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Awesome! That pretty much sums it up. And to think just days ago I was so nervous and dreading this...Day one was 5 successes and 6 accidents. Not as bad as I was expecting.Day two: 2 accidents at the beginning of the day and only success after that. I am SOOO proud of Little Miss! And myself, I haven't lost my cool once. I've stayed positive through it all - the scrubbing of the couches, the wet clothes, and the two hour stint on the potty.
Here are the basics. She sleeps in a diaper at night, and a Pull-Up during naps. When she's awake it's all cotton panties all the time.
We really talk up her big girl panties and using the potty like a big girl. But we never talk negatively about accidents or diapers or how long we have to spend reading her books while she sits on the potty, or the fact that it's been the nicest weather yet this year and we are stuck at home. The key is a positive attitude and fun!
A couple of tricks to get things going...(thanks to all the advice of friends!)
Little Miss gets a special potty drink randomly throughout the day - chocolate milk. She's never had it before and I'm not one to give her sugar, so this is a very fun thing for her!She usually drinks the whole sippy very quickly and 20-30 minutes later she has to use the potty. I keep track of the time and guide her there, giving her a chance to be successful and feel proud. Which ensures her desire to use the potty again!
More salty food than ever. Cheese, crackers, anything that will make her thirsty and want to drink more.
I also will randomly ask her if her pants are wet or dry (knowing they are dry) - she feels her pants and will tell me, and then I praise her a lot! Once in a while this praise includes a jelly bean or a mini marshmallow.
My cell phone is equipped with a special "potty timer" with a fancy gingle. She knows that when the timer goes off, no matter what we're doing, we run to the potty and try - then we can return to playing.While on the potty...we read books, play with finger puppets, bounce balls in the tub, do puzzles, sing songs. Everything! And I might have made it a little too fun because she was on there for two hours straight and refused to get off. Then half an hour after getting off she was back on for another 90 minutes...crazy girl!
A couple of things to remember - you being frustrated will only frustrate them. Learning to use the potty is just that - something they have to learn! Just like learning to walk, or learning to talk. It takes time and will not happen overnight. I'm sure we'll have plenty of accidents over the next few months.
The muscles used to "hold it" need time to develop. So don't get angry with your child if they don't have total control yet.
I am really glad we took the leap to cotton panties - being able to learn wet/dry has made all the difference! On to Day 3...
Have any great advice, ideas, or experience potty training? Please share!
Want to be a guest blogger on the subject (how to potty train a boy/twins/etc) - please email me at barb.themomblog(at)gmail(dot)com
Other posts in this series:
first - twins? oh my goodness. i don't know HOW busy you'd be with that!
ReplyDeletealso, GO SADIE! isn't it so great that you've kept her off all that sugary stuff and now you can use just a little to treat her? it would probably be so hard if she was used to that stuff regularly! i'm glad you're writing these, it's giving me ideas!
chocolate milk... mmmm
Barb, I did see your comment! I read every one. :) Thanks for your kind words. And good luck with the continued potty training. I'm still not fully potty trained.
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