The Magic of Stickers

Did you hear? Stickers are MAGIC! They can make a toddler tee-tee on command! If you say, "Emma, if you tee-tee on the potty, I'll give you a sticker," then you get a very eager little girl who runs to the potty and tries her VERY hardest to go to the bathroom. Most of the time (whether it's at home or at school) she does end up going - which is awesome!

I never intended to bribe her with candy since she started doing it on her own without any incentive. But her teachers told us last week that they started offering her a sticker if she went to the bathroom...and they said she is now going ALL the time. Since we try to never hold her back if she's ready, willing and able to go to the next level, we decided we'd do it too. We started with the sticker offer last night. Bless her little heart, she tried really hard but she must have gone right before we asked her because she just couldn't make it happen. But tonight, she went immediately and got her sticker. Magic! And to top it off, that sticker made it all the way through bath time and bed time. I won't be surprised if she still has it on her hand when she wakes up tomorrow morning. Who knew stickers had this much power?

She is so proud of herself when she goes. She said, "tee-tee momma!" And then an hour later when I was putting her to bed, she said it again and then pointed to the sticker on her hand. I told her how proud me and Daddy were of her and how she is such a big girl now. She had the biggest smile come across her face and then she gently laid her head down on my shoulder and closed her eyes. Typically, we don't rock her at bedtime anymore. We read a few stories, turn the lights off, then sway her for a minute or two and then lay her down. But tonight, I snuggled and cuddled her for a little while...it was the most fantastic way to end my day! I LOVE that little girl!