Ok, so my daughter was struggling with the whole potty training "thang" and we REALLY were hoping to get her trained before our second baby arrives in June. At 28 months, she has been in pull ups for a few months now and we were having a heck of a time getting her to go potty. Finally I heard about someone throwing a potty party for their child!
Hehehe... well being the way I am I decided to try to promise my daughter a party if she went potty for 3 days in a row with no accidents (excluding nighttime- when she wears a pullup). We woke up one day and she "earned" her panties (cloth training pants) by going potty. after a couple days on, and a few off one time she just "got it" and kept her panties clean well... since! She even wakes me or her dad up at night to go potty!
So, today is day three- and thus far we have no wet panties!!!! I am super happy, but now I have to pay up! Obviously she already has a potty, training panties etc... I want to give her a great party so we can OFFICIALLY transition her to "big girl" panties and hopefully have the training "stick"- but all the "potty party" info I have found has been for a party BEFORE potty training starts.
So here are my "ideas"- her dad's next day off is about in a week. I want to invite her cousins (4 and 1 year old twins) over so she can have some "friends". I also want to get her a cake... I am thinking a cake that says "I'm a big girl now!" would be really cute- and we'll just decorate it with girly stuff. I also want to get her a nice gift- any ideas on an appropriate gift for her "potty party". I really want to emphasize to her that the party is BECAUSE she is going potty now, without being super tacky!
I would love any ideas, or any examples of other peoples "potty parties". I am crossing my fingers and knocking on wood that this potty training "sticks"!
Thanks!
So thank you everyone for the great advice. We got my daughter a "light up" princess birthday cake with nothing written on it... which my husband and I decided was the best, plus my daughter can't read, silly me! hahaha!
We got her some fancy "princess panties" for her potty party and she was very thrilled. For a few days prior we told her that there were no diapers except at nightime, and we did have a few accidents... but she made a really sincere effort.We invited her cousins over and they had cake. Her 4 year old cousin she REALLY looks up to, and she was beaming when she told him that she had panties! He was so sweet and told her soon she would be "big like him..." and someday she would "have a deep voice like his daddy...." well... I guess we'll explain all that later hahaha!
Anyways... thus far potty training is still going great. Every day she is excited to change into her panties, and although I feel that we'll still have our fair share of accidents till she has her timing down, and I am pretty sure we'll still have her in pull ups at night for a while yet... I am SO relieved to finally see light at the end of the potty training tunnel!
ts and I think the pull-ups DID giver her mixed messages about whether she was supposed to go potty or use her "diaper" We are going to get her a potty seat that clips into the regular toilet seat because in the midst of all this she discovered that it is WAY fun for her to get to "pick" her own potty to go to... the "pink potty" (potty chair), "big potty" (toilet), "mommy's" potty (toilet in master bedroom) etc.... but her little butt is so tinny that she almost slips in if she isn't propped on the edge just right, and she HATES to have us touche her arms or legs when she is "going"! Of course, so do I, so I cannot blame her, haha! Anyways, it all an adventure!
Thanks again to everyone!
-M.
I have never heard of this-doubtful that you will get many that have. Honestly, she is so young. The cake and her cousins will be just right. And a little gift of something SHE likes. I wouldn't worry about getting her anything "potty" oriented unless you want to get her one of those dolls that wets .
We bribed my daughter when we were potty training. She would not poo in the potty. She held it for like 3 days. She asked for a diaper and I told her no, use the potty. Finally she did, she couldn't hold it anymore. I told her if she pooed in the potty, we would take her to the store and get her whatever she wanted. I let her pick her present.
Is there something special she would want? Would she be happier picking it out? My daughter always has a "wish list".
As far as the party, just make it fun. Do a fun craft or game. She is young, so any thing will be super fun and great to her.
Congrats! I wish I could get my son interested in the potty (27months).
How about letting her go and pick out her own new big girl panties? The party and cake sounds cute, just keep it small so the attention can still be on her. Just get her "big girl" things, and just keep up the encouragement and tell her how proud you are that she goes on the potty etc.
Have fun! Let her be apart of the planning in her party too, that way she feels like a bigger girl.
A very fun idea, and a couple of suggestions (from my perspective as a longtime childcare provider) :
I would not equate going to the potty with 'being a big girl'. The reason being, if she has some regression after baby comes (which is very, very common in this situation), this can conflict with her 'big girl' status to herself. If Big Girls go potty, and she decides she needs to be back in diapers ( it does happen), we don't want her to think she's a Little Girl or a Baby again. So, perhaps "You Did It!" could be a nice message on a cake. No Big Girl talk, if you can help yourself.
Otherwise, keep it low-key. Nice gift-- how about some cute training unders from Hanna Andersenn or another quality brand? Very in keeping with her successful progress.
Please take a look at this site on toilet learning (below) and remember, too, that once the incentives of potty parties, etc, disappear, she might be less interested. Try to take this in stride. Changes often trigger regression, so keep cool and be prepared.
http://www.betterkidcare.psu.edu/AngelUnits/OneHour/Toile...
Have fun.:)
