Previously on Potty Talk and Potty Talk, Volume II, Bridget had taken more of an interest in being independent when she uses the bathroom and she had been pretty free of accidents. She also asked to use the bathroom far more than necessary, and would spend far too much time in there without even going – all in the name of getting a treat if she goes.

As of today, it has officially been ONE MONTH, one entire month, that Bridget has been diaper free. The very last time she worn a diaper was on New Years Eve when she went to bed. . . since then its been all underwear all day (and Pull-Ups most nights). Hello Milestone.

But, its not all smooth sailing yet. When it comes to using the potty Bridget has multiple personalities. Here are just a few:

The Avoider: Bridget no longer asks to use the bathroom (except at bedtime, but thats another story) if she doesn’t need to go. Quite the opposite, in fact. She now tries to avoid using the bathroom for as long as possible. This has resulted in a few more accidents than normal. Typically its just been a few drops in her underpants before she remembers and gets herself to the toilet. It seems like its been every couple of days for the past week or so.

The De-Motivator: Potty treats don’t motivate her like they used to. I can’t say “let’s go potty so you can have a treat!” She just says “No thanks.” This isn’t all bad – often when she does need to use the bathroom she’s not rewarded with a treat anymore. If she remembers and asks, fine, but I don’t remind her that said treats are available.

The Wolf Crier: Bedtime is another story. We have her in Pull-Ups at night. About half the time she’s still dry in the morning. But even when she’s gone to the bathroom right before climbing in bed, she seems to always need to go 5 minutes after she’s in bed. Usually its just a reason to get out of bed, but sometimes she actually goes. We usually let her get away with it once, but tell her she has to wait each subsequent time she asks. We want her to be successful, but crying wolf at night is so not the way to gain our trust in that matter. Now, how to explain that to her. . .

The Copycat: Then, there is morning. She doesn’t want to go potty when she wakes up. Its literally a fight every morning. I’ve found that the easiest solution is to use the bathroom myself. “Mom has to go potty,” and “Mom’s a big girl, I get a potty treat,” usually helps. If she knows I am going, and that I am going to get a treat, suddenly she has to go too. Its a strange little game we play.

The Scout: Going to the store, a restaurant, or someone else’s house is always eventful. She has gotten to the stage where she knows that bathrooms are available just about everywhere. So she always seems to need to go when we are at the oddest places. If she can spot the bathroom at any given location her need to go seems to increase. Some of the crazy places she’s used the bathroom at: McDonald’s, The Cheese Factory, Wal-Mart, Dollar Cuts, Maddox, Juniper Take Out, and Al’s Sporting Goods.

I’d like to think that she can be considered “Potty Trained” now, but I’m not really certain at what point she can be labeled as such. All in all she’s been pretty good, and things have been pretty smooth – but we do have our moments. One thing is certain, nighttime training doesn’t sound fun with the wolf crier on my hands.