The Poo-Poo Tent

The potty training process, to no surprise due to Ella's severe case of stubbornness, has been a fairly lengthy process for us. After waiting for the "signs" (ie: does child show interest in the toilet? does child go long lengths of time without wetting the diaper? does child show discomfort wearing a dirty diaper?, etc), we decided to push for the potty training about, oh, months ago...I think we've lost track. So then, after repeated failed attempts, we consulted the books, hoping for an answer to our dilemma:

Suggestion #1: Using child's baby doll, show the child how the baby doll goes to the potty, "flushes", and washes hands. Child will then want to actually show her baby doll how it's done by actually using the potty.
Outcome #1: Ella: "Yeah baby! Yeah Kate! You did it! Now, let's put you back in a diaper. Oooh, stinky poopy. Mommy! Kate has a poopy diaper! Mommy, Ella changed Kate's diaper!"

Suggestion #2: Encourage your child to take interest when mother or father uses the bathroom.
Outcome #2: Absolutely no bathroom privacy for mother or father.

Suggestion #3: Children LOVE new things! Buy your child a new potty and new underwear. Make a big deal of it and praise them on the new gifts.
Outcome #3: New underwear continued to build up in the drawer, unused and unworn. First purchased potty began collecting dust (literally), and second potty got thrown on the floor and preempted a tantrum.

Suggestion #4: Allow your child to mess or wet their underwear. The feeling of soiled underwear will be too much of a discomfort so they will learn that it's better to go in the potty.
Outcome #4: Setting the scene....it's around 10am and Ella is off playing with her toys. She's awfully quiet. Erika grows suspicious and approaches her. The smell is almost unbearable. Erika: "Ella, did you go poo-poo in your underwear?" Ella: "No." Erika: "Um, yes. I can see it and smell it." Ella: "No." Erika: "Ella, isn't it yucky to be in dirty underwear?" Ella: "No." (nonchalantly) Erika: "Does it feel good to be sitting and playing in a dirty pair of underwear?" Ella: "Yes."

Suggestion #5: Bribe them. Find the one thing that will work and will get them to go.
Outcome #5: Candy? No. A trip to Target (she loves it)? No. (Apparently doesn't love it that much). A new water table? No. Hmmmm.


Given that each child is different and some are perhaps more strong-willed than others (Ella can be the poster child for this personality trait), we believe that it takes an even more strong-willed set of parents in addition to a very creative grandmother to get the job done. We knew the time had to come to really push it and luckily last night when Nanni was over, she had the absolutely brilliant idea of the poo-poo tent. Erika had been upstairs with Ella for 30 minutes (yes, 30 minutes) and still no poop when she was relieved by Nanni so she could get dinner fixed. Within 10 minutes, Erika hears applause and praise from upstairs - Ella had pooped! And the trick: the poo-poo tent. Thinking that Ella needed a little privacy (since she normally hides in the corner or ducks under the table to poop), Nanni created a tent around her and Ella with the shower curtain. Within seconds, voila! And since last night, we took Ella under the poo-poo tent for not one, not two, but three poops today! Hallelujah, she just might be potty trained! And, we went out twice today and no mess!

So, our suggestion: poo-poo tent.
Our outcome: You guessed it!


Three feet under under the poo-poo tent: Ella, Mommy, and "Kate"


Success!