Not So Spectacular UPDATE: One accident at Preschool playground, one at the playground after preschool and yet another tonight at home. Discouraging to say the least. He doesn't seem to mind at all. Blurg.
We spent the entire weekend potty training Bubba. I've been told by many parents that you have to devote an entire weekend (it takes four days), preferably with both parents around and hands on, to potty training a child. So we did. And just when we thought all hope was lost in three loads of laundry, a hundred Clorox wipes and countless, COUNTLESS,
It wasn't something we had even planned on doing. It just happened. Like I said earlier that we were working on being diaper free by three, we weren't really going to push it if he didn't seem remotely ready. Some days he was more interested than others: One day he would use the potty three to four times, other days he wouldn't use it at all. We tried the incentive charts, using smiley face stickers and the promise of a toy of his choice if he accumulated enough. That worked for about, oh, 3 days. We tried M&M's and treat bags with little plastic toys. Those also worked for roughly 3 days. After the three days he would just forget about the treats and either go in his pants or ignore our pleas for him to use the potty entirely. This time took persistence and heavier ammo.
Let me preface this next bit by saying that I am the anti-candy parent. I don't think children should have candy at all, or at least in strict moderation, and for the first year and a half I really stuck to my guns. Then last year I put some organic jelly beans in Bubba's Easter eggs and put a few pouches of organic gummy bears in his stocking. Why organic? Sugar is sugar, right? I don't know. It makes me feel better about letting him have candy at all. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
This past weekend all of my morality shot to you-know-where in a hand basket. We promised him an entire (organic-WHAT?!) lollipop for every time he used the potty by himself. Well what do you know. The kid is all about instant gratification and I can't blame him one single bit because he got it from his momma. His well meaning yet hyper-hypocritical mother who personally devoured his, her husband's and her OWN entire Halloween stash. It was terribly painful to unwrap no less than FIVE suckers in one day. (I'll have you know that I brushed his teeth after every one! Guilt shmilt), but I'll tell you the child is no longer in diapers after the third day. I bought one of those Potette Plus potty's for when we are on the go, and I set it up at the park today for him to use at his leisure. He used it on his own while I was on the opposite side of the playground wrangling Birdie. The sense of accomplishment and pride was pouring from every single crevice. He asked for a lollipop and he got one on the ride home. The way I figure, he is developing a lifelong habit and the candy most certainly will NOT continue to be a part of our routine. Bubba is still wearing a Pull-Up diaper at night because this is still so new, but he woke up this morning with it being dry.
Using the Baby Bjorn potty
A rough time line of our adventure:
Friday evening through Monday evening, Bubba was strictly (except for sleeping time) wearing big boy underwear, mostly at his request. We basically did not leave the apartment that entire time, and we did, literally, go through at least three loads of laundry. That's at least $20 in our apartment-dwelling world. There was a lot of crying, screaming and frustration throughout the ordeal, but once Bubba started refusing the diaper we knew it that this was it. I am feeling very guilty about giving him all the candy that we did -I even bought him sparkle marshmallows, the HORROR- but I won't let it continue and will find an alternative, sugar free route for the upcoming week or two. The true test will be tomorrow in preschool, where the majority of his classmates are still in diapers. I'll let him choose between diapers and underwear, but I'm pretty confident he's over the diapers at this point. Nice work, little man. We are SO proud of you. I can hardly believe it!
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Using the Potette Plus in the Plaza outside of our building
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13 comments:
Way to go!! It just gets easier - don't be discouraged if you hit a bump... they do come but pass. :)
SO GREAT!
Tell him to send Misa vibes. He refuses to come near the potty.
That is great! I'm a friend of Sue's. I did the candy thing too, and amazingly, after the first week he didn't even ask for it anymore. So now the prize phase is over and we have our fingers crossed that things will continue this way!
We used candy too. Swedish berries to be exact (see http://muddybootsblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/bits-and-bites.html). We also benefited from an older brother who had as much to gain from Simon's potty success... When Simon got a treat, LIAM got a treat.
We went from 1 berry for pee and 2 for poos, to none for pee and 1 for poo. To none at all.
2.5lbs of Swedish berries later, he was potty trained!
Way to go!!!! We're almost there, too. Still working in it and I probably have not been as diligent as I should have been. Yay!
I'm yelling you... Those kids are smarter than we give them credit for! We used 1 marshmallow for pee and 2 for poop. Hannah would sit and sit and squeeze and squeeze in hopes that a poop would come out! Anything for an extra marshmallow right? I swear for a year after she was 100% trained she'd try to ask for a marshmallow when she went! If it works... it works! Their teeth won't fall out!
Good for you - I'm having a hell of a time trying to potty train my 3yo daughter who wants nothing to do with it. I think I will follow your lead and stay home for a few days and go all in.
CONGRATS!!
Potty Training is T.O.U.G.H - tuff!!! My little man is FINALLY there! We tried the M&M's, trips to the park, anything to get him to go. Finally, we bought some of those stickers like at the Dr's office (smilemakers.com) of construction vehicles, and VOILA . . . he would do ANYTHING for a chance to wear a dumptruck on his shirt for a day. He still asks for his sticker when he goes #2. Still in diapers at night - which I expect will be for a while, but OK with that. Most morning he wakes up dry anyway, but I'm not ready to chance having to wash sheets ALL THE TIME by having him wear underwear at night. Ah . . . it's so nice to see some light at the end of the diaper tunnel. Congrats to you!!!!
Great! Way to go little man! Asher trained himself when he was ready, so that was nice!
Yay! What a milestone! :) He's so cute, OMG. And yes, it is not easy, potty-training. But when it happens... it just happens and it's totally awesome! I made a sticker chart for my oldest son, and I was amazed that it worked!
Oh man good for you! He is almost there. I gave on on the candy with potty training my first. SHe was donw by 2. But I think girls are easy. My little man is 18 months and kept wanting to sit on the potty so we have started training the #2 first. If we make it in time he does the poop in the potty! I am hopeing to eliminate poopy diapers by the time our third comes in January! I think we will have long time till he total diaper freedom though. I think it must be tough for boys with all that stuff down there!
Just found your blog through twitter and I am now following!
I really love hearing all of the input, especially if you gave your kids candy too. Makes me feel better! WE're still doing candy as a reward, but he's only asking for it half the time. And no accidents in a week! YAY!!
I am in the potty training battle myself and it is so frustrating! I have tried 1 M&M for #1 and 2 M&Ms for #2 and it just doesn't go well all the time! He tells me... Mom, It's not working meaning his little (you know)and he goes here and there! I tried the 4 day thing last week and it didn't work out as planned! So I have two questions for those that have potty trained your boys! #1 How do you keep that little pee pee down in the potty (without pushing it down)? And #2 If they aren't interested do you give up temporarily or keep trying? My Daughter was so easy!!!
HELP!!!
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