Jul 14 2012
Potty Training Final (??) Lesson
For months… our conversation would go:
Me: Are you wearing diaper?
She: No, I’m wearing panties!
Me: Can you pee pee in the panties?
She: No! Pee pee in the toilet!
Me: That’s right. What happens if you pee pee in the panties?
She: Mama will be angry and I will sleep all by myself!
Me: Promise?
She: Promise!
Friday the 13th, 2012…
9.00pm:
Saw the girl doing her usual holding-pee-yoga-pose. Asked her if she needed to go to the toilet. Reply was a loud “No! I don’t need to pee pee!” Fine. Whatever you say…
9.15pm:
We were in the study when she suddenly screamed “I NEED TO PEE!” and in that very instant, she started peeing in her panties as she tried desperately to run to the potty for the rest of it.
Naturally, I got into an anger fit and started scolding her. Naturally, she got into a crying fit and promising once again (as like before), that she’ll never do it again. “Sorry Mama, I won’t do it again! I won’t pee pee in my panties again! PROMISE!!!”.
Told her that tonight, she’ll have to sleep all by herself, just like she had promised. Crying intensified.
10.00pm
After reading her a book with her still sniffing away, I told her it’s bedtime and to lie on her own bed. Turned off the lights… told her she had to sleep by herself… and walked out of the room. SCREAMS AND WAILS!
Our night battle officially begins…….
I walked into the study. She followed screaming and crying, apologising and promising that she’ll never do it again. Told her apologies accepted, but that she still had to go sleep by herself as she had promised.
10.13pm
After standing there crying for 10 mins and seeing me not moving from my chair, she finally walked off back into the bedroom. And I thought I had won the battle so easily!!! Except she stood wailing at the bedroom door for me. “Mama!!! Mama!!! Come here Mama… come here Mama!”
Nope.
10.20pm:
I was doing the laundry when she walked out of the room and peed in the potty. Thereafter happily declaring at the top of her voice that she had peed and “I’m all done!!”. Cleared the pee but told her she still had to sleep by herself cos she has already peed in her panties just now. Crying resumed…
10.30pm:
She screamed, insisting she wants to go toilet again – in the hope that I’d be appeased. But I told her to pee in the bedtime diaper that she was wearing to sleep. Crying continued…
11.00pm:
In between her screams, I would periodically go to the bedroom and told her she has to sleep by herself just as she had promised. That if she doesn’t pee in her panties tomorrow, then I’ll sleep with her tomorrow. Then she insisted she wanted a big hug. Gave in, hugged and carried her… but still put her back on the bed to “sleep by herself and left the room. “Mama… mama…. Don’t go, mama… don’t go!”
11.06pm:
It’s been 1+ hour and her crying and screaming for me carried on non-stop. I felt bad for the neighbours and brought in her toy dalmatian dog and told her Dalmatian will sleep with her instead…
11.09pm:
FINALLY… Her crying had a slight 5 seconds pause before it’s return. 
I see that as a sign of exhaustion…
But of course she would be exhausted. Who wouldn’t after crying since 9pm when the crime was committed?
11.12pm:
*silence* !!!
11.16pm:
Peeped in… Eyes closed, and sniffing in her sleep. *SUCCESS!*
Sigh… Honestly, I could have said “It hurts me, more than it hurts you”… But it’s not true. Surprisingly, I’m not even near the point of giving in. I suppose after so many times of her insisting she doesn’t need to go, even when it’s so very obvious with her clutching her privates and doing her yoga pose, I am so very ready for this final lesson of potty training.
Fact is, she is toilet-trained. She is able to verbalise her needs when she needs to go… And when we bring her there, she’ll settle her business nicely. But the problem is, sometimes, she just refuse to do as we ask… especially when there’s no goody-bag out of it.
Me: Do you need to pee pee in the toilet?
She: No, I don’t need to pee pee in the toilet.
Me: Are you sure?
She: I don’t need to!
Me: How about we go pee pee in the toilet and then we go to the <wherever> / I give you a <whatever> / we eat some <whatever>?
She: Oh yes! Okay mommy! Let’s go pee pee and then(A) / (B) / (C)!!!
Well… I hope this is our last lesson on potty training. That she now knows better than to hold her pee in till the last minute when it goes beyond control and too late for the dash to the toilet. But more importantly, that she learns a lesson on keeping promises.
And for now, I’m preparing myself for a long night ahead with the girl waking up from nightmares and night terrors… as well as a very clingy koala bear when she wakes tomorrow. Thank goodness the daddy is coming home soon… It’s been such a tough week. *whines*
well, there was a period of time when my girl also seem to “miss” heading to the toilet..and pee on the spot…but gradually it stops…so slowly la…u are being difficult
haha..but i like your firmness…haha…going to start potty training for boy soon..hopefully it is easier..haha
Uncle Eric… did you note that 15 minutes BEFORE her “accident”, she was already showing signs of holding in her pee? I wouldn’t be so angry if she didn’t already *knew* she had to go soon… and if she didn’t tell me outright she didn’t need to when I asked her.
Good luck with the boy!
Hi Ming, hope she wakes up fine in the morning. =) At least she went to bed by herself and to think of it, the battle could have lasted much longer too. (I think Angel could take double the hours, lol). Hope this will be the final training and jia you yeah! Tough times tide over!
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actually it happened again today (the day after). yesterday was “pee”-business. tonight was “poop”-business. but there’s improvement. she acknowledged that she will sleep by herself today cos it was her fault. but she still whined and asked for hugs after hugs just to make sure she’s forgiven.
hope there’s no #3!