee to lean on. It sucked. I wanted to give up and get pull ups, but I kept telling myself they won't want to pee in their pants forever! I'm glad because it paid off in the long run.

Are you diaper free? If not, don't give up! The end is near!

Until next time,
Kelly

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