We have officially enlisted.
Our chant? "Can we do this? Yes! We can!"
While I am not here to criticize any one's training method, I personally cannot put a child through 6 months of half-hearted inconsistent basic training. Neither will I proclaim my child to have graduated from this course at 14 months only to have daily "accidents." And please.....don't blame your lack of success on JR. The question is not whether your child is ready for this, but rather, "Are YOU ready for this?"
I'm not saying my form of Potty Boot Camp is for everyone, but in case you are interested...I'll give you a brief overview. I try to enlist them right around 2 years of age.1. Be prepared. Plan to devote somewhere between 2 days and 2 weeks of your life to this regime. I have experience with 4 enlistees thus far and the longest session was 2 weeks, the shortest...2 days! Choose a time period where you will not have to be away from home. You can't have boot camp at Walmart! Set aside special treats--stickers and small candy--that your child has not seen before. I like to use things like skittles and gummy fruits. Lots of water in fun cups and little juice cartons are great as well!
2. Be Persistent. Have you ever housebroken a puppy? Training a child is not that much different. Put some plastic sheeting down on the floor under the potty chair, grab a stack of books and "camp out." Don't get discouraged if your little trainee is not too interested at first. DON'T GIVE UP! Remember, YOU are still the sergeant in charge!
3. Be Pantless. Or pantiless. :) Those cute themed underwear will be great in a few days, but for the first few, the less clothing the better. Big girl panties are a fantastic reward for a little gal who has completed the course!
4. Be Positive. First, find a way to convey your "disappointment" when accidents happen. (Parents know how to do this.) Then, PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE when things go right!!! We sing and shout and dance about...we call everyone on the speed dial list (with the exception of 911) to celebrate with us.
So...you might want to know how we are doing this time around, huh?Okay....day #1
We have had the pretty times, the sane times, the awesome times, the happy and smiling times....
....and then we have had moments where we just thought we couldn't possibly make it.
Kaite figured out that liquids aid in the process and the more you 'go' the more candy you get and so you see the empty juice bottles. We had multiple requests for "More juice" yesterday. At one point I even caught her trying to empty her water cup directly into the potty chair in an attempt to get the prize without the performance, so to speak.
Oh--and as part of being prepared, you might want to invest in some of this. Resolve. Just in case your little recruit wanders of the "plastic training field."
I should know. This happened to me. I left my little charge long enough to tend a buzzing dryer and returned to find her in the kitchen with "brown stuff" all over her legs. It wasn't mud and for once I wished it was. While I rushed her to the dunk tank I sent my Boot Camp graduates in search of "the rest." 
In all fairness to my sweet recruit, it is the ONLY accident thus far. I think she just needed to learn that BOTH 'items' are to now go in the potty. I bought her some princess panties a few days ago, before we started training and when she saw them in the cart, she said, "What those?" I said, "Panties for you." Kaite sighed really big and said, "thought so!"
She has asked for a diaper a few times and I told her that we don't wear those anymore.
....and then we have had moments where we just thought we couldn't possibly make it.
Kaite figured out that liquids aid in the process and the more you 'go' the more candy you get and so you see the empty juice bottles. We had multiple requests for "More juice" yesterday. At one point I even caught her trying to empty her water cup directly into the potty chair in an attempt to get the prize without the performance, so to speak.
Oh--and as part of being prepared, you might want to invest in some of this. Resolve. Just in case your little recruit wanders of the "plastic training field."
I should know. This happened to me. I left my little charge long enough to tend a buzzing dryer and returned to find her in the kitchen with "brown stuff" all over her legs. It wasn't mud and for once I wished it was. While I rushed her to the dunk tank I sent my Boot Camp graduates in search of "the rest." Pretty soon, I heard Kammy's voice and this is what it said, "OHHHHH!!!!! OHHHHHH!!!!! I'ts BEA---U-----TI----FUL!!!!!!!!! It looks like there has been a horse in my bedroom!
Indeed it did! I spared you the gorey details and just took a shot of the carpets AFTER I'd applied the cleaner. The resolve spots will give you an idea of the extent of the damage. UGH!
In all fairness to my sweet recruit, it is the ONLY accident thus far. I think she just needed to learn that BOTH 'items' are to now go in the potty. I bought her some princess panties a few days ago, before we started training and when she saw them in the cart, she said, "What those?" I said, "Panties for you." Kaite sighed really big and said, "thought so!"
She has asked for a diaper a few times and I told her that we don't wear those anymore. Her response....."OH DEAR!!!!"
She was on her potty early this morning when her sister Kammy came by with the offer to play ponies. "No, ank you." Kaite said. "I'm potty shraining!"
Meanwhile, mommy is admitting just a teeny bit of sadness that my baby is now in Potty Training Boot Camp. The boots are a little stiff and uncomfortable, but that's the whole point of Boot Camp, right? Getting those boots broke in! :)
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2 comments:
Thanks for the great ideas on "Basic Potty Training" ...it won't be long and I will be needing all the tips that I can get for our lil' Khloe girl!...but thanks for the humor too. I got quite the chuckles out of your lil' story.:)
Sounds very similar to how my Mom did it. :)
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