Potty update

Over two months into potty training and we are making good progress - she is in underwear basically all the time now except at night and for naps at school (she doesn't nap at home anymore).  We have to take her to the potty and are not having much sign that she will ask herself--still occasional accidents, mostly at school, but she seems to be catching on slowly and steadily.  And she both pees and poops in the potty - was even comfortable enough to go poop at our friends' house during a birthday party!

This product has been a real lifesaver for us.  It goes easily on public potties so she can sit on something clean(er) and without us having to hold her.  It folds up easily and we put it in a drawstring bag (her new "diaper bag," which includes the seat, emergency pullups, flushable wipes, and a change of clothes + undies).



There is also a mode where you can put a disposable liner in it and sit it up on little legs, so she can go anywhere.  We once used this at a park, but I consider it a last resort.

Anyway, I'm still not sure she was ready when we started the process--but overall no regrets.  She was having some pretty severe diaper rash periodically before we trained and now that is completely gone, so if we had to potty train early to avoid that for her, I'm ok with having to remind her constantly about the potty, even if this continues for a long time.  I'm pretty sure the worst of it was over, and the worst of it wasn't as terrible as I feared.  But if not for the diaper rash, we may have waited longer.

Also I have to thank our friends Stephanie and Rebecca who both recommended the book "Oh Crap Potty Training."  That helped me overcome the initial intimidation factor--potty training was probably literally the thing I have been scared most about in parenting!  And BIG big credit to Grammy, who has potty trained four kids and helped out BIG time, and also was very supportive of Eden's progress--I know her just being there and opining that she thought Eden was doing well gave us the confidence to continue.  Not that we're done by any means, but I am happy we're not dealing with that diaper rash anymore.