How Do I Potty Train My Toddler?

by Mama Mabel

I trying to potty train my toddler.  I've read several articles and spoken to several parents and come to the conclusion that every kid is different and every parent has their own sworn by method.  Unfortunately, none of what I'd read or heard is working so far.  We brought home Ladybug's new training potty Saturday with much excitement.  She now has only sporadic interest in "going peepee on the big girl potty."  At first, she did it for the novelty.  Then she did it because I was using the bathroom and she wanted to be like me.  Then she decided she would rather carry it around than sit on it or at most she would sit on it with her pants on.  That's where we are now.  (That's a lot for 3 days isn't it?)

I don't want to make her sit on it against her will because she can just hold it in until she's back up running around.  That's one thing I got from the articles.  I want it to be a happy experience so she sticks with it.  I've heard that bribery works for a lot of people.  Cookies are probably the only snack she consistently wants that I could use as a treat but do I want to start using junk food as a reward this early in her life?  If it gets her to potty train do I even care?  Am I expecting too much too fast?  Am I way over thinking this?  It doesn't help that she's so skinny that pull ups and training pants don't fit her so she's still in diapers.  I think it confuses the issue.  We've started calling them panties but she's a smart kid.  She knows they're diapers.  Maybe I need to break down and figure out how to sew some tiny panties.  That was my original plan before I remembered how much trial and error is involved in my sewing projects.  I wonder if I can buy some bigger ones (i.e. the smallest they sell at stores) and just bring in the side seams and cut down the elastic.  I bet I could manage that.

She gets very excited when she actually gets some pee into the potty (she did it 3 times Sunday) but she hasn't totally made the connection to what exactly she's doing to get it there.  She'll sit on it for a minute then look to see if anything happened even if nothing has.  I've tried getting excited and walking her over to it frequently but she resists and I think forcing it will lead to intentional accidents later.  She's excited right up to the point when I try to get her pants down.  If she were older or had been potty training longer I might start adding in negative consequences but I think we're too early in the process still. 

Aside from stickers or cookies, are there any other good rewards that you've found to help motivate a kid to potty train?  Any other methods you can suggest or advice you can give me?  I'm open to all ideas.  Thank you.