Tag Team Potty Training

Ruth and Lily both wore underwear all day today.

Potty training is definitely my least favorite part of parenting so far, but I guess peer pressure is my greatest asset. When we came to Buffalo, their 3 year old cousin Madeline was potty training too-only she wore panties everyday, and only wore pull-ups at naptime and bedtime. One day John's mom was asking Madeline if she had underwear on and Ruth heard her. Her head flipped around and she said in an incredulous voice, "Madeline wears underwear?" John's mom said "Yes, she does. She is a big girl." Ruth seemed to mull this over (because she is 4 years old and the bigger kid but she was wearing pull-ups all the time, and was having a hard time going potty in the potty consistantly.) Anyway, the next day Ruth told me, "Mom, I would go potty in the potty if you would just let me wear underwear." I said, "Ok, you can wear underwear." She put some on, and about 5 days later, she has only had one or two minor accidents. She has even been wearing underwear at night and has been fine. Apparently she just needed sufficient motivation.

Then this morning Lily, who is 2 going on 5, told me that she too was a big girl and needed to wear underwear. We coopted some of Ruth's and she wore it all day today, even during her nap and had no problem staying dry. I made her wear a pull-up tonight because I'm not totally confident in her ability to wake up and go potty and she's sleeping on one of John's mom's beds, but I think she is doing great.

All I can say is that if I can get Ruth and Lily both potty trained while we are here in Buffalo, I would be one happy camper. And I would only have one kid left and I'm delegating that boy to John. Wahoo!!!