Jeannie Mai Shares the Trick She Used to Successfully Potty Train Her 2-Year-Old Daughter Monaco (Exclusive)
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11/20/2024 03:36 PM
"Never had to put a diaper on her since," Mai proudly tells PEOPLE
Jeannie Mai/Instagram
Jeannie Mai and daughter MonacoJeannie Mai's little girl has reached a new milestone.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, the America's Test Kitchen host, 45, spoke with PEOPLE at the It's a Wonderful Life Yuletide Event in West Hollywood, Calif., sharing that her 2-year-old daughter Monaco is officially potty-trained.
"She just, at this very moment, on this day at 7:36 p.m., my daughter is potty-trained because I took her to Mexico City to shoot, well I was shooting Raid the Cage, a show I have for CBS, and she was watching the animals take their poops all over the place," Mai begins.
"And she was like, 'Ew, Mommy, why does it stink?' And I was like, 'That could be you. If you don't know how to flush your ish, if you don't know how to hit that button and get it in the hole, you're going to be just like that hippo," she continues.
"Boom. Done. I've never had to put a diaper on her since," Mai raves.
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Mai also shared that she's going to attempt Elf of the Shelf for the first time with Monaco.
"This is the first year we're busting on the Elf on the Shelf," Mai tells PEOPLE. "The Elf on the Shelf is known as the dude who causes mischief and does wacky things around your house and turns it upside down."
But for Mai, she wants her Elf to instill some good behavior in her daughter — like cleaning up after herself.
"I want the Elf on the Shelf to be known to clean and actually take care of some chores," she jokes. "The Elf is going to be by the dishes washed. That Elf is going to be folding Mommy's socks."
"I'm going to be like, 'Oh my God. Look how Elf on the Shelf put Mommy's socks together. Monaco, can you put Mommy's socks together so we all can help the Elf?' And this Elf is getting paid. I'm going to put dollar bills by this Elf. It's going to be a whole different lifestyle at my house."
At the end of April, Mai spoke with PEOPLE about how she's adjusting to being a single mom as she navigates her separation from estranged husband Jeezy, 47.
"I'm doing good. I was able to get good sleep last night, which is always a big deal," Mai told PEOPLE at the time. "My days now are ranked on whether or not I had six hours or eight hours. Last night I got seven so I feel very good about that. I'm blessed."
Mai said she's focused on her mental well-being, along with caring for Monaco.
"I think the fact that I surround myself with so many things that I love to do. whether it's working out, finding new play dates and things that Monaco likes to do like ballet or scootering...I've been researching how I can get more music into her life. And also cooking. Cooking has really been my big thing. There is no room for feeling lost in your life when you fill it with things that you love for you."
