Enough already!

How many times in one day would you guess that I say, "Stop crying or you're going in time out." ?

Answer: 33. I counted yesterday.

God help me.

Another battle down, millions to go.

I think I may have won the battle of the poop, thank God!! After 3 days of holding it in, daughter finally sat on the toilet to go this morning and did it.

It's always amazing to me how validated I feel about my job as a mom when I win battles like this one. The validation and recognition are something I definitely miss about my old career, so when something like this happens, it's a huge rush.

Let's just see if she can keep up with it now!

Poop, revisited.

Due to rough circumstances during my first trimester I decided to suspend all potty training efforts with my toddler. I just didn't have it in my to do what needed to be done to get her pooping in the toilet.

So fast forward 4 months to today (wow, it's been a while hasn't it?), and here we are just where we were before: I am again dealing with an even more stubborn than before toddler who poops in her panties, smiles at me and then tells me she needs a new pair. This time around I'm in my second trimester and have WAY more energy and stamina than before so I feel like I can do what will be needed to get the job done. Today alone I had to deal with 3 separate poops and managed to keep my cool. It was a world record.

I know that punnishment is not the best way to go when potty training, but I'm just about at my wits end right now. It is clear to me that she has been pooping herself on purpose because of her reaction after she does it. This has been a classic power struggle... a test of wills if you will. Daughter is trying to see how long she can get away with it, and how many strategies I will go through to try to get her to do it. Here are the methods I have tried thusfar, each met with spectacular failure:

• bribery/rewards
• physical force
• calm discussion
• yelling
• ignoring the problem altogether
• making her "clean it up"

So now here I am thinking to myself, how the hell am I being outsmarted by an almost 3 year old? My new strategy is as follows:

• no more panties or diapers until she poops in the potty. Naked only.
• no more leaving the house until she poops in the potty.
• no more nick jr. computer games until she poops in the potty.
• no more dessert until she poops in the potty.
• no more reward stickers until she poops in the potty.
• no more books at bedtime until she poops in the potty.

I know it probably seems that I'm being overly harsh, but I need several things to take away so that it is a constant reminder to her that I am not going to tolerate her not using the toilet to poop any longer. Wish us luck.