Switching From EC to Early Potty Training and "On-Purpose" Accidents

[Lineymom]

My nearly 19mo has been ECed since 8mo.  We have only had a few poop misses since 12mo.  Pee has ebb and flow (ha ha).  We were better out and about (on timing) before 1yr than after.  She tells me most of the time that she needs to pee, with an urgent loud squeaky squawk "PEE!.... PEE!"  while grabbing between her legs.  Much to people's laughter in public!  Sometimes she seems to use it as an excuse, such as wanting out of the carseat.  Around the house she is usually naked.  Some days we have 5 accidents, though!!!!  Some on them are soooo on purpose.  She has her favorite places, her brothers bed, and closet, my bed.  She has legitimate accidents at random places on the floor, but sometimes purposefully climbs on the bed, hides in the closet just to do it.  I assume it is for a reaction I don't know?  She is also most always dry at night as long as I am not in too deep of sleep to notice her stirring, needing to pee around 5-6am.

I am just so ready to call this done!  I put some pul trainers I made on her when we are out.  Sometimes, if she pees for me while out, I'll switch to panties because she gets sooo hot in the pul.  I made the trainers with cotton sides, but they are still soooo hot.  It's already getting to 100 degrees here!!! 

How did people back in the 60's and before  and in other cultures potty train/complete EC (aside from punishments etc, of course.)  We've already given up diapers at home except bedtime and naptime.  We talk about were peepee goes ALL DAY LONG, my world revovles around it.  Yet as soon as I let my guard down I hear one of the older kids say "Oh no!!! Pee-pee on the floor!!!"

[turtlemamameg]

My first inclination about the "on purpose" accidents is that she is practicing her independence.  My dd did the same exact thing between 16 and 18 months, right before she began choosing to go on the potty regularly by herself.  She had her favorite places as well and they were also sort of private hiding spots.  Thank goodness that it was not the bed, that must be a bit frustrating.  I would do your best not to show any sort of a reaction and encourage your older kids to tell you without making a big deal of it.  I would just clean it up with blank emotion (frustrated inside, but no deep sighs).  My other inclination is to put less enphasis on talking about the proper place to pee.  She knows where she is supposed to go and my guess is that pretty soon she will choose the potty over her current hiding places.  My one question is: You say she is mostly naked at home...when she does actually pee in the potty, does she just take herself to the potty or does she sign for you to help her?  If she is coming to you for help, etc...I would encourage her to take herself.  At this age, I began putting more resposibility on my dd by teaching her how to pull her pants down and going on her own by coaching her form more of a distance.  We still do a lot of naked time these days at 21 mo, but mostly because my dd knows how to take her clothes off and prefers to be naked as much as possible, but when she is wearing pants and undies, she still needs some coaching sometimes to get the job done quick enough so that she doesn't miss.  The other thing that initially helped us make the leap toward independence was to switch her into training pants without PUL (way more breathable in the hot weather).  When she had a miss, she really knew it and was a bit more uncomfortable, leading the way to her wanting the pees to end up in the right receptacle instead of all down her pants and legs.  It's a bit more messy this way, but the pants and undies catch a bunch of it and she could really feel it.  DD still wets herself once or twice a week, but she is steadily moving toward total independence.

[Lineymom]

Thanks!  Great suggestions!  She does take herself to the potty some (starting at 15m), but recently really wants someone to come with her and look at a book or something with her. 

[turtlemamameg]

My dd loves me to join her with a book too, lol. 

[Lineymom]

Oh, yeah, we do the book thing, lol.  She has been big here lately on giving us false alarms just because she knows we'll drop whatever we are doing and take her to the potty and read a story.

Unfortunately, we are still getting accidents a foot from the potty (not trying to get to it... just sitting there on the floor.  Her bblp is beside all her toys).  The  "on purpose" ones have improved lately.  Sometimes she takes herself, mostly she squawks out "PEE!..PEE!" for me to take her... and then there's the accidents.