Potty Magic

Here's the verdict on Sophia's new musical potty "throne": IT TOTALLY ROCKS!!!

Who knew that a little trumpet fanfare could reconfigure a toddler's entire perception of going potty. I'm so very glad I caved in and bought the most ridiculous piece of plastic marketing material ever created. It's working, and that's what matters.

Wednesday was our first full day with the new little potty. Sophia woke up bright and early, excited to use it over and over again. In the past, she'd been holding out as long as possible and then peeing all over the house, without even attempting to move so much as a big toe towards the bathroom. Yesterday was different. Sophia wanted to use her potty every hour without any prompting from me. I know from experience that she can hold it for at least two hours, so she was definitely playing it safe. At the end of the day, she got to toss her big-girl undies down the laundry shoot, not because they were soaked with pee, but because she had worn the same pair ALL DAY LONG.

The next day, Sophia woke up with a soggy pull-up and didn't mention her potty. I assumed her enthusiasm had worn off, just as it had with all the other incentives we've tried. I let her wear big-girl undies again, thinking it might spark some interest. But she was back to holding her pee for two+ hours, and I was back to inventing games we could play on the hardwood instead of the sofa. And I didn't bug her about it.

There were two accidents. But not the kind of accidents I'm accustomed to (sitting in a puddle of her own urine, seemingly indifferent). This time, she shouted, "I need to go potty!" and ran to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. When I didn't hear potty music shortly thereafter, I knew something was up. Turns out she'd had an accident while standing in front of her potty, trying to take her undies off. When I told her not to worry about it, she whimpered, "But I wanted to be like Andrew!" (meaning that she wanted to use her little potty like the boy in the potty training DVD she's obsessed with). She was clearly upset that she'd had an accident, which is a big step forward, in my opinion.

After her second accident on the way to the potty, I was worried that she might give up in defeat. But this girl was determined. Right before dinner, Sophia bolted to the bathroom, shut the door, and...potty music!!! She was ecstatic! And she had three more successes (zero accidents) before bedtime.

So, I think it's clicking. This is the most independent Sophia has ever been throughout this incredibly long, tedious process. I wonder if it's all because of the new potty, or if she's just finally ready to tackle this beast. In any case, I've figured out her currency. It's not candy (although she still requests an M&M from time to time); it's not stickers; it's not wanting to be a big kid. It's a little plastic musical potty she can call her own. I'd better buy some extra batteries!

3 Comments

I love this post! Sometimes the ridiculous marketing plastic people just get it right. We love Sophia and her purple plastic potty that plays the jaunty tunes (sideways Lilly and the Purple Plastic Purse reference)!

I think the musical throne is genius! The ONLY way she gets the reward is to actually use it and it's not controlled by mommy or anyone else. It puts all the responsibility on her. That must be exactly what she needed. Three cheers for peeing in the potty!

sophia-
You "go" girl!

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