It was getting closer to my dear daughter’s second birthday when I finally admitted I had put potty training off for too long. She had been displaying the “ready” signs for months now, but I wasn’t ready to lose the all-too-convenient diaper just yet. When I discovered other children her age were working on it, I decided it was time to stop dragging my feet and attempt to tackle those two most dreaded words: potty training.

The first day went great. While she did have three accidents, she also peed on her potty three times! I was more than pleased. I thought day two would be a breeze and even more successful than day one… I thought wrong.

Day two comes and I tell her to go peepee on her potty. And she refuses. I think maybe she doesn’t have to go yet… Hours go by, and nothing happens. I’m pouring water and juice down her throat in hopes she’ll have to use the potty soon…

“Finally!” I think, “She has to pee.” We can make some more progress…. Until I have her sit on her potty and she starts screaming like it’s a torture device (I mean, the girl can scream). She then proceeds to slam her potty shut and bang her head repeatedly on it. (Oh, the struggle, right?)

At this point, I am determined to make this second day a success instead of a regress. So I wait for the fit to subside, and open her potty and sit her back on it. She then decides it’s a great time to do the “hot dog” dance and starts running around the house like a Comanche yelling “Hot dog! Hot dog! Hot dog!” (Dang you, Mickey) Mid one of her rounds, she pees on the floor. It goes without saying, day two was not a success… Unless you count farting on the pot a success. Because each time she had to “toot,” by Golly, she would sit on her potty for that!

Once we made it through the horrors of day two and her refusals to go anywhere near her potty and after hours of no accidents and no attempts to use the potty, I decided it was time for a bathroom lockdown. And I literally shut her in the bathroom with me and her potty for an entire hour. Boy, was that fun! Let me tell you…

It was hard… so hard… to keep her in the bathroom (she can open doors). To keep her out of the shower. To keep her from having fun. She thought the whole experience was hilarious. Needless to say, shower and bedtime came and she still didn’t use the potty that entire day. Unless you count farting…

The next morning, however, we made progress! She pooped and peed on her potty!!! (Probably from holding it the entire day before…) I also broke out the M&Ms (thanks, Laura; you’re my hero!) which really got her interested… (Probably should have tried that Day 2). As I have gone back to work, my nanny, mother, and husband had the responsibility of continuing this training. At first no day was perfect, but she was attempting to use her potty and succeeding a lot of the time! And that’s all a mom can really ask during this dreaded training process.

Now, she can go peepee by herself (insert applause). With panties, it’s a little bit harder because she can’t yet pull them all the way down by herself, so she still needs a little help. And more often than not, I’m ever so fortunate that she chooses to save her actual poop time for when I’m home to clean it out of her potty. Lucky, lucky me. (Why did I decide it was time to get rid of diapers again??)

In the end, my girl is potty trained before two years old, and I couldn’t be a prouder mama! (But still, those diapers were just so easy…)