Go to a local bookseller and you will find dozens of books on the subject. Search
the Net and there are thousands of websites with information on how to do it stress
free. There are even people who are capitalizing on a parent's frustration with
potty training by offering to do it for you, for a hefty sum! I honestly can't imagine
anything more unseemly than paying someone to teach my child to "go".
I have successfully potty trained two out of 3 kids so far, baby
number 3 is only 14 months so she is off the hook for a few months at
least ;)
I seem to be the envy of the playgroups when other Moms see that my 3 year old son
has been in whitey tighties for over a year. My oldest was also 2 when he potty
learned.
For me, potty training starts with a newborn. Now don't get me wrong...I do diaper
my babes (unlike the native African mothers who wear their babies on their backs
and who, to avoid being soiled on, learn to read their babies' cues so well that
they know when their newborn needs to be held over a bush...no, I'm not kidding!)
but I have always used cloth diapers, which encourages babies to train early. I'm
not a longhaired, barefoot, off-the-grid hippie (not that there's anything wrong
with that, but you're more likely to find me in Doc Martens than Birkenstocks!)
but I have been cloth diapering since the beginning.
It has saved me hundreds and hundreds of dollars, but I also like the fact that
my babies begin to make the association with the uncomfortable wet feeling and the
knowledge that they can prevent it. Most babies will wake up dry in the morning
at several months of age, demonstrating that they are physically
able to "hold it".
In my opinion, Pull Ups are evil and yet another invention that some clever businessman
came up with that parents now think is a necessity. Along with formula, baby swings,
and the like. Pull Ups just enable a 5 year old to keep soiling himself. Research
has shown that cloth diapered babies potty learn several months earlier than disposable
diapered babies.
So here's Grandma's recipe (and I do owe it to my Mother, like most of the good
stuff I know about parenting) for easy potty training, even if you choose not to
cloth diaper.
Let your baby come into the bathroom when you go. That way, they know what's going
on in there. You don't have to get graphic, just talk to them about what toilets
are for. If you are a woman at home all day with boy children, encourage Daddy to
show 'em how it's done. You don't want them
thinking that if they go on the toilet
their equipment will fall off, like Mum's obviously did. Strange, but true...some
tots will come to this conclusion.
Buy 3 or 4 of those cheap little molded plastic potties and put them around the
house. At least, one in each bathroom and one in the kitchen or the room where you
spend the most time with your child. Stick a towel underneath for the sake of your
carpet if said child is a boy. Speaking of boys...you can take advantage of nature
here by keeping an open mind. I know at least one boy who was trained when his Mom
let him go off the side of the deck.
The summer that your child is closest to two, take two days and don't leave the
house. Let your child run around naked from the waist down, with a big tee shirt
on top so that private parts stay private.
Every 10 minutes, place the child matter-of-factly on the pot. DO NOT ASK inane
questions like "Do you need to go potty sweetie pie!?" We are talking about dealing
with a two year old here! Just do it like it's the thing to do, and don't ask permission.
Don't force it, and if he/she wants to get up right away, let him or her.
If you have a resistant child, set a timer to go off every 10 minutes. It's amazing
what a child will do when the power dynamic is taken away. When the "potty timer"
goes off, it's time to sit on the pot!
Use praise but don't go overboard. Act like this is the expected thing. Be cool.
Say "You put peepee in the potty, just like Mommy and Daddy (and big brother, and
your older play group friend...3rd parties are gold here!!) do.
Don't make a big deal out of what's happening. Don't spend hours reading potty training
books or videos to the child. Again, be cool. If you make it into a big deal, your
child will be more likely to dig in and resist.
Have some "big boy shorts" or "big girl panties" that you know your child will like,
perhaps that you have picked out together, ready for the end of the two days. Your
child will be less likely to have accidents if s/he is going to mess up their new undies.
When the inevitible accidents happen, don't scold. Be patient and gracious. This
is part of the job. Remember that even if you decide to spring for carpet cleaning,
you will still come out ahead if you don't have to buy diapers for another year
or two!
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