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All it took was $1600 and a big fat lie to potty train my youngest…..

 

potty-training-at-Disneyland

So I don’t know if you have had the pleasure of meeting my youngest.  She’s adorable.  She is also stubborn.  She is a huge Disneyland fan. She is also just a wee behind the curve in just about ever area (except adorableness; she dominates there).  I mentioned MANY MANY months ago how she fully understood the potty but was totally fine with being a baby and having a ‘baby diaper’.  When I suggested being a big girl and using the potty she would say “Silly Mommy, I not a big girl, I is da baby, I just gonna wear dez diapers.”

Sometimes she would use the potty, sometimes all day.  Then the next day we were back to pooping our pants.  No rhyme or reason except that the good Lord was clearly testing to see if I meant it when I said “We really are just going to let her use the potty when she is ready, I am not going to push like I did with her brother.”

Well, when we kissed three and a half years goodbye and entered three and three quarters I was like ‘Over it’.  I explained to her that she is a big girl now…. “No Mommy, dat’s silly, Sister is a big girl, I da Baby.”….. I explained to her that she will always be the baby, but that this box of diapers and this box of pull ups is the last we are going to buy (Costco sized so we were going to have them for a while).  After that we would use cloth diapers until she wanted to wear undies.

*blink blink*

“But da cloth is not my favorite.” Little Miss C.

Not my favorite‘ is Code for ‘I hate that.” in our family.

“Yeah I know kiddo, but they don’t make diapers in your size any more.  Your body is too big for baby diapers, we will squeeze you into these and then we are done kid.”

“But I is da baby.”  Little Miss C.

“Yes you are sweet pea, but even babies start to use the potty once they know how to.”

So we endured several months of diapers/pull ups/undies purgatory.  Like some days she was into the potty, some days she was peeing on the couch.  Some days she wanted undies, some days she wanted to use a diaper from her last box.  FOR MONTHS YOU GUYS.

Finally we had like 15 diapers and a couple pull ups left.  We were down to only a couple accidents a week and even attempting the potty while out and about.  We had made progress, but quite a ways from diaper bag free.

I looked at my sweet little girl and just straight up lied.  “You know what is so sad?”

“What’s sad?”  Little Miss C

“Disneyland doesn’t allow diapers anymore.”  Me

*face falls*  “WHY?!”

“I don’t know Baby, but they said you can’t come if you wear diapers.  Their rule, not mine.” Me

We went back and forth about this new development at Disney (that of course is not true) for quite some time.

Later that day she peed on the floor and I reminded her about Disneyland.

I don’t think she was quite convinced so we knew we would need to kick it up a notch.  The big kids joined my scheme.  We discussed how we were going to go to Disneyland the next day….. and then we did.  And by ‘We went to Disneyland’, what I mean is ‘We told the baby we were going to Disneyland but really we just went out to lunch and went thrift store window shopping.’

“You go to Dinney – lan today wiss-out me?”  Little Miss C *sad face*

“We did honey, it was so much fun, but we missed you.  But remember there are no diapers or pull ups and Disneyland so we couldn’t take you.  But maybe if you work really hard at remembering to use the potty every time then we can go again soon OK?”  Me

I’m sure there are people that will judge.  Go for it.  She’s been in undies during the daytime without any accidents ever since.  She just needed something to motivate her, and Disneyland did it.

disneyland-annual-passports

True to our word we took her to Disneyland that next weekend.  We even went so far as to get Disneyland annual passports for the whole family.

disneyland-annual-passes-family

We bought them the day before prices went up and you could no longer get a parking pass with the least expensive pass option.  We had planned on it anyway.  We had Disneyland annual passes when our big kids were three and we really wanted to do it one year when our littlest was at that magical age too.

baby-care-center-disneyland

So what did we lie about?  Literally everything.  Disneyland of course allows kids to wear diapers and pull ups – in fact, they have an awesome Baby Care Center that makes diapering even easier than having changing tables in nearly every bathroom (which they do).  We were also planning on going to Disneyland anyway.  Would we have waited if she didn’t start using the potty regularly?  Probably.  I’m done with diapers.  I know I can’t push her at home, but I am not changing another diaper in a theme park every again.  Sorry kid, ain’t nobody got time for that!

giant-mickey-cookie

So that is the story about how all it took was roughly $1600 and a big fat lie to potty train my 3 year old.  I would do it again, I only wish I had thought of it sooner! Were we gonna buy the tickets anyway? Yup – but we just convinced her otherwise. We are basically parenting ninjas.

Stick around for more questionable parenting tips!

 

Until Next Time ~ Kate
Categories:  Family, Kids
  1. Rosanne says:

    Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. Such a great idea and I wouldn’t hold it against you for two seconds. I can’t think of a better motivator and I’m glad the cast members at the baby care center played along. Great post – I’m a new follower.

    Rosanne at The Disney Point

    • Kate Hamernik says:

      Thank you Rosanne! The cast members at the Baby Center are the BEST – so patient with her and they ask in private if she is allowed a sticker and then they make a big ‘woop tee doo’ about her using the potty and being a big girl – Disney really is the best! Thanks for following – I am going to check out your site too!

  2. Crystal says:

    If we were closer to Disneyland, I would soooo be doing this! My 3-yr-old is wearing undies today but who knows about tomorrow or if I will be rinsing poo out of those undies later! He is heading to preschool in 5 months so the heat is on!

  3. Caroline says:

    Oh my gosh this is awesome, so smart! I will definitely keep this post in the archives for when its my time to have a baby! Such smart parenting, and too funny haha!

  4. Lisa says:

    I love this! I don’t even had kids yet, but this was brilliant. Potty training is s nightmare (I work in child care) and whatever it takes to make it happen. So glad this worked for you!

  5. Jaime says:

    Girl, you gotta do what you gotta do for your kids. I have no idea how I’ll start with my daughter (17 months), but I’m open to any means necessary, lol.

  6. Kim says:

    Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

  7. Colorado Baby Anderson says:

    I. Am. D Y I N G. This post was absolutely hilarious and I loved it, and I applaud you on thinking outside the box for some extra motivation in getting your child potty-trained. I’m for sure not above this and in fact am totally going to use it. Love it, love it, love it!! Still laughing…

    http://www.cobabyanderson.com

  8. Brenda says:

    I have ZERO judgement on this one. In fact, I’ll probably steal this when i have stubborn little ones. Sometimes, a little white lie is the exact motivation they need to push themselves.

    • Kate Hamernik says:

      thank you! πŸ˜‰ it was fun that timing worked out so that we could say the tix were for her using the potty even though it was already in the plan πŸ˜‰

  9. Kate Hamernik says:

    LOL! thank you!

  10. Tara says:

    With some kids, potty training is NO JOKE! My youngest was just past 3 1/2 too and I was so done. I told him we’d do a sticker chart and when it was full, he could choose a new wii game (the biggest thing in our house at the time). Little turd filled that card in 2 days! I was worried that he would revert back but from that point on he was potty trained, thank goodness!

  11. ursula meier says:

    I am a firm believer in whatever works- go for it! Potty training is a tough parenting challenge

  12. Melanie says:

    So glad that worked for you. We used matchbox cars to bribe my son. Just glad it only cost us a few dollars a week. But at least you’re whole family got to enjoy Disneyland. You might have just ended up spending that 1600 on diapers anyway. Lol!

    • kate says:

      LOL – we had very easy to potty train big kids but the littlest was BAD! We were doing Disney tix anyway so joke is on her ;-)- PS – I have tried to comment on your blog and it won’t let me – is that weird? I am not seeing a comment section at all – is it just me?

  13. Sarah Sobocinski says:

    Haha. This was funny.

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