… it turns out that once kids are trained to use the toilet, sometimes they decide not to.
Eliza has suffered in the past week from wetting herself because she just doesn’t want to pull herself away from her very important activities, like playing in her sandbox or texting her friends. And I get it, it’s an inconvenience. But what I don’t get is how once she’s wet herself, she doesn’t seem to mind. It’s pretty hard to convince someone who doesn’t mind warm, wet urine on her panties, leggings (side note: where can I find child jeggings?) and socks that she should go to the toilet to relieve herself.
So, I’m back to prompting her to use the toilet on several scheduled occasions throughout the day. By prompting, I mean I say, “Eliza, we’re going to use the potty now.” (If I ask her if she has to go, 118% of the time she will say, “No.”) Then, I give her a choice, because choice is a key strategy I must use to get her to do what I want. I let her decide whether she’d like to use the “big potty or the little potty.” We still have training potties in our bathrooms so she can go on her own, but I obviously prefer the “big potty.” So if she chooses the little potty, I try to convince her to use the big one anyway by telling her big girls like Dora use the big potty. But if she puts up a fight, this is not the round to try to knock her out. So, I do this process when she wakes up in the morning, mid-morning, before her nap, after her nap, before dinner, and before bed.
When she starts going on her own consistently again, I will wean her from the drills. But for now, as long as she’s decided to decide not to use the potty on her own accord, I am going to decide for her that I’m not going to wash any more wet or soiled clothes.
I can't even pee in peace 
I am saving each and every one of these blog posts to blackmail Eliza once she’s older…
Hey Christine,
This stage your are describing brought back memories. Memories are not alway about remembering something good it could mean a memory about something that is like a bad dream. This “Potty Training” that makes us mom’s proud can fire back in one’s face. I know this is very normal. And especially your comment about that this stage starts out good and then the child (darling!) decides that they are “to busy” to keep up the “clean pants club” membership!
I suggest starting a toilet sticker chart!! It worked well for me. Cut a picture of a toilet in a decorating magazine and paste it in the center of a poster. Then make a calender under it. Get a roll of stickers. Put this chart on the frig. Let everyone that comes in your home know what they need to do the minute they pass through your front door.
Everytime your daughter does her duties she gets to put a sticker on her calender! Now, she begins to think that this is very important since everyone that comes in the doors checks the updated results and gives praise to all the new stricker! It worked for me!!! Good luck!
bunnie
Thanks so much for the suggestion! She’s doing much better, but if she gets forgetful again I will try that. She seems to respond well to the positive reinforcement she gets, and crumbles under negative reinforcement – so your idea is perfect for her.