The hubs and I struggled through our first experience in potty-training so much that we decided we’re not above bribing our kids. After candy & gifts failed, we came up with a solution: Disney World. We quickly coined the phrase “No Diapers in Disney World” and something finally clicked… granted, the girl was 4 1/2 by the time it finally clicked *shutter* but once Natalie was out of diapers, she was out of them for good.
We took Natalie to Disney World just before she turned 5, left Sedona (only 18 months at the time) with Nana, and the three of us had a really fun and special time together. No diapers in Disney World worked! No diapers, wipes or creams to pack, no diapers to change; it rocked.
Potty training the second time around was a little easier, mainly because we let Sedona lead the way. She had a few early moments where she would go to the bathroom, but they were sporadic and she’d quickly regress. Once we waved that Magical Disney Castle in front of her… the motivation to quit diapers for good was there. That, and a really great set of undies! Who knew?! Sedona’s potty-training clicked fairly easily in comparison to her sister — a full year earlier! This meant we had some Disney World planning to do. I’ll be writing more about the full spectrum of all the planning we I did tomorrow.
Although we blatantly lied to our children about No Diapers In Disney World, neither child ever mentioned anything about diapers while we were there. We walked past babies of all ages, some of them in the bathroom, being changed on a changing table. Natalie, being older, mentioned something before we left, and we explained that No Diapers in Disney World was a motto that worked for our family, explaining how much more we would’ve had to pack, and what they would’ve missed out on if we went before they were potty-trained. Natalie understood, and hasn’t brought up the topic since.
Sometimes, ya gotta sprinkle a little Disney-inspired pixie-dust over a problem to make it better. Whether that means telling a little white lie, bribing them or doing something else entirely, every family is different — and I truly feel we all have to choose our battles. Thing is, we didn’t necessarily need an excuse to take our kids to Disney World. Little do they know… we would’ve taken them anyways, 4 & 7 are the perfect ages! But having our kids go to Disney World potty-trained just helped our lazy-asses avoid changing diapers in Disney World! #thereIsaidit
How did potty-training finally click for your child(ren)? 
9 Comments
Bwahahahaha! I LOVE the Disney pixie-dust bribery!! I just wish Cedella was a bit older. But maybe I can use that to bribe #2 when they’re both old enough to appreciate the magic of Disney World. I’m with you on letting the kid lead the potty training. It just seems way easier and less stressful. And since we’ve got cloth, I’m not constantly buying diapers. Can’t wait to hear about the rest of the trip.
Thanks, Alexia!! If I were to have another (which is probably not in the cards for our family) I would definitely be doing cloth. I hear potty training is easier for cloth-diapered babies too. And you are totally right to wait a little longer to take your kiddos to Disney. 4 & 7 are really fun ages, they can go on just about every ride… I’ll expand on that later this week.
I have three children and potty training came really easily. What didn’t was the bottle for my youngest(now 28). He loved his boppy and wanted nothing to do with a sippy cup. Finally, as he was heading for the second birthday, we went someplace and when we came home, I explained that the boppy people had come to pick the bottles up while we were gone and he’d have to drink out of a cup. I said that they set a time limit for little kids and when it was up they came and got them. It worked! He went straight to a big boy glass(which I had bought special). As an old hand at this, I see nothing wrong with a little constructive lying.
Thanks, Sheila!! We do try to be upfront & honest about answering questions our kids ask us, but there are times that lying to their faces is somewhat essential! #thereisaidit
I have had to use lying with my 4 year old who is scared to death of getting her nails cut, she thinks that there is a “toe nail fairy”!! works like magic, for both getting her to take a nap (the toe nail fairy only comes when you are sleeping) and getting her nails cut!!
Laura, you are BRILLIANT! I love that idea. Although, the fact that you can trim your daughter’s toe-nails without waking her up is just proof of your own fairy-powers.
Clicked over from the Momcomm site because I love your blog title and I’m a sucker for all things Disney. And can I tell you how much better your potty posts made me feel? (I have an almost-four-year-old with ZERO interest and a 16-month-old who will gladly sit on the potty 10 times a day. Oh, and my first “trained” at 2.5 but refused to use a public bathroom for 7 MONTHS . . . her first time? In the airport on the way to Disney World.)
Hang in there, Momma!!! I got soooooo sick of the unsolicited advice we’d get, and how it would happen “like a switch” but… it kinda does. *sigh* Our pediatrician always reminds us that there are two things you can’t control within your children: the potty & eating habits. He went on to tell us that the range of potty-training in the US is anywhere from 15mos – 5 years. I don’t think I would’ve had any hair left if Natalie was still in diapers at age 5.
We’re moving in 2.5 months, and if I have to pack diapers for TWO kids during our move, I think I will cry. If she’s still in them by age 5 (she turns 4 next month) I think I will start drinking.